A few weeks later, Alex and I were going strong. We saw each other regularly and mainly kept it hidden while we were at work. People talked but I chose not to listen, only becoming friends with my team that I could trust. Lindsay loved when he spent the night on the weekends and made us breakfast and I appreciated the nights that Rosie urged me to stay with Alex at his place.
I was sitting at my desk setting up some lunch appointments when my phone rang. I picked it up, offering the standard greeting. There was silence on the other end and I frowned before hanging up. That was one of several over the last few weeks, but I assumed it was someone that had the wrong number. That or someone that didn’t like Alex and wanted to be annoying. I got back to work and spent the next few hours getting Alex situated with clients before I went to lunch with Millie.
We discussed the new project with the cosmetic company that was rising in popularity over sandwiche
s. She knew the most about Alex, but I made her promise to keep it to herself. I had a habit of hiding my life as a result of Keith. I didn’t want him to find me here and get near Lindsay.
“Is everything still good?” Millie asked as we cleaned up and took our tray to the trash.
“With Alex? Yeah. He’s so cute with Lind,” I told her as I led the way to the door. I noticed a bright red car parked across the street. The model was unusual, and I frowned as I heard an engine and watched it pull away. I blinked and laughed to myself.
“I saw that same car parked at the office. I wonder if they’re lost.” Millie mused aloud as I glanced at her. I went to work with them for the afternoon and we came up with a solid idea for the campaign before finishing for the night. I glanced towards Alex’s office to see him closing his door, smiling as I paused. I heard the phone at my desk ring and started to step forward as Alex went to answer it. He frowned and stared at the receiver for a second before glancing up at me.
“Have you been getting a lot of those calls?” He asked as I moved beside him. I knew that we were being watched as we moved along with the group.
“The hang ups?” I asked as he pulled me away from the crowd and into a corner.
“That wasn’t a hang up when I answered. They asked where the bitch that worked at the desk was, Soledad. Is there something going on?” He asked me as I frowned.
“I don’t think so. I’ve only gotten hang ups.” I thought about the calls and the familiar car as we went down to the parking lot and he drove me home. Brent and Alex had plans so he told me to lock up and stay safe. Alex planned to come back over later, and I promised to let him in before I gave him a soft kiss. I headed to my door and unlocked it, walking in to see Rosie in the kitchen and Lindsay playing with some dolls on the floor. “Hey, ladies.”
“Where’s Alex?” Lindsay asked as disappointment crossed her face.
“He has plans with Brent, Lind. He’ll make breakfast in the morning.” I smiled and set my purse down on the hall table as I went to help her with dinner. We finished the grilled cheese sandwiches and soup, sitting down at the table to eat together. I heard my phone ring from my purse and looked over, debating on whether to get it or not. “It might be Alex.” I told them before going to retrieve it from the open pocket. I glanced at the screen to see an unavailable number and answered it on the way back to the table.
“Bitch. I found you,” A low voice told me as I paused, listening as the call ended. I took a slow breath and kept going to the table to eat, not wanting to scare Lindsay. I wondered if Keith was here and why. She was not even born when he walked away from us. He didn’t want a family. I played it off through the meal and Lindsay’s bath before tucking her in and sitting in my room.
I played the situation with Keith down. He had left us but that was after a year of physically abuse and emotionally tearing me down. He left because he finally cheated on someone that he left me for after countless affairs. I was young and stupid and returned to my mom’s house to have the baby and raise her on my own. Once she was a toddler, my friend Michael invited me to Mendocino to help with his company since I’d finished college online during the time I was home. I worked hard to make a life for myself and Lindsay and looked forward to living in the small, coastal town.
I felt safe there. I felt loved there. I noticed Keith around town talking to old friends of mine that lived in the area or visited and made every effort to avoid him. I made the sitter keep Lindsay in the small house that I was renting until I learned that Keith was planning to move there. I told Michael that I needed to leave and packed us up, driving in my car to Seattle.
It was a bigger city and I’d get a job there. We’d blend in. I told everyone in Mendocino not to say anything about my new location and breathed easier when I found out that Keith was moving to LA through a friend. I could heal now and move on.
I woke up to the sound of my phone. I reached out for it and answered, hearing Alex tell me that he was almost at the apartment. I rose and brushed my teeth groggily, going to let him in after making sure everyone was sleeping. Alex kissed me softly before closing the door and locking it. “Are you okay?” He asked as I nodded.
“I fell asleep. Long week,” I told him as we walked to my bedroom. Alex got ready for bed and I lost myself in the way he made love to me, pushing away the idea that Keith was here.
I didn’t notice the broken window in the bathroom until he was gone the following day. I peered through the hole in the glass to see that there was a balcony to another unit a few feet away and fear sent ice through my veins. I left the room and told Rosie that I’d be back after closing the door, hoping they would use their own bathrooms. I went to the office and told the manager about the window. She said she’d have it fixed as soon as they could get someone out and I thanked her before returning home.
I remembered calling the police before. At the time, they hadn’t been helpful about how he’d stalk me after a breakup. There was no real proof that it was him or that I was in any danger. What was the point of telling them anything now? So much time had passed, and I wasn’t even sure that I wasn’t going crazy.
I went back to the apartment and told Lindsay I’d take her to the park. I was nervous about it but couldn’t live my life paranoid. I knew that Alex was taking care of something with Brent and would be gone through the night, so we went alone. I watched as Lindsay ran forward to play with a little girl she recognized, taking a seat to watch her. I breathed in slowly to calm down, my eyes fixed on Lindsay as she played.
The way that he treated me when we were still together was dark and scary. I knew that I didn’t remember a lot of it but the fear that I’d lived in after we broke up would always be prominent in my mind. I tried not to live paranoid, but Lindsay was still small enough that I could keep her by my side without looking like a crazy mom.
I heard my name and looked up to see Alex walking towards me. I smiled and waved before looking back at my daughter, smiling as she moved down the slide. “Hi there. Rosie said that you were here.” He sat down beside me and kissed my cheek as he searched the park for Lindsay.
“You’re home early. Is everything okay?” I asked as he slipped an arm around me. Despite the fact that we’d been involved for a few weeks and slept together regularly, he still gave me butterflies when I saw him.
“Brent bought the truck right away, so we came back. He’s off planning his first road trip, so I came back to the apartment. How’s your day?” Alex asked as he smiled down at me.
“It’s good.” I replied as I considered telling him about the window. He was there a lot and would hear something about the repair. “I went into the hallway bathroom today and the window was broken. Just a small break. I reported it to the manager and they’re fixing it soon.”
“Broken? Did someone throw a rock through it?” He asked in a cool voice as I glanced at him.
“Not that I could see.” I replied as he reached down and squeezed my hand.
“You’re getting the calls at work and now this? I don’t think you should be here alone with Lindsay. I’m worried for you.” Alex sounded angry and I blinked slowly. I’d played Keith down when I spoke about him. I was used to pretending that it wasn’t that bad and that he wasn’t the monster that he was. I gazed across the park to see a red car parked at the curb and then stared at Lindsay. “Is there a chance that he’s back, Soledad? Would he look for you?”