Just Me (You & Me 1)

It was the truth, but she had no idea how just how right she was. Katherine was uncomfortable navigating the new neighborhood, so it was incredibly sweet of Talia to offer to show her around.

Together, they walked past all of Talia’s favorite places, while she gave recommendations on the best days to visit and the most delicious dishes. Katherine was grateful, trying to remember as much as she could.

Everything was finally beginning to feel normal, as the tension dissolved with each step they took together. Katherine thought the fear was gone until Talia announced she would be breaking off to head in a different direction, leaving Katherine to walk the rest of the distance on her own.

Anxiety rushed in as her heart raced with the possibilities. The sun was setting and before long it would be dark. Katherine hated to be out in the dark, especially alone. Walking twice as fast, she rushed to get back to her apartment, glancing over her shoulder every few feet.

She could feel the presence behind her, hear the footsteps gaining, but every time she turned to look, there was no one there. Tim had filled her with so much fear that even though she’d remained a step ahead of him over the last two years, she was terrified of what he might do to her.

He always said she could never escape him, and in those times she believed him. Her paranoia was ridiculous, but what could she do? Every other place she had gone, Tim eventually showed up to prove he could track her down whenever he wanted.

Katherine’s only hope was that Tim no longer wanted anything to do with her. She knew how unlikely that was, because he was the type that never wanted to give his toys away, and that was all Katherine ever was to him.

While they were together, all Tim wanted was for her to be a dutiful wife. He had so many rules she had to live by and if she ever questioned his reign, there would be hell to pay. She lived her life in constant fear that she would finally have to answer for walking away from the man who terrorized her.

Before long, Katherine was jogging, trying to reach her apartment as fast as possible. The night was chasing her, and she didn’t want to get caught in the new neighborhood, or find herself lost. There were a few twists and turns, and Talia had taken a different way to showcase all the area had to offer.

Struggling to stay calm, Katherine watched her feet moving quickly, one in front of the other, before returning her focus ahead. There was a man a little ways down the street who caught her attention. His broad shoulders filled his suit very well, in a way that made her stomach drop.

Tim only wore suits, regardless of whether he was attending a family function or defending criminals in the court room. Watching the stranger with caution in her movements, Katherine was filled with relief when the man turned to face her.

While he might have had the football player build of her husband, this man looked nothing like the clean-shaven man she had married. It was too close of a call though, so she took off running without shame. It didn’t matter who saw her, she just wanted to get back to her safe space.

An elderly man sitting on the porch of his home leaned forward in his rocking chair when she passed his house. Watching her closely, the man smiled as their eyes locked, and for some reason that gave Katherine a bit of security.

She felt the old man’s watchful eye as she made it to her apartment building, confident that if anyone jumped out to grab her, he would be watching, curious as to where the young woman was running.

When she finally got there, Katherine took two steps at a time, climbing to the fourth floor as if she was being chased up each flight. You needed a key to enter her building, but even that didn’t make her feel secure.

In addition to the dead bolt already installed, Katherine had added four other locks to her front door, making six in total. In a rush to enter her place, she regretted the extra laye

r of security as she fumbled with her keys.

If anyone were after her, they’d have the perfect opportunity to overpower her as she struggled with the door. Thankfully, there was no one after her, despite the fear she felt deep in her stomach. When she finally unlocked the door, she rushed inside, slamming the door shut before carefully locking each of the six locks.

Resting her back against the heavy door, Katherine inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the cool air. A relaxing stroll with Talia had quickly turned to panic, but she was regaining her composure as she looked around the small apartment.

She examined the boxes, questioning if she had opened the one in the corner, or if someone had been rummaging through her things while she was at work. She knew it was outlandish, but she would put nothing past Tim when it came to getting back at her.

She had to think outside the box and leave nothing off the table when trying to prepare for what Tim had planned for her. He was unpredictable and relentless when it came to getting what he wanted.

“You’re home. It’s okay,” she said aloud, hoping to calm herself down. Katherine’s hands trembled as she dropped the set of keys into the pear-shaped glass dish she left on the dining room table.

It was overwhelming to live with such fear, but there didn’t seem to be any other option for her. She was on her own, responsible with her safety and well-being. Many might call her behavior overzealous, but Katherine didn’t care. She just wanted to feel safe.

A lone tear fell down her cheek as she thought back to the last time she felt completely safe. She was on a trip to Las Vegas, away from Tim while he worked in Phoenix. She was going to unwind and enjoy herself at the massive hotel pool.

Her husband had never liked her exposing too much of her body, but with him away in another state, she felt the risk was pretty low. Slipping out of her thin cover-up, she laid out on the beach chair, ready for a tan.

“Can I get you anything?” The voice had awakened her, although she didn’t even notice she’d fallen asleep.

“Oh, sorry,” she muttered, moving her hand above her eyes to provide a bit of shade.

The waiters at the hotel pool wore brightly colored swim trunks as they went from one cabana to the next taking orders. This waiter wasn’t wearing a swim suit though, and as the realization set in, the safety she had felt earlier melted away.

“You look comfortable,” the voice said. With a sick feeling, Katherine recognized it was Tim from his cuff links. Dressed in a black tailored suit, he looked completely out of place at the pool, but that didn’t stop him.

“What are you doing here?” Katherine had asked, stalling for time as she scrambled to grab her cover up, hiding her exposed body.