I saw one of my framed pictures of me, Keller and Mark propped up all of our faces cut out.
Robin screamed from where she was at the window and Keller tried to lift him self up.
“Vanessa what is it.” Shouted Keller.
“I’m ok.” I said looking at Robin, she was already scared enough. “Just a spider.” I was getting good at these spur of the moment lies.
I reached under and grabbed hold of the frame; my keys were tied to the string that was used to hold the picture on the wall. I pulled them off and dropped them through the window to Keller.
Taking hold of Robin I shut the window and listened as Keller entered my house. I heard him walking around opening doors and closing them again before he came to my room and knocked on the door.
“You can open up, it’s me.” He said through the wood.
“Is everything ok?” I called through the door before opening it; to be honest I didn’t want to open it, even though I knew it was only Keller on the other side.
“Yeah, there’s no one here.”
Robin clung to the back of my t-shirt making the fabric pull around my neck as I moved the chair. We both fell into his arms as the door opened, still afraid to actually go out into the house though.
“Its clear I promise.” He said holding us both.
I left Robin in Keller’s arms and gingerly stepped out. Nothing looked out of place; it looked just as I had left it. It took both of us to convince Robin that it was safe to come out. She was using Keller as her shield, only her head pocking out slightly from under is arm.
I held my hand out too her. “Its ok, there’s no one here.” Bexley padded over to us, his tail wagging; obviously he thought it was morning. “See look even Bexley says so.”
She laughed as he sat down in front of her and lifted his right paw.
“Come on Robin, lets get some hot chocolate.” I said. Finally she took my hand and Keller smiled at me. I led her into the lounge and sat her down. Bexley was following close behind and he hopped onto the sofa next to her, his head resting on her lap.
“You sit here with Bex and I’ll go make us a drink.”
“But mummy.” She said finally speaking.
“I can see you from the kitchen, you’ll be ok. There’s no one here I promise.”
I switched the television on for her, thank god for satellite TV and twenty four hour children’s channels. She snuggled into Bexley as some strange looking cartoon came on the television.
“What did you see?” Keller asked his voice low so that Robin couldn’t hear him.
“I didn’t see anything. Robin came running in saying someone had taken her duvet off, tickled her nose and opened her curtains.”
“Do you think there was someone?”
“Yes. When I was looking for my keys I found them under my bed.”
“Maybe you knocked them off.”
“No, they were attached to one of the pictures that I keep in my studio, I didn’t knock them off and I didn’t stick that picture under my bed.”
“Well there’s no one here now and as far as I can see there is no sign of any one having been here either.”
“Are you suggesting we made this up?” I asked him and I let my annoyance come through my voice.
“No not at all, I just don’t know Vanessa. First your gallery, then the house. Are you sure there isn’t someone who has it in for you?”
“If I knew that I would hunt them down and kill them.”
He gave me a less than pleased look at that remark.
“Oh come one Kel, get out of the law abiding bit for a second, what would you do?”
“Hit them with my big stick.” He said and raised his eyebrows I couldn’t help it I burst out laughing.
“Don’t you have to get back to work?”
“Nope, I had finished when you called.”
I was glad he had finished work; quite frankly I didn’t want to be alone. It was probably selfish of me to just want him to stay so I felt safe, but deep down somewhere there was something else too. I just didn’t want Keller to leave.
I glanced over to where Robin was, curled up with Bexley. I had no idea what she was watching, but what ever it was seemed to have worked in taking her mind of what had just happened.
“I’m never going to get her to go back to bed.”
Keller followed my gaze and smiled. “I doubt it.”
“Maybe I could stay at Ethan’s.”
“At this time of night?”
He had a point how would I explain turning up on Ethan’s door step at this hour? I would need a pretty damn good excuse and I didn’t want to tell him the truth.
“You could come to my house.” Suggested Keller. “I have a couple of spare rooms, it’s nothing big, but at least you’ll feel safer and so will she.”
I wasn’t sure, yes he was right, she would feel safe, so would I for that matter, but being forced out of my home by who ever was doing this just ticked me off, but I had to think of Robin. My ego wasn’t going to keep her safe was it?
“Just for tonight.” I said.
“Good, I have hot chocolate at home, we can finish this there.”
“She can drink this; I’ve made it now anyway.” I said as I lifted the hot cup up. “It will give me time to explain everything to her.”
I took the hot mug over to her and sat beside her. She swung her legs down to make room for me; Bexley on the other hand was obviously comfortable and didn’t move.
“Here you go baby.” I said as I passed her, her drink. “How are you feeling?”
“Ok. Will we be ok here now?”
“Well that’s what I sat down for. I was wondering if you fancied sleeping at Keller’s house tonight.”
“Can Bexley come too?” She asked and I had no idea. I looked over to him and he nodded.
“Yes baby he can.”
“Then I like that idea.”
“Ok baby. Well you stay here and I’ll go and get us some stuff for tomorrow ok?”
I left her with Keller and Bexley while I packed an overnight case. I didn’t take much, just the essential’s Toothbrush, hairbrush and a change of clothes for tomorrow. The house would seem better tomorrow in daylight.
-------------------------------------------
I watched our house fade into the distance as Keller drove us to his house. Anger boiled inside me. I was being forced to run from my home in the middle of the night because some idiot had decided he had a grudge against me and I didn’t even know what it was.
Robin was curled up with Bexley on the back seat. He had thought it was great that we were going out and had practically raced out of the house once he saw we had our coats on. Keller had thrown a blanket over them both. It wasn’t really cold, but the night was defiantly cooler than the heat we were used to in the day time.
“Do you know? I don’t even know where you live.” I said turning back to face the front.
He smiled and his blue eyes seemed almost black in the dark, but you could still see the light in them. “I don’t live that far away to be honest. You know Stanley?”
“You don’t live there do you?” he nodded and I laughed. “Of all the places I never imagined. Do you remember how we always said it was the place people went when they were too old to live anywhere else?”
“Are you saying I’m old?”
“Well if the cap fits.”
“Actually it’s been redone since we were little. All young families.” He said and his eyes appeared to hold sadness as he said it.
“You’ll have that one day too you know. You’d make a great dad.”
“Yeah.” He said sighing.
I had no idea what to say after that I had kind of killed the conversation. I was good at ruining things no matter how small.
Robin was asleep in the back of the car when Keller pulled the car onto his driveway. His house was your normal purpose built family home. One drive way, white garage door and bay window at the front.
I lifted Bexley out as Keller lifted Robin. He kept the blanket on her and she didn’t even stir, obviously coming away from the house had been a good idea and she had relaxed.
“My pocket.” He said sticking his hip out at me.
“Excuse me?”
“My house keys, they are in my pocket. You have to get them. I forgot to get them out”
“You did this on purpose.”
He just winked at me.
I tried to squeeze my fingers into his pocket, but Keller wiggled and gave a quiet laugh. “That tickles.”
“It’ll hurt if you don’t behave now stand still and let me get the keys before you wake her.” I said as I moved my hand away.
“Spoil sport.”
I tuted and reached into his pocket again, this time he stood still and I managed to get them.
The house was cosy inside. A soft beige carpet covered the floor of his hallway. Pictures of his family decorated the wall that followed his stairs. A single table stood in the corner which gave home to a vase and his phone.
Two doors went off to the right, but Keller motioned for me to go upstairs.
The house wasn’t huge, but it was adequate. There were three bedrooms and a bathroom. The doors were open to each and I could see that they were decorated in the same cosy atmosphere that covered the rest of the house.
He put Robin into the spare single bed in the bedroom at the front of the house. Bexley followed and curled up on the bottom of her bed. I went to move him off, but Keller let him stay.
I watched her for a moment before pulling the door too and following Keller back downstairs.
The backroom acted as a dining room leading off into the kitchen. A large mahogany table took centre stage in the middle of the room, with six chairs stood around it. The kitchen had a small breakfast bar are with just a couple of stools. Judging by the empty cup and newspaper it would seem that Keller used this more than the table. I sat my self down at the table and we watched each other as if afraid to talk.
“Do you want anything to drink?”
“No I’m fine thanks.” I said. What did I do now? Say thanks and just go up to bed?
Before I knew what was happening he had pulled me up and was leaning into me his body was warm against mine, the feel of him so close was almost overpowering. His hands moved swiftly until they were behind my head and he pulled my mouth up to his in one quick movement, his breath danced hot against my face as his warm almost shaking mouth captured mine.
My heart stopped for a second and then I melted into him, cold heat rushed through my body and I lifted my arms up around the back of his neck, my lips parting and letting him in. His mouth was almost bruisingly forceful against mine, as if he was afraid that this would be his only chance and he wanted to savour every second. As his arms moved around my back and pulled me even tighter to him.
“I want to make love to you.” He whispered lightly against my ear.
I wanted it too, but it still felt wrong to want him somehow, like I was still betraying Mark. But Mark wasn’t here was he? We weren’t a couple. It didn’t matter any more.
**
I awoke as I felt the weight in the bed shift. I reached my hand out and the empty side of my bed was still warm. The night before came back to me in one quick flash and I opened my eyes calling him.
“Keller?”
“Shush.” He said leaning down over me.
“What are you doing?”
“I thought I better leave before Robin gets up.” He said as he sat back down. He gently ran his fingers along the side of my face and lent down and kissed me. “I have to go out anyway. You two make yourselves at home and I’ll be back with breakfast.”
Funny that he was protecting my feelings, I am ashamed to say I probably wouldn’t have done the same. I tend to speak before I think and only think when I realised what I said hurt.
“You stay there and go back to sleep.” He said.
I smiled like some silly teenager. What on earth was wrong with me? I was stronger than this.
We mustn’t have been asleep long, the room was dark, but I could see the orange glow around the curtain as the sun rose for another day. I lay in the semi darkness after I heard the front door close behind him. I wasn’t sure if I should have regretted what I did, but I kept playing it over and over in my mind like a song on repeat. Everything had happened so fast recently. Did I really want a relationship with Keller? To drag up all those old buried memories and feelings? And what about Mark?
I certainly knew how to make my life difficult for myself and as always I had done it perfectly
I did love Keller, but not how he wanted. I wasn’t mad passionately in love with him, it was more of an affectionate love that you develop for a friend and that was what he was. I had to tell him. It wouldn’t be fair to let him think that this could go anywhere.
