While gazing at the mess, Zeke taps me on the shoulder.
"Hey, the Sheriff's Department is here. I just saw their lights through the window," he says. I nodded to acknowledge him. As we head toward the front door, we hear several footsteps. Please not Sheriff Dawson, I begged silently. I didn't have the strength to handle him today. The universe was against me; he was the first to walk in, followed by two deputies. Because the door was slightly open from the break-in, the sheriff and his deputies entered carefully, announcing their presence as they went. We greeted them in the entryway.
"What happened here tonight?" Sheriff Dawson asks in a serious tone as he swaggers in.
"We heard noises downstairs and went to check. The intruder assaulted Roxy and then escaped. He was also rummaging through the cabinets in the living room. Nothing was stolen," Zeke explained, his voice tense with anger. His anger wasn't aimed at anyone present. He was upset about the intruder's aggressive behavior towards me.
"Did you see his face or recognize anything about him?" One of the deputies asked as his eyes scanned the room for clues.
"No, he was dressed in black, with a ski mask covering his face. It all happened so fast and scared me half to death," I say quietly.
The sheriff simply nodded before quietly telling his deputy to inspect the house's lower level and confirm no one else was inside. I observed him moving from room to room with the others, his eyes flickering back and forth as he attempted to understand the situation.
"Miss Sleighton, are you certain you did not recognize the intruder or remember any features that stood out?" Sheriff Dawson asked, almost grilling me.
"No, sheriff," I sighed, my eyes filling with tears. "As I said, everything happened fast, and I was terrified. By the time I realized what was happening, he had already fled."
I understood his questions were standard procedure, but I couldn't shake the feeling he didn't believe me. All I wanted was to forget everything that happened and try to reclaim my home. Make a safe space for us. The sheriff's gaze shifted over us, his voice steady and calm despite my frazzled nerves.
"Well, Miss Sleighton, Mr. Anderson," he says, " your house is now secure. We thoroughly searched the downstairs and outside premises. We are still trying to figure out how he got in."
"Thank you, Sheriff," Zeke says.
After the sheriff and his deputies drove off, we stood in silence watching as they disappeared into the darkness of the night. A cold wind sliced through the air, but it wasn't just the chill — a deeper unease seeped into my bones; something darker was lurking beneath. My eyes darted across the street, landing on a shadowy figure on the porch. It was Ted. His gaze was fixed on us with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. The hair on the back of my neck and arms stood on end, a warning whispering in the wind that something was terribly wrong with that man. Zeke didn't notice him and turned to go inside. I followed, not wanting to be outside alone.
As soon as we entered the house, I locked the door behind us to make sure it was secure. Then, I looked for Zeke, who was sitting on the living room couch with his long legs stretched out and his arm draped over his forehead.
I approached him quietly and asked, "Zeke, would it be okay if we slept in the same room? I don't want to be alone tonight." His reaction was instant as he quickly removed his hand from his head and looked at me.
"Y-yeah," he said softly. "We can sleep in your room if you'd like. That way, we can monitor the information better." A wave of relief washed over me—I was thankful he agreed. The idea of being alone in this house tonight was unbearable. As we headed to my room, we turned off the lights as we went. Being close to Zeke made me feel safer, protected, and comforted.
We slipped into bed together. The warmth of our bodies created a cocoon of safety and comfort. I felt grateful to have him beside me. The night had been long and turbulent, leaving us exhausted and restless. My emotions were on the verge of overflowing, and I was trying to hide them. While lying on our backs, as we looked up at the ceiling, unable to sleep, my mind raced, refusing to quiet down. I glanced at Zeke and noticed the sharp lines of his face in the low light. From his strong jaw to the intensity of his gaze, every feature radiated quiet strength. A gentle smile spread across my face as I studied his face. Zeke turned and looked into my eyes, catching me off guard.
"What are you smiling about?" he asks with a hint of humor in his voice, trying to lighten the mood. My smile faded as I tried to hold back my emotions and tears.
"Just thankful to have you in my life," I replied, my voice cracking. I sit up, trying to stop the onslaught of tears I feel coming; the thought of ugly crying in front of him appalls me. All the years we have known each other, he has never seen me like that. Zeke sits up next to me and places a comforting hand on my back.
"Hey, don't let today get to you," he says softly, "I know it's hard, and we have a lot to sort out, but just take a deep breath. I've got you."
His words struck me deeply, causing my emotions to overwhelm me. Tears streamed down my face, and I found myself sobbing uncontrollably. I tried to hide my face with my hands from him, but he softly removed my hands, wiping away my tears, and then embraced me in a comforting hug.
Stroking my hair, he spoke softly to me. "Rocky, baby, I wasn't trying to make you cry," he says. He lay us both down, he had me on his chest, and I clung to his T-shirt, reveling in his warmth and the safety of his arms. As the night wore on, he never once loosened his grip on me. Our legs were intertwined.
As the sun rose, I woke up disoriented, feeling something warm and hard under my head. For a second, it made me wonder where I was until it hit me; I was lying on Zeke's chest. Looking up at him, I watched him sleep soundly for a moment, then snuggled back into his side. The night replayed in my mind, the embarrassment of crying like that in front of him was overshadowed by the tenderness he showed me. But the moment that replayed in my mind over and over again was when he called me "baby." It probably sounds weird to be excited about it, but it was a little win for me. Eventually, I fell back into a deep slumber.
Zeke's stare woke me a little later. He reached down and moved a strand of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. Smiling back at him, I watched as he leaned down and kissed my forehead.
"Hey, sleeping beauty, you ready to get up and start the day, or do we want to hide away in here all day and watch movies?" he asked. His offer was tempting, but I knew we both had things to do.
"As tempting as vegging out and watching movies sounds, we still need to get things taken care of. Aren't you supposed to look at properties for the business today?" I asked. "And I need to paint the living room. Plus, throw a run to the grocery store somewhere in my schedule." Before I took him up on his offer to be lazy, I slowly extracted myself from bed and to the bathroom, aware of his eye on me the whole time.
Hurrying, I jumped into the shower to enjoy the warmth of the water washing away all my stress. After finishing, I wrapped a fluffy towel around my body and headed to my room. Zeke had already left to probably get his own shower and get dressed for the day. Rummaging through boxes and luggage, I finally found some comfortable clothes: a soft tank top, a pair of well-worn jeans, a dark grey hoodie sweatshirt, and a pair of fluffy socks. Dressing quickly, I let my damp hair fall loosely around my face.
Grabbing my laptop, I headed down to the living room, the soft sound of my socks padding on the floor accompanying me as I went. Reaching the living room, I drop my bag on the couch and head for the kitchen. Caffeine was needed to be a functional person. As I entered, Zeke was pouring coffee into two cups. He handed me one of the cups and leaned back against the counter while I sat at the table. He looked good in a plain black T-shirt, jeans, and his work boots. Awkwardly, I smiled at him, enjoying the warmth that spread through me at just seeing him.
"So what time do you need to meet the realtor to look at prospects for your company?" I asked.
"I'm leaving here in a few minutes. It should only take a few hours, and then I can help you start painting in the living room," he says as he gently places his cup in the sink. As he starts to walk out of the room, he stops and walks over to me, placing a kiss on top of my head again. Smiling, I waved as he left the room. What was up with all the forehead kisses? We had always shared hugs, but never before had we exchanged such sweet and tender gestures as this. I tried to push the thoughts out of my mind and focus on the busy day ahead.
After Zeke left, I made myself comfortable on the living room couch with my steaming cup of coffee on the end table. I opened my laptop and started working on the articles due that week for the blog. Hours flew by in a blur as I worked. Stretching my arms, I scanned the clock on the laptop. It was already late in the morning. Time for a break, I needed to go grocery shopping. Closing my laptop, I grabbed my keys and purse, slipping on my shoes at the entryway. Heading out of the house, leaving behind the warmth of my cozy living room.
Grocery shopping took longer than I expected, so many of the townspeople stopped and greeted me to make me feel welcome. Several of them invited Zeke and me to dinner when we were settled in, and others offered to stop by and have coffee to visit. It was an overwhelming experience; I was not used to people being this friendly. The warmth shown to me by the residents made me feel welcome. It made me happy that they were so accepting of us, which was a nice contrast to how the sheriff and creepy Ted made her feel. They were the only two upset about my arrival.
Pulling into the driveway, I was happy to be home. Although I enjoyed the townspeople, it was draining; my socializing meter was empty. Quickly, I grab my shopping bags, balancing the weight between both arms. Looking around the driveway, I noticed Zeke 's car was not back yet, and a pang of worry shot through me. Hopefully, he paced himself and didn't overwork. Knowing him, he has gotten lost in scouting locations for the new branch. Despite worrying about his well-being, I was proud of him for his work and determination.
Approaching the front door, my instincts kicked in. On alert, I see a white envelope taped haphazardly to the front door. It's devoid of identifying markings, and I can't help but feel a sense of unease. The envelope looks pristine, untouched by bare hands, and a lack of return addresses only adds to the mystery. Removing the envelope carefully, I step inside the house, my eyes darting around, scanning for any signs of a presence.