Her CEO Stalker and Her Second Chance Mate Chapter 52

Briar

Carter insisted I start going through the room, he promised to come by each day and pull a few boxes out at a time, to be kinder to my mental load. Said I needed to sleep in a real bed. It was easier being told to do something then willingly do it myself. Old me would have told him to go fuck himself, but this me was still defeated; she didn’t know where to start, she was still reeling, still numb, and so confused and angry, or was it bitter? On Monday, he said he’d get the truck towed by his friend to Jake’s shop. Apparently, that was the business the lawyer had outlined. It was a mechanic shop, one that mostly handled bikes and older cars and trucks. He said it was still running though, the paperwork was probably a mess, and I figured I might as well figure all that out in all this spare time I had. It would be good to have something to do in the long hours alone during the day. I needed the internet turned on at the house next, otherwise, I’d need the truck functioning, to be able to go in town to somewhere with wifi. I hadn’t bothered to start up my laptop since I got here. The phone was sufficient to contact Misty and doom scroll as I “rested.” Carter had gone home and I was left with three boxes to go through tomorrow as I settled down for the night.

I woke, gasping for breath. Creedon had been choking the life out of me in my dream. Some people say if you die in your dreams, you die for real. Damn those angels or whatever telling me to ‘wake up.’ Unfortunately, here I was; the stars still shining overhead and breathing as I leaned the shotgun against the wall, next to my chair, and sat up, before lighting a cigarette. I looked up at the waning moon. Another week and the moon would be nothing but shadow. I wondered how many other stars I’d be able to see then. Besides the sounds of the chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl, the night was void of any other movement or life. The breeze, was the only thing that disturbed the vast stillness,  seemed to call to my soul. I wondered where the wolves were or if they only howled at the full moon. I closed my eyes soaking in the night, letting the moonlight penetrate into me. It felt good, almost like the feel of soaking in the sun after weeks of rain.

When I opened my eyes I found myself staring at a very large grey wolf sitting at a distance, in my front yard. He watched me, cocking his head. His fluffy tail wrapped around his front paws.

“Well, hello there,” I murmured out loud. I wasn’t afraid of him, which surprised me. Curiosity was the only thing in my thoughts. He was merely observing me, so I did the same. Apparently, Divide was a safe haven for them; I may as well embrace it. The wolf stood and whined, circled, and glanced back at me before it shot off through the woods in the direction of Carter’s place. 

I stood,  grabbed Ole Betty, and went back inside. I locked the door and rested the gun against the wall. I got a glass of water and curled back up on the couch after a few sips. And fell back to sleep.

Saturday night dinner with Martha and Henry was an animated affair. This time, I brought dessert. Chocolate chip cookies that I had slaved away all day making. I wanted enough to send Carter home with some and leftovers for my grandparents. I even made Rosie and Tucker pet friendly treats. I missed baking. Henry insisted I call him Pops, and had busted into them straight away, with Martha’s henpecking that dinner should be eaten first. Carter and I just chuckled. I didn’t want to ask about my dad, so I didn’t. He wasn’t brought up, although the atmosphere was happy and playful, I felt that things were being avoided on purpose. Maybe I didn’t want to know why I surmised. I had enough to deal with, let alone the great mystery that was my father. Mom never even told me his name. It felt too awkward to ask, to not know something so important.

After dinner, I insisted on doing the dishes, and Martha and Carter stepped outside while Henry got wood for the fire from the overlook. The work helped me navigate my troubled thoughts. I was here, but outside of family ties, I needed to know why Jake had wanted me to come here before he died. Before mom passed, he had even insisted that when I was done with school, I should come visit him. But why? They had kept me away for so long, there must have been a reason. Whatever that was, became the new spur to keep me with the living. There was something I needed to know.

On the drive home I was quiet.

“You ok? What’s been eating at you? You’ve barely said a word since dinner.” I guess I was quiet most of the night, I realized.

Carter would expect an answer. I sighed. “Mom never talked about my dad. The only thing I know is that he gave me my middle name, the one I’m using now. I don’t even know his name. They talked about him freely last time but now they avoided the topic like the plague,” I admitted. 

It was Carter’s turn to be quiet. The silence stretched besides the sound of the truck over the road beneath us for an agonizingly long moment. “Maybe they have their reasons, maybe your mom did, too. I think you will find your answers when the time is right.”

“Maybe you're right.”

“Just promise me, Briar, I know things are tough right now. Promise me you will keep going, to breathe until you come out on the other side.”

I nodded, and he returned his nod. I’d do my damndest. I wasn’t gonna let the motherfucker win.

“Did you know him?” Carter glanced at me, his eyes a whirl of emotion. Mine glanced away to the road, the topic was too heavy. Fur and a pair of eyes reflecting the headlights stared back.

“Carter, stop!” I screamed, and he swerved, missing the animal in the road. It all happened too quickly. I don’t even know what kind of animal it was, my brian unable to process the quickly unfolding events. The truck fishtailed, and under Carter’s corrections, came to a stop. We both breathed hard, but I couldn’t take in the breath I needed, the pain in my chest shortening each attempt into a gasp.

Carter called my name, but I felt like I was underwater, as the blackness closed in.