Reckless (16 page)

I didn’t like my conversation with Joel, but the idea of a run isn’t a bad one. When Sean arrives home, I spend some time with him before asking if he minds watching Lillah while I go for a run. He seems shocked by my request, but excited by the idea, which makes me feel better about easing his stress some.

The cool night air is nice and the run feels great, but I can’t help but watch every movement around me. I still feel as if someone is watching me. I keep telling myself I am okay and it is my imagination, but the overwhelming feeling increases more and more until I decide I have to turn around and go back home. The fear becomes too much and I am in tears when Joel pulls up beside me.

“So you decided to take my advice after all.” I force a smile when he notices my tears. “Are you crying? It is okay you made it halfway at least, baby steps sweetheart. Get in, I will take you home.” The idea of running home alone is not something I am willing to attempt so I eagerly jump into Joel’s car. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have to go pick up some wine for Rebecca. She can’t sleep without her favorite wine. I mean, after all, it is after ten o’clock and she isn’t falling down drunk yet.” He laughs.

“It is after ten already?”

“Yeah, how long have you been running?”

I can’t believe it is that late already, Sean must be worried. I am having so much trouble focusing lately, and now I am completely losing track of time. Maybe I should be worried.
“I didn’t bring my watch but I didn’t think it had been that long.”

“Well I didn’t bring mine either but the clock in this rental clearly says ten-fifteen,” he says, tapping the clock. I nod but stop listening to him so I can focus on calming down before I see Sean. Being out this late is going to have him worried enough. While Joel is in the store I close my eyes and breathe. My heart begins to steady and I am almost asleep when he returns to the car and drives off.

“Did you get her wine?” I ask but he doesn’t answer. Opening my eyes, I see Spencer turns to me, and smile. “No! You are not real!” I scream.

“Shut up!” He knocks my head into the window and the world begins to blur and goes dark. By the time I wake, I have nothing more than my underwear and shirt on. My body is thrown into the backseat and he jumps in on top of me. I instantly begin to fight him, knocking him in the face and feel something strange. As the moonlight hits his face, I see a mask pushed off to one side. “Good job, Ava. You just ruined a perfectly good disguise. My Dad’s art department spent days on this for me.”

Shaking my head, “Joel? Why are you doing this?”

“You mean why am I going to fuck my best friend’s wife? Because I have to know what it is like to fuck you. Since he is not willing to share, I will just take it. Joel leans down and whispers in my ear. “The best part of this is, everyone thinks you are a
liar
. A crazy woman who is seeing a dead man wherever she goes. So, I can do whatever I want to you, whenever I want, and no one will ever believe you.” Holding my hands tightly he kisses me hard. “Fight me if you want to Ava, it only excites me more. Besides, the drug I gave you while you were passed out should be taking effect here soon and then you will be an easy lay for me.” He pushes his erection in between my legs and laughs as I cringe at the feel of him. Ripping my shirt off, he grabs my breast and tries to remove it from my bra as he kisses my neck. I fight him and struggle, kicking and screaming until I reach out and find a pen on the floorboard. Holding tight to it, I ram it into Joel’s arm and send him racing backwards out of the car. “Son of a bitch!” He screams, looking at his bleeding arm. Dropping the pen, I jump out and kick him before running away.

Running fast and hard, my mind begins to spin and the world becomes hazy. I fall to the ground, trembling, as the trees surround me and the darkness makes it nearly impossible to understand where I am. Stumbling to my feet, I search for the road, struggling to focus. I concentrate on my feet and the sounds around me. I feel as if I have wandered for hours and hours. My feet are swollen and bleeding, my head is ready to roll off my shoulders, but I continue to fight to make it to the main road to search for help. When I finally hear a car, I open my eyes to the bright lights and scream as they rush towards me. The screeching tires come to an abrupt halt as the ground rushes towards me. I do not know if I should cry for help or run, but I cannot open my eyes to judge clearly as the footsteps rapidly approach.

“Oh God, Ava!” My head is lifted and my eyes open to the blurry stranger. “Ava? Ava, are you okay? Sweetheart, please be okay.” I jump, screaming and trying to fight. “Ava it’s me! It’s Sean!”
Sean?
“Baby, are you okay?” When I feel his warm lips touch my face, I relax in his arms.

“I want to go home.” I mumble, burying my face into his shoulder as Sean wraps his jacket around me, picks me up and carries me to his car.

Our house is full of people when Sean carries me in, all of which instantly surround us. I try to hide myself from them as Sean grips me away from their line of sight. “Everybody, she’s fine. You can all go home now.”

“Sean, we should take her to the hospital,” I heard Ethan say.

“
No
, she’s fine. I’m going to take care of her and get her to bed. Just go, please,” Sean said, standing in place and holding me so tight I wonder if someone is trying to take me from him.

“At least let us know how she’s doing?” Kyle exclaimed as he feels for my hand. “Sean?”

“
Okay.
I need to put her to bed, so please go.”

“Do you want me to help you get her to bed?” Joel said.

His voice instantly sends chills to my spine. I start screaming and push away from Sean until he drops me and I cower away from everyone. “No! Get him away from me!” I screamed.

“Ava… calm down. What is wrong with you?” Sean pulls my face up to his.

“He tried to rape me. He left me out there,” I cried.

Sean sits back, glancing at Joel who shrugs with concern. “When Ava? When did this happen?” Sean asked.

Thinking back, “Ten-fifteen” I said, confidently.

Sean sighs, watching me. “He was here Ava. He was right here with everyone else.” I shake my head, as I look up at Joel, seemingly sincere in his concern. “Yes, it had to be someone else, or …” I look at Sean as he hesitates.

“Or what? Or I’m making it up? I’m lying to you again?”

“I don’t think you’re making it up. I think you’re really tired and ...”

“And crazy?” I cry to him as he tries to pull me to him.

“Will everyone please go,” Sean said, holding me still as he waits for us to be alone. He focuses in on me, “It’s just after ten now Ava.” I shake my head at him. “Yes, it is. What’s going on with you?”

Tears flow as I search the room for some sort of answers.
Am I losing it? Maybe it wasn’t Joel, maybe none of it was real. I don’t remember, I don’t remember anything clearly.
“I don’t know,” I cried.

He reaches out slowly, laying his hand on mine. “You’re shaking like a leaf. You look dazed lately and …”

“I’m cold!” I snap at him as I realize he is accusing me of more than simply being tired.

“Ava?”

“I’m cold.” I pull my hand away from him. “I don’t care if you believe me.” Sean looks at me with concern and I know what he is thinking. “I said I am cold. Why won’t you believe anything I say?” I force myself up and take five steps before I fall against the wall, trembling uncontrollably. Sean takes hold of me and instantly lifts me back into his arms. “Sean, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t know what’s wrong.” I cry, unable to control my emotions or my body.

“It’s okay. I’m going to take care of you now.” I look at him, confused, as he carries me to our room and helps me get a bath. Now calm, I climb into bed as Sean comes in with a tray of food and a glass of tea, setting it directly in front of me. “Eat something, and then go to sleep. I am staying with you tonight, so no reason to be scared.” He said as he sits in a chair next to my bed, watching me closely.

My determination surfaces and I get angry, knowing I am right. “Sean, I know I sound crazy, but it was Joel. He has a mask that makes him look like Spencer. He tried to rape me and make me look crazy.

 
“Oh Ava, we have already talked about this. He was with all of us, and worried as hell about you. I had to stop him from going out himself to go find you.”

“That’s because he knew where he left me.” Sean rolls his eyes at me, shaking his head. “He found me running and picked me up in his car. Then took me out into the woods and gave me some kind of drug. And then …” Sean throws up his hands, huffing. “
And then
… he put me in his back seat and tried to rape me. I fought him and …” Suddenly the memories are becoming clearer. “
I stabbed him
!” Sean looks back at me with suspicion. “I did, I stabbed him with something and he let go of me and I ran.”

“You stabbed him? With what? Because he sure looked fine to me.”

Twisting into my pillows, I cry, surrendering to what must be delusions. Grasping my wrist, “Oh no, I lost my bracelet.” I sit back up, apologizing emphatically to him.

Rebecca

I wake up completely rested, this bed is so much more comfortable than the one we have at home. I can spread out completely in the soft sheets as the sunlight washes over my room.

Randy had to leave to help Sean at the set, giving me the day to drive Ava crazy. She is already half way there, she looks like she hasn’t slept in months and after last night’s drama no one’s expecting for her to make it without psychiatric help much longer. I cannot believe Sean fought everyone on it, he seems to be in bigger denial than she is. Of course, all this may have something to do with the drug I have been crushing into her,
special tea
. The shit is so nasty, you cannot possibly notice any bitterness. Although, it could be Joel dressing up in that stupid mask too.

With a joyful feeling overtaking me, I get up and change into my best bikini before joyfully making my way to the main house, especially when I see that Sean is still here.

“You’re not working today?” I asked.

“Yes, but I’m going in a little later. I have to run a couple of errands this morning.”

“Like what?”

“I’m taking Lillah over to my mother’s for a few days.”

“Why, Ava can’t take care of her own daughter now?” Sean looks up at me with a sharp scowl. “Sorry only commenting on the obvious.”

“
Ava
is fine.”

“Okay, she’s fine, then why can’t she watch your daughter?”

“She’s sick and needs to rest. Which means I don’t want you anywhere near this house until she’s better.”

“Sick?”
I know better than that.

“Rebecca, mind your own business.”

“Okay. I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.” Sean huffs looking away from me. “Well is there anything I can do at least, maybe I can take care of her, you know make her meals and drinks?”

“No thank you, I have someone else watching her for me. You’re welcome to hang out by the pool but if I find out that you went anywhere near Ava I will …”

“Got it, damn.” He walks off in a horrible grump. I swear under my breath as I shuffle outside collapsing into a lounge chair.
This is unbelievable! How am I going to get to Ava now? I nearly have over the edge.
Sean comes outside with that child, and sits in a chair nearby helping her put on her shoes. I watch Sean tickle her and cradle her, being so sweet that I nearly vomit but it does give me an idea. “Sean, you know I hate for you to take the child so far away from her mother. Leave her with me and I will watch her and that way you won’t upset Ava. We can play and then when Ava wakes up we can spend time with her and help her feel better.” Sean pauses seeming to consider my idea. “I can’t imagine how upset a mother would be if her child has been taken away.”

“I’m not taken Lillah away from her just giving her some time to rest.”

“Sean, do you really think Ava is going to see it that way?” I asked as he starts to nod in agreement.

“Maybe, what do you think Lillah?” he asks the child playfully. “I really appreciate the help Rebecca, thank you.” He said forcing a smile at me.

“Happy to help anyway I can, of course. Besides what else do I have to do all day?” Getting up I go to them and lean down, “So …”
What the hell was her name?
“… are you ready to spend the day playing with Aunt Rebecca?” I said with my perfect smile before glancing up to Sean’s gorgeous green eyes.

Suddenly the child reaches over and smacks me in the face rudely, “No!” She screamed at me.
Oh I am so going to make her pay for that one.

Sean grabs her hand looking at me shocked before staring back at the evil spawn, “Lillah that wasn’t nice, you don’t hit people.” The child instantly starts crying and throwing some disgusting tantrum. “Lillah stop? Do you want a time out?”

“No Daddy,” she cried.

“Then you apologize to Rebecca,” Sean said trying to look at her as she buries her face deep into his shirt. “Lillah?” She pushes even deeper into his shirt. “Okay then you’re going into a time out until you do,” Sean picks her up and takes her to some imaginary area away from me.
Talk about a drama queen.
I look back at the child, who is calming down but still has her bottom lip out and her arms crossed. “Why did you hit Rebecca, Lillah?”