I take a deep breath and place her hand in mine. “Don’t freak out but I bought this house from Cupid.”
“You what!” She shouts.
“Hey, I said don’t freak out. I don’t want to scare Jimmy.”
“Heck, I’m scared. You know I am terrified of ghost.”
I whisper in her ear, “It’s not haunted, and I am getting some of Reaper’s crew to gut the kitchen. Say yes. You don’t have to move in until the kitchen is finished.”
“No, I’m being silly. Let’s do it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She kisses me, and I feel like my life is finally coming together. I’m getting a later start with Melissa than what I planned but she’s mine.
Now.
Always.
Forever.
Chapter 9
—Unknown
Spraying the perfume on the nightie I have laid out, I place the black heels on the bed next to the sexy little number. I sprinkle the rose petals and light the candles. The mood has to be just right. Everything needs to be perfect. I grab the picture I have and hug it to my chest. Soon. You’ll be mine soon. I smile to myself in the mirror. I can’t afford to make any mistakes. Melissa is going to get what she deserves and so am I. Payback is a bitch and that cunt is going to get it.
Picking up the knife off the dresser, I press my finger to the tip, testing the sharpness of the blade. My finger pricks with blood. The red liquid plops onto the cement floor leaving splashes of droplet sized stains. I can’t wait to see her blood drain from her body. To witness the light in her eyes go dull. To see the look on her face when she takes her final breath. I want her end to be slow and painful.
Once she is out of the way I can show Jimmy what a real family is.
Once she is gone nothing will get in my way.
Chapter 10
—Melissa
How did I get here so quickly with Shawn? One minute I was scared to be with him and now I have gone from having sex with the guy to moving in with him. It’s crazy and sudden but yet I feel like maybe this time I will get things right. He doesn’t want me dancing but I can’t let him pay mine and Jimmy’s way, so we are compromising. I will dance this weekend and at the New Year’s Eve party but after that I will still be the daytime manger part-time, so I can go back to school. I just worry that when I enroll Jimmy in preschool that it will make it easier for Jim to find us.
It’s weird that I haven’t heard from him. I figured the that the first thing he’d do was track down any of my relatives to see if I had run to them. Though I pretended to be indifferent to Shawn when I spoke of him to Jim. But still there has been nothing. Most days he doesn’t cross my mind but today as Shawn and I decide to take a big step he’s in the back of my mind haunting me.
I lean on the counter waiting for Jimmy’s fish sticks to get done. I look at the time on my phone’s display and get irritated. I have no new messages. I try Carmen one more time to see if her daughter can keep Jimmy tonight. I’m frowning at my phone when Shawn looks over my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Carmen. She’s still ignoring me about Marcella watching Jimmy tonight.”
“Listen, about that. It’s not you. It’s me.” I look back at him as he rubs my shoulders.
“Why do you say that?” I get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“She’s got a thing for me. I keep telling her to leave me the fuck alone, but she won’t listen, and I checked the records at the Cherry Room. I couldn’t find any proof of her working there. I am afraid she’s stalking me or some shit.”
“Stalking you?” I laugh. “Seriously?” I crinkle my nose thinking he’s exaggerating. “Have you given her any encouragement?”
“I’m not going to lie to you. She gave me a blowjob.”
My chest tightens and a pain I wasn’t expecting to feel strikes me right in the heart. “Are you for real? When? No. You know what, Shawn…don’t tell me.” I push him away and go to the oven to get Jimmy’s fish sticks out.
“Don’t be mad. We weren’t together.”