Page 6 of Within Shadows
“Who the fuck are you?” A familiar voice right outside my door sends ice through my veins, and I yank my window open before diving beneath my bed.
My door snaps, and a pair of feet races past, stopping only to spin around the room before leaping through the open window as he tries to find me before escaping.
Garrett storms into my room, chasing the other man, and I reach out to grab his ankle. I narrowly avoid my hand beingstomped, and Garrett drops to grab me. He yanks and pulls me out, looking me over as I sob against him.
“You’re okay, Maeve. I’m here. I’ve got you.” Garrett holds me as I collapse against him. He gently grasps the knife I’m clutching, pulling it away before I accidentally hurt one of us while holding me tight to his chest. He easily lifts me, grabbing the blanket off my bed to wrap it around my shoulders as he sits and pulls out his phone. Atticus is growling threats from beneath the bed, and Garrett frowns. “Guard cat, that’s new,” he mutters.
He calls the police, explaining everything as numbness wraps its cold hands around my body. Somebody broke into my house, and I know exactly who it was. I never thought Oliver would take it this far, would go this crazy. What was he going to do? What if Garrett didn’t get here in time?
“Maeve, do you have a cat carrier?” His question slightly draws me from my spiraling thoughts, and I nod once, pointing towards the top of my dresser without looking away from the floor. My hands tremble, but I clench them tighter, trying to hold back tears while Garrett drags an angry Atticus out, gently putting him into the carrier.
“Maeve, they’re asking if you saw who it was.” He gently grabs my chin, turning my face up to look at him. I blink, realizing we’re no longer alone. An officer is frowning down at me, stepping aside when a paramedic pushes past.
“I didn’t see his face.” I shake my head once, and Garrett frowns.
“What about you, son?” the male officer asks, pulling his hat off to scratch his head.
“I didn’t get a good look at him. Like I said, he ran as soon as I got here. I was going after him, but she was hiding under the bed, and I couldn’t just leave her.” Garrett leans back when a paramedic tries to take my pulse. I rip my arm away and get to my feet, stumbling away.
“Don’t touch me, please. I’m fine. He didn’t find me.” I pull the blanket tighter around me as Garrett stands, protectively wrapping an arm around me, and I lean into his embrace. It’s almost funny that he’s still a stranger and yet I feel safest with him.
“You can’t stay here tonight. Is there anyone we can call? You shouldn’t be alone,” the officer says, and I shake my head.
“I’ll get a hotel room,” I say, squeezing my hands together. The officer frowns, looking at Garrett, and he waves his hand.
“I’ve got a guy coming tomorrow to fix both doors, and someone is coming to install a security system. Until then, she can stay with me.” He squeezes my shoulder once. He holds up his phone, leaning down to talk to me as he answers a call.
“Do you want to skip class tomorrow, or should I have them wait until afterwards, and I’ll be here until they’re finished replacing the door?” he offers. Fresh tears spring to my eyes, and I blink them away. Garrett has only known me for a day and is already going so far out of his way to do all of this for me.
“I can’t ask you to do all of this.” My voice cracks.
“Good thing you didn’t ask, Maeve. I want to do this for you. I don’t think I’ll sleep again until I know you’re safe.” Garrett holds me tighter, and I lean my head against his chest. The officer shakes his head with a short laugh.
“When your boyfriend offers to help, you let him, sweetheart. Good men aren’t so common these days,” the officer says. Garrett chuckles, rubbing his neck as he awkwardly looks away. I don’t even have it in me to explain that we just met, so I let the comment slide.
I manage to pack a bag with enough clothes to last me a few days just in case and grab toiletries with Garrett watching my every move. When we finally leave, I stop to stare at my front door, or what's left of it. His hand presses into my lower back as he leans close, guiding me around the broken chunks from theframe. My mind feels like it’s on autopilot as Garrett pulls the seatbelt across my body before shutting the door to go around and climb into his seat.
The car is sitting on my front lawn, and I almost laugh as he slowly backs out, cringing when he scrapes the frame over the curb.
“I did a number on your poor grass,” Garrett mutters, and I shake my head, turning to stare out the window as the trees rush past. “Maeve, you know who that was, don’t you?” His voice is quiet, as if he’s afraid I’ll jump out of the car if he speaks too loud. To be honest, I might to avoid this conversation.
“I didn’t see his face.” My voice is steady, confident in the truth.
“Yet you still know who it was.” The accusation makes me flinch, but I hope he doesn’t see it as he focuses on the road ahead. Thankfully he doesn’t push me, and we continue the rest of the short ride in silence. Garrett slowly turns into the driveway of a small house, and the first thing I notice is the overflowing flower beds that surround the small porch.
“Green thumb?” I ask as we both climb out, and he chuckles while taking my bag for me. I gently lift the grumbling cat carrier as I follow him, not missing the protective hand that rests against my lower back.
“I can’t take credit for that. The house came with the overflowing flowerbeds. But I have managed to keep them alive, so that’s something.” The humor in his voice is forced, and I bite my lip as he walks up to the door, typing in a code above the knob that unlocks, and he pushes the door open. Oliver just broke into my house, and here I am, walking into the house of my new classmate that I just met. My self-preservation is pathetic at best.
He flicks on a light, kicking his shoes off next to the door while I stay with my hands clasped and staring around the open space. He takes Atticus and heads towards the hallway to our right.
“I’m gonna put this little guy in the bathroom with his litter box; it’s been a stressful night for both of you.” I smile and nod in appreciation.
His house is really nice but mostly undecorated with soft gray walls and light wooden floors. A soft gray sectional takes up half the living room, facing a mounted television. His kitchen is to my right. and he waves for me to follow him to the island, and I climb onto a stool.
“Tea, coffee, or some strawberry milk?” He raises a brow, opening a white cabinet door.
“Tea would be amazing,” I say. He holds up a box of chamomile tea, and I give him a thumbs up while peering around the room. His appliances are all stainless steel, with black granite countertops next to them. The entire place is spotless, and I frown, remembering the stack of dirty dishes in my sink at home. A mug slides across the counter, stopping between my hands while I flash him a sheepish smile. “Thank you, I’m not sure how I’m going to repay you for everything,” I mutter. Garrett frowns, crossing his arms as he watches me with a sigh.
