Page 62 of The Burdens We Share
“I can’t believe that’s his face. He looks like a normal guy,” I say, disbelief in my voice.
He kisses the side of my head, “Nothing about him is normal.”
I nod. “It doesn’t feel real.”
He spins me around to face him and asserts, “Baby, he will never hurt you again. He will never scare you again. You’re safe and more importantly, free to live your life without having to look over your shoulder.”
The idea sends relief and happiness rushing through my veins. A huge smile overtakes my face and I jump up, wrapping my arms around his neck. He helps me by lifting me up off the ground and I smile against his lips as I kiss him.
Brody makes a retching sound, “Totally gross.”
I look down at her and give her a rude look, “Are you forgetting you fucked on our studio couch that we all sit on and use? Slater even slept on it once and he had no clue.”
Brody has no shame as she waves me off, “That is a Sly problem. Not mine. And besides, I didn’t do it in front of you.”
“I’m not liking the image this is putting in my head,” Dallas frowns.
Brody winks at him, “You don’t like the thought of your bestie naked? He’s pretty damn fine.”
Dallas’ face contorts into a disgusted expression and I laugh. I laugh and for the first time in a long time, it feels real. It feels like I genuinely have something to be happy about and there isn’t a black cloud looming above me threatening to ruin every good moment. For the first time in a long time, I feel free and like everything is finally going to be okay.
Chapter 19
Ivory
I let my frontdoor close behind me and take a long, calming, and very freeing breath. I let my back slide down the wall until I’m seated on the floor. I haven’t turned the lights on yet, so I’m encased in shadows and darkness, and for the first time in so long, I feel safe in the dark. I don’t have to worry about someone appearing from nowhere and doing something to me or hurting me in some way. I don’t have to live in constant fear and look over my shoulder and it’s such a strange feeling. Every instinct in my body is telling me to keep my head on a swivel, to be aware of my surroundings, to call Dallas, to have him by my side every waking minute. But I force myself to relax. I force myself to accept the fact that I don’t have to be afraid anymore, that my stalker is gone. I finally have my life back.
While I know I’m still traumatized from many of the things he’s put me through, I have this moment to not think of it. What he put me through will haunt me for the rest of my life, but he can’t have this moment. I won’t let him.
Dallas wanted to come home with me, but I told him I wanted to be alone to soak in my newfound safety. He was happy to oblige and now here I am, alone in my dark house, sitting on the floor. I soak in all the shit I’ve had to deal with these last few months and want to gouge my eyes out at the thought. I had a psycho stalker, I got a full-time bodyguard, I fell for said bodyguard, I got a movie deal, struggled with an eating disorder, got my little brother back on track, and somehow still managed to make it without a single gray hair. I consider that a win.
It’s a strange feeling to be sitting here and recounting everything. It doesn’t truly feel like it’s all over. I guess in a way, nothing is over. Yes, my stalker is behind bars and I’m safe now, but I still struggle with food even though Dallas has been helicoptering me and my recovery. The movie still needs a lot of work too. I guess the best thing that happened was Sam getting his act together. The little bastard is finally cutting it the fuck out, thank you, Dallas Carter.
I allow myself to sit for a few more minutes before I push myself off the ground and up the stairs to my bedroom where I finally turn on the lights. I take my time getting ready for bed with a hot shower, a full skincare routine, and a cutesy pink pajama set with red hearts. When I’m finished, I turn off the lights and put my favorite movie on the gigantic TV on my wall:Clueless.
I watch some of the movie before my lids start to grow heavy with exhaustion. My body is exhausted, but my mind can move for miles. I must have about a million thoughts a minute. I roll onto my side, ignoring the movie as I start scrolling on my phone. A thought occurs to me and I chew my lip anxiously before I give in and open Google. I type in “Connor Mulligan” and press search. So what? I want to see what my stalker looks like, to put a face to the shadow, and I also want to know who the fuck he is. Sue me!
Right away I find a dozen news articles from tabloids and papers identifying him as my stalker and announcing his arrest. I read one of the articles only because I hate the tabloids more than I hate sweater vests, but the title was catchy.
Satan’s Baby Sends Devilish Devotee to the Slammer! Bodyguard Beau Saves the Day!
An arrest was made tonight against Connor Mulligan, a 28-year-old man from Calabasas, California for his alleged stalking and harassment of Ivory Aslan, Satan’s Angelsbassist and supermodel. Insiders report that Mulligan broke into Aslan’s home and hotel rooms on numerous occasions.
The Los Angeles Police were informed of the identification of Mulligan by Dallas Carter, 30 year old tech tycoon and CEO of NexGen Securities, a well known and respected tech and security company. It has been reported that Carter has acted as Aslan’s personal security and that the two were spotted in Austin, Texas on a romantic weekend getaway.
The two appear to be in a consistent relationship and it has even been speculated that Carter’s pursuit of Mulligan was more personal than a client-related issue. Fans believe that Carter and Aslan have been together for some time and that Carter has been searching for Mulligan for some time.
Mulligan faces stalking charges along with many other charges filed against him by Selene Stone, Satan’s Angels’ manager. Aslan and Carter have yet to make personal statements at this time.
The incident raises questions about Carter and Aslan’s relationship. How long have they been together? Why were they keeping their relationship private? Does this officially mean that everyone’s favorite bassist is off the market? And most importantly, how did they meet? Fans speculate that Carter and Aslan met through Harvey Taylor who acts as COO of NexGen Securities. Taylor is also the fiancé of Brody Drake -Satan’s Angels’ drummer and lead singer- and Drake, along with Aria Kane and Slater Nicks were aware of the relationship and agreed to keep it private.
I roll my eyes at the stupidity. All of these people are so hungry for my drama and personal business, it’s so sad. Why can’t anyone just worry about themselves and their own lives? I opened the article because I’ll admit the title was catchy, but the stupidity inside isn’t what I wanted to read. Whatever, at least they called me a supermodel.
I exit the article and scroll through more until I find another article with more information on Connor. I open it and skim through and I’ll admit, I’m lost. This article explains that Connor is a middle school teacher in Calabasas and that he lives with his parents, who are very sick. It says that he takes care of them. I even find a photo of him online with said parents who do appear to be sick. The man in the photo is attractive I guess, but no Dallas Carter. He has neatly groomed honey-blond hair and green eyes. He has a slight tan and he’s smiling so wide in the picture, it almost looks like his smile might freeze his face.
I skim through more images and find one of him with another man that sends a shiver up my spine. There, on the left is Connor who’s smiling wide yet again, wearing a blue polo shirt, and next to him is a man with a strange intensity to him. He has platinum blond hair that almost looks white and he has freckled, pale skin, and the brightest and iciest blue eyes that immediately make me squirm in my bed in discomfort. There’s something off about that man. He’s smiling in the photo, but when he smiles, it doesn’t meet his eyes.
I read the description and find that the image is of Connor with his cousin Calvin. There’s something that almost seems so familiar about Calvin, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I have a strange feeling in my chest that feels a lot like anxiousness, but I tell myself I’m being dramatic and that I need to get off the internet and go to sleep.
