Page 57 of Pride
Those two words were spray-painted on my living room wall. Huge red letters like something from a horror movie. The paint on each letter had dripped downwards before drying, making them look like blood stains.
The knife I’d been holding fell to the floor as every part of me froze in fear.
“What the fuck?” Alex growled from behind, his voice full of unbridled fury. “What the fucking hell is this?” And then, without waiting for me to speak, he marched past me into my house.
He stood in front of the words, and I could see him fisting his hands, like he wanted to punch something. He was panting, too. This had shocked him as much as it did me. Well, maybe not quite as much, because I felt like I was about to pass out.
He turned to look at me, and with a face of stony anger, he said, “He did this, didn’t he? This is the kind of fucked-up shit you’ve had to deal with.”
I just nodded mutely, discreetly reaching my hand out to touch the wall and steady myself. I had no words left to say.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Alex snarled, and then charged through the living room into the kitchen as if he expected to find the culprit lurking in there. He was fired up and ready to take him out with his bare hands.
Cautiously, I stepped further into the living room, and as I glanced around, I noticed a small blue box with a pink bow on top, sitting on my windowsill. My hands shook as I reached forward and took the lid off. I was scared to see what was inside.
Was this another body part?
A piece of Sirius Bell he thought I needed to see?
It wasn’t, and relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived.
Inside was a Barbie doll, completely naked, with cuts slashed into her plastic body. Around her neck was a piece of twinning twisted to look like a noose, and her eyes had been scratched out. On the inside lid of the box were the words ‘Tick Tock, Emma’.
He was coming for me.
I put the lid back on the box and picked it up, putting it into my bag before Alex could see it.
At that moment, Alex came striding out of the kitchen with purpose, his face red as he struggled to contain his anger.
“There’s no sign of forced entry,” he snapped. “The back door is locked, and the windows haven’t been tampered with. How the hell did he get in?”
I wanted to say, ‘Because he wanted to, and there won’t be any signs of forced entry because he’s done this before’. But I stood there dumbstruck as Alex headed for the stairs. Then he stopped and turned to face me. “Are you okay, Emma?” he asked, genuine concern shining in his eyes.
“No,” I stammered, trying to hold in my tears.
He put his arms out and pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly as I stood with my hands limply at my sides, letting him. But standing in his arms did help to ease the sensation of a million bugs crawling over me. He was here. I was so fucking glad he was here. Because if I’d seen this on my own, I’m not sure how I’d have coped.
I felt him kiss the top of my head and then sigh as he said, “I’ll find him, and when I do, I’ll make him pay for this.”
I was silent for a moment. Then I whispered, “Thank God you didn’t listen to me, leave me on the street, and drive away like I wanted you to.”
He kept a tight hold of me as he replied, “I told you, I’ll always be here for you, Emma.”
I closed my eyes, wishing that this could be different. Willing those painted words on my wall to disappear. Wishing I could disappear too or get a rewind button so I could go back to the night of the gallery and change every single thing I’d done. Well, maybe not every single thing.
Alex loosened his hold on me, then took my face in his hands, using his thumb to brush away a stray tear that’d fallen.
“This ends now,” he stated firmly. “You have my word.”
I nodded and he let his hands fall to his sides. “Let me check the rooms upstairs, then we’ll call the police.”
“The police won’t care,” I told him.
“Maybe not, but I do. I’ll make them listen,” he replied, before running up the stairs, taking them two steps at a time.
I knew he was right.
They’d listen to him.
