Fearful Renegade

One

December 28th 2011

AJ sat on the couch in his cottage, the fire was roaring in the fireplace as the cold ocean air blew against the house.  He looked outside and saw the wind and snow coming in off the ocean. His mind started to drift to a time much different than this…

November 2010

The music was loud and pounded against his chest, he looked around at the people as they chatted, danced and drank.  He looked down at the whiskey glass in front of him and wrapped his hand around it.  Bringing it to his lips he took a sip and let the liquid sit in his mouth before swallowing it.  It was a time to relax and sit back before the crazy rush of touring but all of that was the farthest from his mind.  The only thing he could think about these days was the crazy fan that sent him letters, called him at all hours and even left presents at his door.

As he took another sip of his Jack he got a funny feeling in his pocket.  He pulled the glass away and looked down.  When he saw the bump his cell made sitting in his pants he realized it was his phone.  Hesitantly he pulled it out of his pocket as he looked up.  He saw his band mate and friend Nick Carter sitting across from him playing touchy feely with his girlfriend.  His eyes went back to his phone and he looked at the number, it was blocked and his heart began to race. 

Was it her again? Was it even worth answering?  He went to put the phone back into his pocket when something in him made him think twice and he answered the call.  With a loud enough voice he spoke into his cell.

“Hello?”

“Is this Alexander Mclean?” A man asked

“Yes?” AJ replied hearing the voice was male and paying more attention.

“Do you know an Emily Stone?” The voice asked.

“Yes, she’s my girlfriend, who is this?” AJ asked.

“This is Detective Snyder I need you to come to Cedar Sinai hospital.” The man told him.

“Why?” AJ replied confused.

“There was a break in at your house and she was attacked.” The Officer told him. AJ quickly hung up the phone and stood up from the table as the people around him looked at him confused. 

“Hey man where are you going?” Nick asked a little tipsy.

“I gotta go, something happened to Emma, god damn bitch broke into my house.” AJ growled with anger as he left the table and left the club.

AJ drove as fast as he could to the Hospital, he prayed he didn’t get pulled over and busted for DUI.  He parked in the Emergency room and bolted out of the car.  When he arrived at the nurses’ station he told the woman who he was looking for and she told him to wait in the waiting room.  So he waited and waited and about a half hour later an Officer greeted him.

“What happened is Em okay?” He asked as the Officer approached him.

“She’s in stable condition, we’ll know more in about a half hour.” The man told him.

“What happened?” AJ asked a little breathless.

“From what we know your alarm went off and that’s when the alarm company sent an Officer over to check on things, they saw the front window broken and when they went inside the found Emily on the floor by the stairs.” Officer Snyder said as AJ sat down in disbelief.  “She was unconscious, had injuries consistent with physical assault and injuries accruing during a fall or most likely a push down the stairs.

“C-Can I see her?” AJ asked as he looked up at the man.

“Yes” He replied with a nod and AJ stood up.

He followed the Officer through the ER up pale wooden door, the man stopped and turned to look at him.  “She’s in here.”

AJ lightly smiled as the man stepped back and AJ walked into the room.  He saw her sleeping or at least her eyes were closed.  She had bruises around her face, eyes, and mouth.  There were scratches everywhere and even some dried blood still in her hair.  Slowly he walked over to her and took her hand.

“I’m so sorry” He whispered as he let out a small whimper.  As he took her hand he sat down on the chair by the bed.  He held her hand against his face as he sobbed for her.  He blamed himself for this, his career, his job, put her in this kind of danger, and if this stalker was willing to do this to Emily who knows what she would do to him.  He stayed by her all night and when she woke in the morning,

“Hey Boo” He said with a light relieved smile as he brushed the hair from her face but then he noticed the look in her eyes.  “You okay? Need me to get the Doctor?” He asked a starting to panic a little.

“I can’t do this” She whispered.

“Do wha..”

“I can’t do this anymore Alex, the gifts, the phone calls, and now…this is just too far…”

“Em, you’re okay and we’ll get some security…”

“You said she wasn’t a threat, you said she was harmless, and she’s not Alex, no, no no I can’t do this, I need to think about me…”  She said lightly shaking her head as she pulled her hand away.

“Well okay then you can go stay with your Sister or something until this…”

“No, Alex, I could have died last night…I…I…I can’t I’m sorry.”

“Emily”

“Please go” She said.  “Please just go”

When he walked into his house he realized he couldn’t deal with it anymore, he didn’t want to live in fear, he didn’t want to live in worry, and he didn’t want suffer anymore.  It wasn’t worth it, it was what he loved to do but it just wasn’t worth it.

Just over two years had passed since he left the group, left his friends and even his family and moved to some place with seclusion.  He found himself in British Columbia, Canada.  In a small town on the coast of Vancouver Island called Parksville, he bought a small cottage and tried to start over, even quitting smoking because going outside was just not an option when he first got here.  His Mother only knew his phone number, she didn’t know his address and the only time he saw her or she saw him was for a week in the summer and this Christmas.  He had just gotten back from being down there for the Holiday. Not even the guys knew how to get in touch with him. 

If they didn’t know then she didn’t know either. 

Something touched his hand and he looked down.  With a smile and a pat on the head AJ said hello to his Great Dane Dew.  Dew was by far the biggest dog he had ever owned and sometimes he could be a handful but he was also the only friend AJ had.  Living alone wasn’t easy especially since he spent so much time running from it in the past but now he didn’t have a choice, he didn’t want anyone else to get hurt or worse.

He was glad to be back here, this place was nice, and the people were nice.  If any of them knew who he was they never made mention of it.  After he moved here the solitude was getting to him, so he went in search of a friend and that’s when he got Dew.  The dog got him to go outside, he got him interacting with the people of the town but there was one, a girl named Siannah, she’s the town Vet, she also takes care of Dew when he goes to his Mothers.  She’s his age, an inch shorter than him, her hair is jet black and he assumed it’s dyed because he’s never seen natural hair that black before but he liked it, it really made her bright blue eyes pop.  She liked Rock new and old and she had a weird little obsession with anything Rat Pack.  Like Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. She loved Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, and Betty Page and when he would see her out at the dog park or shopping at the grocery store, it’s kind of the style she put off but it was still very new and today.

But it was just friendship and nothing more.  It could be nothing more because the last thing he would want would be for something to happen to her.  He knew a lot about her but she didn’t know a lot about him besides what he had told her in conversations at the clinic or dog park, or when they ran into each other around town.  She knew his name and knew he left the group but as you can tell she wasn’t really a fan.  When she asked him one day why he left he told her.

“It was just time.”

He didn’t want her to know the truth and that was as close as he would let himself get to her.  No matter how many dreams he had or how many times she would softly smirk and tuck her hair behind her ear.  He would make sure they stayed just friends.

The muffled thumping of someone knocking on the screen door took his and Dew’s attention.   He put down his glass of wine and walked over to the door when he opened it he saw Siannah, shivering a little as she stood outside waiting.

“Jeez it’s windy one out there eh?” She said as he looked at her a little confused. “What that’s my Canadian accent.”

“Hi” He said with a smile and a laugh as he let her in.

“I know I’m a horrible Canadian but I eat enough donuts from Timmy’s to make up for it.”  She said as she walked in.

“So what’s up?” He replied still laughing a little.  “Aren’t you supposed to be going to see your family?”

“You forgot Dew’s wubbie at my house so I thought I would drop it off and no, all flights have been cancelled can’t get off the island, Dad called and said they’re snowed in until the trucks can get up to the cottages, even if I left tomorrow I doubt I could get up here.  So looks like I’m spending the weekend here.”

“Oh thanks” AJ said as he reached for it “Maybe that’s why he’s been pissy.”

Siannah lightly laughed as she handed him the toy but Dew saw it and immediately began softly jumping trying to get at it.  Well as softly as a Great Dane could.  AJ tossed the bright yellow toy across his living area and his dog went running after it.

“Well that’s crappy are you going to reschedule?” He asked.

“Probably not, won’t have time once the holiday is over, pretty busy at the clinic.” She said as he gave Dew a rub on the head.  “Speaking of which he’s due for his next set of shots.”

“Right” AJ replied with a nod.  “I’ll call Monday then and make an appointment.”

“Well I need to head out, going to get some stuff and hunker down in the house until I go back to work.” She said as she tightened her jacket. 

“Well, thanks for dropping the toy off.” He said as he opened the door for her.  The wind blew in and snow started falling into his house.  He looked outside and frowned.  “Are you sure you can drive in this?”

“Ha, California boy not use to a little snow?” She asked as she turned back to him.  Just then a huge snow plow came by and scrapped all the snow on the road past AJ’s drive way, making a Mt. Everest type hill behind her truck.  “Well what the hell.” She sighed throwing her hand gently into the air as they both watched the plow continue down the street.

“Ha, little Canadian girl not use to a little snow.” He replied jokingly at her. 

“Can I use your shovel?” She asked clearly annoyed.

He looked at her for a moment.  It was snowing, blowing, whistling, and cold.  Was his stalker really out there in that shit watching, would it really matter if he just let her stay until the storm stopped and she could get her truck out. Who’s to say the crazy bitch even followed him here. He wished he would stop being so damn paranoid cause he really wanted to her to stay; it would be nice just to chat with someone for a little while.

“Alex?” She said again and it broke him from his thoughts.

“Why don’t you just chill here till the storm passes, then we’ll work on getting the truck out.” He said even though he felt himself get nervous and worried he pushed it down.

“Okay” She replied and he heard the uncertainty in her voice.