Fearful Renegade

Ten

January 10th 2011

AJ pulled Siannah’s truck into the drive way of his house and put it into park.  He looked over and noticed she had fallen asleep during that fifteen minute car ride back.  Reaching over he gently shook her and she opened her eyes and looked around.

“We’re back” He told her.

“I feel asleep?” She asked confused.

“Yeah” AJ lightly laughed.  They both got out and grabbed their bags.  When AJ reached into his pocket he pulled out his keys and started looking for his house key.  He looked up and saw a small box sitting on the step and he smiled.

“Sia, seriously.” He sighed as he turned around.

“What?” She asked as she walked up to him.  He said nothing as he turned his head and looked at the package and then looked back to her. “What’s that?” She asked.

“Sia” AJ sighed again.

“That’s not from me Alex” She told him with a light laugh.  “I swear”

Still not believing her he bent down and picked up the box and pulled off the lid.  His heart stopped.  There inside was one single rose head, clipped from its stem.  Just like the others.  He stared at it not wanting to believe it. 

“Alex?” He heard Siannah say but he didn’t answer his brain to busy processing the gift that was in front of him.  Dropping the box he fumbled with his keys.

“Come on, come on.” He whispered in a panic.  When he found it he shoved it into the key hole and unlocked the door.  Turning around he grabbed Siannah by the wrist and pulled her inside, she almost dropped her bag from the force.

Alex!” She said shocked as he slammed the door, locked it and turned on the alarm.   Quickly he walked over towards the middle of the cottage as he figured out what to do.

“I knew it, I knew it.” He whispered to himself as he sat down his foot tapping on the floor.

“Alex?” Siannah said again when he looked up she was sitting down beside him.  “What’s going on?” She asked with great concern.

“That…She’s…” He couldn’t get the words out; he didn’t want to get the words out. “Not now, not again” He said as he put his head in his hands.

“Hey” Siannah said as she tried to get him to look at her but he couldn’t.  He didn’t’ want to say because if he did he would have to leave, leave this place, leave her and he didn’t want to.  “Alex, talk to me.”

He had too; he had to get her as far away from him as possible.  He had to keep her safe; he didn’t want her to get hurt, not her.  His heart gave one final plea against it but his mind was winning this battle.  He needed to protect her no matter what.

“You need to go.” He said as he stood up.

“What?” She replied confused.

“You need to go home and not come back.” He told her and when he turned to face her she stood there staring at him.

“Is that what this is about?” She asked and then she walked over to him. “Is that what that was?”

“You need to leave Siannah please.” He said as he tried to move her to the door.

“No” She snapped stopping herself.  “I told you I wasn’t scared and I’m not.” And then she walked past him and out the door but she didn’t slam it or close it, she left it open.

“You hear me!!! She screamed.  “I’m not afraid of you!” She yelled making sure everyone heard.  Alex grabbed her and pulled her inside.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” He shouted at her as he slammed the door.

“I’m not going anywhere.” She told him.

“You have no idea how dangerous she is Siannah.” He snapped at her.

Siannah yelled back. “I don’t care!”

He growled with frustration as he took off up the stairs.  He gathered all her clothes that were there and went into the bathroom.  He took her toothbrush and then headed out of the room.  He tossed the items down to her and she looked up at him.

“Get out.” He snarled and then walked into his room slamming the door behind him.

AJ stood in the middle of his bedroom furious, he panted and clinched his fist but when he heard the front door slam he closed his eyes.  No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t fight back the tears and dropped down to his bed as he started to cry. 

After he had gone to Becca’s to get Dew and called the Detective back in California, he locked himself inside the cottage, only going to the Dog Park.  He hadn’t seen her walking the dogs from the clinic in the evening and then one night when he saw the volunteer doing it he wonder if she was avoiding this place.  Probably was and it was for the better.

January 24th 2011

It had been a couple of weeks since his Birthday, since he got the package and he sat on his couch waiting for his realtor to come by and go over some final things before putting the cottage up on the market.  When there was a knock at the door he stood up and walked over.  He stopped when he saw Siannah on the other side.  Unsure why she was here he walked up to the door and opened it.

“Hi” She said as she stood with her wool coat tightly around her.

“What are you doing here?” He asked as his eyes darted to look around the front yard.

“I came to talk; I need to talk to you and…”

“Sia, I need you to go home.” He told her as he felt his heart tear a little.

“No Alex you don’t understand I’m not…”

“No Sia you don’t understand the longer you’re here the more your life is in danger, please, I don’t want to get mad at you. Just go home.” He told her and his heart ripped a little more.  She stared at him for a moment, her lips were tight and he could tell she was now angry with him.

“Fine” She was able to spit out before turning around.  Just then his realtor pulled up and got out of the car.  He looked over to Siannah she was watching the man as she walked to her truck.  AJ looked back at the car on the side of the road as the man reached in and pulled out the For Sale sign.  He looked back to Siannah and she stopped dead as the man walked past her.

“Hello” He said greeting her with a smile.  AJ noticed she didn’t say anything as she turned still watching the man.  Then she looked up at him as he stood in the door way.

“I’m just gonna leave the sign here till we’re done with the paper work.” The man told him as AJ looked away from Siannah. 

“Okay cool” AJ replied as he stepped back and let the man inside.  Before closing the door he looked up and saw Siannah still staring at him.

“You’re moving?” She asked as she went to take a step but stopped. Without saying a word he turned around and shut the door. 

“So have you found a place yet? The realtor asked.

“No, just gonna rent while I search.” AJ told him as his mind started to focus on Siannah and not on his house.

“You have any idea on where?” The man asked.

“No, not yet, maybe I’ll go back to the States.” He said with a light smile.

Truth be told he didn’t want to sell the house, he loved this little place, he loved this little town and he loved…

“Ok so this page is the agreement.” The man said and AJ looked back at him his thoughts were broken.  He looked down at the paper; with a sigh to himself he pushed Siannah from his mind and grabbed a pen from the table beside him.

Signing what he was suppose to sign and initialing where he was suppose to within an hour after arriving the sign was sitting on his lawn.  He stared at it as the car on the side of the street pulled away.  He couldn’t stay here, she knew where he was she was still watching and following.

Closing the door he walked back inside his house and plopped down onto the couch.  Dew came over and laid down in front of his feet.  His dog had been unusually unhappy and moppey and for a moment he wondered if it was because of Siannah.

January 31st 2011

Over the next week he packed his things, packed his clothes, and soon the house was close to nothing but boxes and furniture but then he had to take Dew for his check up and get his papers before leaving.  There was no avoiding this so, he sucked it up and headed to the clinic.  No eye contact and try not to acknowledge she was there was his game plan.

When he arrived he saw Becca at the front desk and hoped Siannah’s best friend didn’t make a scene here.  “Hi” she said when she saw him.

“Hey” He replied in a mono tone.  “I’m here for Dew’s Check up.”

“Right” She said with a nod and went to the cabinet to get his file.

When she walked back over he had to ask.  “Sia’s not doing it right?”

Becca looked up from the folder and her expression confused him.

“What?” He sighed knowing she wanted to say something.  “Go ahead Becca just let it out, tell me what you think of me and just let me have it okay, so I can go on with my day.” He said in a mono tone.

“No Alex it’s not that it’s…” She stopped.

“What?” AJ asked confused again. Quickly she looked away and he could tell she was thinking.  “Becca? What’s going on?”

“Come here” She said motioning for him to walk over to the other side of the desk and he followed.

“She called last Tuesday said her Mom was sick and she needed to go to Vancouver for a few days.” Becca told him.

“Last Tuesday? That was when the Realtor came by.” He thought remembering and then he saw her standing there at the door.

“What are you doing here?” He asked as his eyes darted to look around the front yard.

“I came to talk; I need to talk to you and…”

“Sia, I need you to go home.” He told her as he felt his heart tear a little.

“No Alex you don’t understand I’m not…”

“No Sia you don’t understand…” 

His memories disappeared as Becca spoke again. “But then she called this morning.”  He looked at Becca and saw her eyes. 

“What?” He asked.

“Alex, her Mom died last night.” Becca frowned.

“What?” AJ replied a little breathless. “Where is she now?” He asked.

“I think she’s still at the hotel.”  Then she turned around, grabbed a piece of paper and began writing a bunch of things down  “Go” Becca said to him as she handed him the paper and he looked at her confused.  “She needs you right now Alex really bad and I don’t care if she kicks my ass for sending you.  I’ll take Dew, just go find her.” She told him.  “That’s her hotel, the room number and the address to her parents place just in case.” AJ looked at her for a moment and then walked out of the clinic