“Oh no, my camera. I left my camera there.”
“It’s fine. You can get it later. Let’s just get you out to Rebecca and Robert’s house.”
“I need to call them first and see if it is alright.”
“Katelyn, you will get killed if you stay at your house. It will be fine with them.”
I guided Chris as he drove us out to Rebecca’s house. I didn’t know how I would be able to explain things, but I knew there was no hiding what was going on now. I was too afraid to hide anything. I needed to feel safe again.
“Where will you go? How will you stay safe?” I said as I reached for his hand.
He held my hand tightly for a moment but then needed to use it to drive. His injured shoulder seemed to be bothering him very badly by that point. It was leaking blood through the bandage and onto his shirt.
“I’m going to go to Chicago. I have to figure out what is going on. I have to end this.”
I tried to swallow, but a big lump started in my throat. How was he going to stay safe if he went right back out there?
“How do you know the people that tried to kill you weren’t the ones from Chicago?”
Chris seemed to ponder what I was saying and did not immediately answer. He looked in the rear view mirror and was preoccupied. I watched as he continued to drive to Rebecca’s house and took special care to make sure no one was following us. He never did answer my question.
As we pulled up to Rebecca’s house, I felt my heart pounding very hard. My face was flushed and I didn’t know how I was going to explain things to Rebecca. I watched Chris as we pulled up to the house, he seemed very focused and intent on a plan that I was not aware of.
After parking in their driveway, Chris jumped out of the car and went up to Rebecca and Robert’s door very quickly. He didn’t wait for me and he didn’t look back at me. Robert opened the door and I watched as the two shook hands and exchanged some words. Chris motioned for me to come up, so I grabbed my things and made my way to the door. When I got there, Chris kissed me quickly and shook Robert’s hand, then he left. He didn’t wait around; he didn’t have time for small talk. He was just gone.
I stood in the doorway and watched Chris drive away in my car. The last thing I was worried about was my car though; I was worried that Chris was going back to Chicago to settle the score for whoever had come to his house and then my house. I was worried that Chris was going to end up dead after confronting the people he was going to see. Never had I been so concerned for a man I had only met a few short weeks before.
Chapter 38
I knew it was going to be difficult to explain everything to Rebecca and Robert. My life had become so dangerous that even I couldn’t believe what was going on. I could see the concern on Rebecca and Robert’s faces and I knew they wouldn’t be happy until I told them everything.
So I did.
I just let out everything. I told them about sleeping with Chris, I told them about my art show and following Chris to the airport. I didn’t leave anything out, except the details of our nightly rendezvous. Finally, I told them about my last couple of days and Chris getting shot.
It was all so much, so hard to relive in such a short period of time. I started to cry as I finished the story and ended with my house being broken into and Chris needing to leave to go settle things in Chicago. Rebecca just shook her head in disbelief.
“Katelyn, this guy is bad news. You need to stay away from him,” Rebecca said finally.
“Yes, you’re going to end up hurt or dead if you keep hanging around that guy,” Robert added. I could see where they were coming from. It wasn’t like I could argue that Chris was a good influence on me. Since meeting him, I certainly had put myself in a very delicate position. But I wasn’t willing to let go of Chris. I held out hope that he would be alright and this all would be settled soon.
“I know it looks bad guys. But just trust me, Chris is going to settle everything.”
“Katelyn, this is not alright. You can’t be hanging around some mysterious guy who is murdering people in his house and getting shot.” Rebecca did not seem pleased with my choices at all.
“It’s not like that. He isn’t a murderer.”
“Well, actually, that’s exactly what he is. Didn’t you say he killed the two people in his house?” Robert said.
“Well technically yes, but they shot him and were going to kill him.”
“Katelyn, you need to get away from this guy and that’s it. You can stay here as long as you need to, but you need to end things with him. He’s obviously only out for himself. Look how he just abandoned you here with us and took off.” Rebecca obviously did not like Chris anymore.
“I know how it looks guys. I really appreciate you letting me stay here.”
I wasn’t about to continue to argue with them. Chris needed to go to Chicago and end this craziness so I could show Rebecca and Robert that things would be alright. Because at that moment I was starting to believe them. Maybe staying away from Chris was exactly what I needed to do in order to stay safe. I certainly didn’t want anything bad to happen to me. I didn’t want to end up shot or dead. It wasn’t on my ten-year life plan to have something like that happen to me.
For the next two weeks, I continued to stay with Rebecca and Robert because I had not heard from Chris yet. I intended to stay with them until I finally got word from Chris that everything was alright.
“Robert, can you take me to my house to get my camera?” I asked one late afternoon.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” Robert asked with a look of concern.
“Yeah, it’s been two weeks. If something bad was going to happen then, it would have already happened.”
“How about we drive by the house today and see if anything looks out of place, then maybe tomorrow you could go in and grab your camera and anything else you needed?”
“Sure, I can do that.”
Chapter 39
We drove by my house slowly and there didn’t seem to be anyone around. I had Robert drive around back and I looked all around for anything suspicious, but there was nothing that stood out. Unfortunately, I did have a feeling that someone was following us or watching us. I made Robert leave and then drive all over town to make sure no one was following us. I didn’t feel safe to go into the house and get my camera.
“I’m not sure Robert, something felt off. What do you think?”
“I felt fine,” Robert said. “Do you want me to just go inside with you?”
“No, let’s just get back home, maybe I’ll go back tomorrow.”
I couldn’t put my finger on what was going on, but I felt like something bad was going to happen. I looked everywhere and had not seen a single thing out of place though. It was entirely possible the events of the last few weeks had made be jumpy and were the only reason I couldn’t feel safe.
“Well, I have to work all day tomorrow. How about we go back in after work?”
Robert was a good man. Rebecca sure had found herself a keeper. I used to make fun of her for getting married so young and starting her family. But seeing how Robert took care of her and the kids, it certainly was more than any woman could hope for in a partner. They both seemed so very happy and it was something to look up to in my future relationships.