“Please, Daisy. Have dinner with me.” There is something in his voice that brings my eyes up to his face instantly. “We can go wherever you want. We can go to Jefferson if you’re scared people in town will see us, hell, we can go to the City if you want to be stuck in the car with me that long.”
“I’m not scared of the people seeing us together, Oliver.” It was true, I knew people in this town would talk regardless of where we sat down to dinner, but he was right, I was scared, scared of what would come after if I agreed to dinner. “I’m sorry but no. I’m not ready to have dinner with you.”
Unexpectedly, his smile widens, “That’s fine, I’m taking that as one day you might be ready.” I let out a heavy sigh, typical of him, to hear what he wants to hear and read into a situation what his over active imagination allowed him to. Oliver was the type of guy to accept a slim to none chance as a possibility, that one in a million chance was still a chance. It frustrated me no end, he was never willing to give up on anyone or anything, with the only exception being me and our past relationship.
“Don’t hold your breath. No, wait, do. Do hold your breath, Oliver.” Smiling sweetly, I again attempt to step around him. Again I fail as he steps in front of me.
“I’m willing to wait as long as it takes for you to realise what I already know. You may think you hate me now but there is a fine line between love and hate, Daisy.” His voice was low and dangerous with the shadow of his smile still playing on his lips.
“And when you’ve achieved this secret plan of yours, you’ll leave again?”
“Possibly, but it will be different this time.” His hand reaches up to tuck the stray wisp of hair that is tangling with the wind, back behind my ear. I can feel the heat of his hand beside my cheek as his fingers work on my locks.
“You’re right because this time when you leave you won’t be taking my heart with you.” I shove past him, this time he lets me and I stalk to my car. My breathing is shallow as I listen for Oliver’s footsteps behind me but the only sound was the crickets creating music with one another and the odd call of the owl hooting.
Only when I close the door behind me do I suck in a deep breath of air, holding it until my lungs burn and they force me to exhale in a rush.
* * *
Oliver’s attitude still bothered me when I pulled into the driveway at home, it still bothered me after I had given Munchkin her dinner and fixed myself a pot of tea but what bothered me the most was that he still made me feel everything I had before he’d left, before he’d broken my heart and before I was forced to get over him. The touch from his hand was so familiar to me that the last five years may as well not have happened, the smooth tone of his voice when he told me it would be different was like a promise of the truth and I had wanted to believe it, and that would be a fatal mistake of my heart. How many times could I allow Oliver to break it before I can no longer survive?
Munchkin stirring next to me on the pillow brings me from my slumber, her eyes were fixed on the doorway to my bedroom, she sat stiff as a board as if sensing something wasn’t quite right. My heart began to race as I slowly curled back the doona and softly placed my feet on the floor beside my bed. With my mobile phone in hand, I crept from the room, searching the darkness for what exactly, I didn’t know.
In the kitchen I flick on the light, the room was exactly as I had left it, my teapot and cup still sat in the sink waiting for attention, the blind on the backdoor was still rolled down and by checking, the lock to the door was still fastened.
I tiptoe down the hallway, through the darkness I can see the light from the streetlight illuminating in the space where the front door should have been secured. Swallowing over the lump in my throat I freeze, dialling the number for the police before moving any further toward the door.
“I think I have an intruder.” I whisper to the dispatcher before relaying my address. She tells me to find a secure room and wait for the police to arrive. I squeal and leap in the air when something brushes against my leg, looking down Munchkin is rubbing her furry little body against me without any of the concern she’d had previously.
Scooping her up, I hastily make my way to the bathroom and twist the vanity lock. My heart is still pounding in my ears as if a death metal drummer is playing a solo. Munchkin curls up in my lap and promptly goes to sleep as I scratch the top of her head. I have no idea how long I waited there, it felt like hours when it could have only been minutes. Only when I hear the voice of Constable Jason Devlin do I unlock the door, sliding it back to greet him.
“Dase, you okay?” Jason and I had become friends when he and his wife Melissa had moved to Fosford just over twelve months ago, they were a newly married couple and had settled into the country lifestyle of our town without so much as a ripple.
“You mean, other than scared half to death, yep, just peachy.” I didn’t want to mention it was my own cat that had frightened me the most, so I pursed my lips to keep the words in.
“You’re safe now.” Jason rests his big hand on my shoulder, offering me a reassuring squeeze. “Do you know if there is anything missing?”
“I only went into the kitchen, then I just hid in the bathroom.” He nods with a sympathetic look on his face.
“That’s okay, you did the right thing.” Silently, we move back down the hallway together, entering the lounge room I can see immediately my handbag has gone from where it had been left on the coffee table. Jason takes notes of the description I give him, and of the contents I can recall being inside it.
The frames I had displayed on my mantle-piece were also gone, “They wouldn’t have been worth very much, silver plated at best. Who would want to take them?” I couldn’t make any sense out of what had been taken, compared to what had been left behind, my tv and stereo were still here, including the heavy glass vase I had inherited from my grandma. The bowl of loose change from the cabinet had been taken but not the keys to my car. “It’s only small things that are missing.” Resting one hand at the base of my throat I continue to scan the room.
“It’s probably just some kids, Dase. I’ll make a note of everything that was taken and hopefully, we’ll get some of these things back to you.”
“Thank you,” Needing a cup of tea I head back in the direction of the kitchen, Jason follows me still talking, I barely understand a word he’s saying, something about impact statements in court and evidence records. “Would you like a cup of tea?” Reaching for another cup, my hand stills waiting on his answer.
“No, but thank you,” Jason flicks his notebook closed before returning the pen to the pocket on his shirt. “Can I call someone for you? Maybe have someone come sit with you?”
The one person who has always made me feel safe is not an option, I don’t need him coming in and thinking he’s saved the day again. With Oliver in mind, I shake my head.
“I’ll be fine. I’m pretty tired. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll just go back to bed.”
“Okay, I’ll do another quick look around and you lock the doors after me.” I nod in agreement with him, I appreciated the gesture even if it was just Jason doing his job. I lay awake after he has left, Munchkin had no trouble settling, she curled up on the pillow next to me and immediately fell back to sleep, purring her sweet little furry head off.