The Importance of Being Kept

Chapter 4. Kaylee's First Night

Kaylee was so happy she had her own place; she didn't know what to do with herself... until night came. This was her first night alone since she'd moved to San Francisco. She had to admit, she was extremely nervous. She'd bought a large can of pepper spray. She wasn't used to staying in such a large apartment alone. And even though she'd been told she was in a safe, quiet, neighborhood, she still didn't feel secure in her new apartment.

Kale, Aidan, and Mia had been very giving, she hadn't mind settling for a studio, but Mia insisted she get an apartment the same size as Kia's which was a three-bedroom apartment. When she asked Mrs. Adair why she needed the extra rooms, she told her she was planning to have a girl's night out with Kia and herself. In other words, Mia needed a place to escape from Kale and Aidan when they became overbearing.

She didn't mind the company, she'd almost asked them to spend the night as they left. Brandon had stared at her suspiciously as if he knew she was nervous. He'd asked her if she would be okay and she'd lied and told him she would be fine. But she wasn't fine, not at all!

They'd picked out her apartment the same day that Kia had moved into hers, but she'd stayed in her room at Kia's home until her furniture arrived the next day. Kia hadn't been there to help her move in because she'd started her first day working with the twins, but the rest of the family had come. She was so blessed to have met such extremely beautiful people in her life. Her grandmother had always worried about her being alone after she died, but she didn't have to worry anymore. She had always thought family was by blood alone and now she knew that a family could be anyone that loved and cared for her.

Kia had called her that night complaining about how her family had broken into her house and took over when she got home from work. When she started laughing, Kia got annoyed and hung up on her. Kaylee could never get angry on Kia's behalf when her parents were involved, she saw them in a totally different perspective, parents who adored and loved their daughter unconditionally, but she did understand from Kia's point of view that they could be a little invasive and overprotective, okay maybe not a little, a lot, still... the things they did were always amusing to her.

Something rattled her window. She froze and threw the covers over her head. The wind maybe? San Francisco was known for its high winds and she happen to be on a very steep hill. Her window shook again.

'Boy, that wind is rough,' she thought to herself.

Now if she could only stop her entire body from shaking from fear. Telling herself it was the wind had almost worked when the noise stopped, until she heard it slowly being pried open. She grabbed her bottle of pepper spray and stood by the side of the window as she watched two large hands slide the glass pane back.

"Oh my god," she whispered over and over frantically. Someone was actually breaking into her apartment her first night alone. She knew all of this was too good to be true, she was going to die tonight, but she'd go out fighting. She let out a warrior's cry and sprayed the intruder as soon as he poked his head through the window, except she didn't spray him, she sprayed herself. The nozzle was turned backwards, in her panic she hadn't checked to see if it was pointing in the right direction.

Screaming in pain, she fell to the floor. The stuff burnt like liquid fire, it was in her eyes, her nose, she could barely breathe. She didn't notice the two strong arms lifting her up and racing to the bathroom with her. She had no clue someone was with her until she found herself in the shower with water pounding against her face. Two masculine hands were scrubbing her face with soap.

"Stop fighting me, Kaylee. I'm trying to help you!" A deep, masculine voice yelled at her, a voice she would know even when she was dying from pepper spray.