Stockholm

Chapter 4

By the time I get to Lorna's place it's dark. The last few rays of sunshine clinging to the horizon that sets beyond the city. I grab our bag full of takeout, making sure my gun is tucked safely under my seat before I climb out and lock the door.

The porch light is on, awaiting my arrival as I trudge up the small stoop. I always knock, announcing my presence loud as I push open the unlocked front door.

"Lorna!" I call, slipping out of my shoes and closing the door behind me. I lock it.

I'm met with silence as I walk through the small house, discarding our food in the kitchen. My heart starts to work it's way up my throat as I continue to call Lorna, doing a quick sweep of each room only to have my worries confirmed. I call her, my phone pressed to my ear as I search her house for anything that might give me an answer to where she is. But as my phone rings in my ear, I can hear a muffled ring coming from within the house. I follow it, a sweat breaking out along my brow as panic starts to settle in my body. The ringing brings me back to her bedroom, her purse hanging on the doorknob and I dump it's contents on the floor in a hurry. Her phone spills out, my name lit up across the screen and I curse.

Nausea rolls through me as my mind supplies me with all of the possible scenarios, all of them bleak. And without much thought into it, I fish my keys from my pocket and head for the front door. A plan forms in my head, where I'll drive, the places I'll look. But as I step through the front door, ready to lock it behind me Lorna comes trotting up the steps.

Our initial greeting gets lost to the relief that floods me but it's quickly replaced with frustration, airing on the side of anger.

"Where were you?" I accuse.

"Went for a run." She dismisses, breezing past me and through the open front door. "Is the food in the house already? I'm starving."

"You went for a run? Lorna, it's dark out." I chase after her.

"It wasn't when I left."

"You didn't even take your phone or lock the door."

She shrugs her shoulders "I forgot my phone. And I didn't want to lock you out."

My eyes nearly pop out of my head. "You're kidding me."

She takes a seat at the small dining room table, rifling through the bag of food for her burger and fries completely unfazed by my distress.

"Sit Kyle, let's eat."

But I can't sit. I'm still reeling from the fear that something happened to her. That I might never see her again and that fear bursts out of me loud and angry.

"Do you think Lorna?" I throw my hands up in frustration. "You can't just go for a run, not in the dark, not without your phone at the very least! Something could have happened to you!"

"Nothing did though." She counters.

I shake my head, pacing her kitchen to dispel some of the fear that's lingering. "This time. What about next time? And for fucks sake, lock your damn doors. I'd rather sit outside and wait, then have your house be a damn free for all to people passing by."

"You're blowing this out of proportion Kyle." She snaps. "I'm not a child, I can take care of myself." She gestures to an open chair. "Let's eat, while the food is still warm."

But I can't sit, I can't eat.

"I'm not blowing it out of proportion, something could have happened to you!" I stop my pacing to shout my disapproval. "This is how you get abducted, how you get raped, or...fucking murdered Lorna."

She abandons her food on the table, brushing the salt from her fingertips as she walks to me. Her hands touch my face, warm and soft as she brings my eyes to hers.

"I'm fine Kyle. Nothing happened." She tells me again. "Now let's eat, our food is going cold and I need a shower."

She tugs me toward the table, a soft smile on her lips that's disarming even against my fear.

"Forget the food, Lorna." It's pure exasperation that seeps from me. "You can't just run around like shit doesn't happen, do you know the sort of things I see?"

"Yes." She squares her shoulders as she sits down, determination filling her. "I hear about the awful things that happen Kyle but I'm not going to stop living."

"I'm not asking you to."

I watch as she unpacks our food, setting my burger at my empty seat. "Then what exactly are you asking me to do?"

My stomach gurgles, distracting my thoughts slightly as the smell hits my nose. I sit, even though I'm still frustrated. "I'm asking you to not run around asking for trouble."

She pauses, her hands about to pop the styrofoam lid of the to-go container that houses her burger. Her eyes lift to mine and in that brief look I know I've said something wrong. There's a fire blazing.

"I am not running around asking for trouble Kyle, you of all people should know that it's not a woman's fault if she gets raped. It's not a victim's fault if they are killed." There's a sharp edge to her words, they're spoken at a normal volume but coursing with anger.

"That's not what I meant." I say dejectedly, I just want her to be safe. I know what people are capable of.

She unpacks her burger, taking a bite, leaving me there to hang in the silence. "Well then this conversation is moot."

I'm unwilling to apologize and act as though I don't stand by my fear. So I open my burger and begin to eat, sneaking glances at Lorna. This isn't our first argument, not by a long shot and thank god Lorna's not the type of woman to hold a grudge. She just needs a few minutes, a belly full of food and a hot shower that I'll sneak into. Wrap my arms around and hold her close, kissing her shoulder, her neck, whispering her name into her hair as I cup her head in my hand and let the water wash away whatever this was.

And after we shower and have sex, I'm buying her a ring doorbell.

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Who's ready for Christmas? I'm going to spend the day while the kids are at school wrapping presents and hopefully then I'm all done!