Twisted Knot

safe house blues

~Elizabeth~

I was waiting for the phone to ring, and worry about Stefan was sinking in. Javier was alive, and everyone I knew was in danger. Why would Javier wait so long to come after? I didn't know, but clearly, he'd been watching me for a while. He knew Stefan's history better than I did, and he had tried to kill me. What I couldn't understand was why he'd tried to kill me. As twisted as he was, I had always believed that Javier had wanted to own me, not kill me. Of course, he was a sociopath, that was for sure. I looked at Jeremy, who didn't understand what was happening as he colored.

Finally, after calling him a seventh time, Stefan answered.  

"Stefan," I called out. "Are you safe? Where are you?" 

"I am fine," Stefan said. "Are you alright? I am a block away from Paul's. I have been going ninety miles an hour trying to get home to you..." 

"I am ok," I said. "Detective Perry saved my life. He knows about Javier. He's alive Stefan, he tried to kill me. He's been stalking you, and murdering those girls. I should have known..." 

"Don't blame yourself," Stefan said. "I am almost there. We need to get you out of here." 

"Detective Perry wants to move us to a safe house," I said. "Everyone, you, me, Jeremy and Paul."  

"Great," Stefan said. "We can figure out the sleeping arrangements when we get there." 

"I'll be sleeping with Jeremy," I said. "I am not letting him out of my sight until Javier is gone."

"I'm here," Stefan said. I heard footsteps on the door and I hung up. Paul was in the kitchen, talking to an officer, but I saw him turn his head as Stefan came in and I buried my head in his neck. Maybe it as wrong to hug my husband in front of my lover, but I couldn't resist his open arms. I realized I was crying again as he held me, feeling like I was going to be alright for the first time all day. Suddenly, all of my anger and fury disappear. Everything that had happened in the last month faded away, and I felt like I had in that car when I had told Stefan about Javier. I trusted him there, and I knew that I trusted Stefan now. I didn't know or care what that meant for our future, I was focused on surviving this disaster.

Stefan pulled away, seemingly mindful of Paul's eyes.  

"Daddy," Jeremy called out, running to him. "I miss. You so much Daddy! Guess what, Detective Joe says we get to ride in a real police car!" 

"Really?" Stefan said. "Well, I missed you too. And guess what, Addy is going to be around and we are going on a vacation. Davis gets to come too." 

"Ok," Jeremy said, hugging Stefan again. I tried not to cry, but I lost all effort. Something inside of me burned as I saw my husband and my son, and I realized

I'd been pretending I was fine with my marriage ending. I wasn't, I was heartbroken over the possibility of loosing this, the life we'd built. But as I glanced back in the kitchen, I couldn't loose that life either. Maybe detective Perry was right, I was the kind of woman men destroyed themselves for, because I always asked for more. But I felt something stronger than confusion and regret rise up in me, a resolve. If my life was going to be ruined, it would've because of my own mistakes, not because Javier thought he owned me. I was going to fight back and survive, somehow, I would fight for my family it was a broken, tormented, twisted life I'd built, but I was not going to loose any of the people I loved.

The detective's phone rang and he grew very still as he listened. He nodded and tried to look calm, his eyes watching is. He hung up his phone and looked at all of us, watching. He turned to the female officer and whispered, and she walked up to Jeremy.