Tainted Freedom {Formerly Stalker} (Book 2) (Completed)

Chapter 9

"Rosa, that took courage." Melanie said when we got into the truck.

"What did?" I said, puzzled.

"Everything you said to him, especially walking out like that." She said.

"You were awesome in there, Kait! I couldn't have done better! You even walked out just like I would have." Rose said.

"Well, I did learn most of what I know from Dimitri and your mom when I stayed at Court for a few years back when I was a kid."

"Where did you learn the rest?" Rose asked.

"Various places. I got some of the fighting from martial art classes, I learned most of what I know about guns from Cory, my father, and my grandfather, but I got my marks right after Dimitri and Janine finished teaching me the basics and tested me out."

"And Melanie learned entirely from you?"

"Yep. So did my kids."

"Was it hard to teach all that?"

"I make a living out of teaching. It gets easier eventually. Just ask Melanie. She's done it for over twenty years."

"Damn." was all she said.

We got home rather late at night, surprisingly. The shock of what a seemingly loving, caring, honest man did was still on all of us. He turned into a total asshole before our eyes. Now, granted, there was a part of me that wanted him back and there always would be, but that wasn't the point. He was my first true love, I'd always feeling something for him, but I still hated him. He didn't need to know that. He'd think that it meant that I needed him back, but whenever I thought about what we could be right now after everything that happened, I couldn't even see us back together. All I could see was a happy, healthy, long life with Cory and I realized something. I realized how much one person could love another to hold on to them despite what some psyco could do in an attempt to tear them apart. I was sitting up in bed thinking when I felt that person stir next me. I began crying when he looked at me.

I wasn't really quite ready to explain why I was crying, so ran downstairs. Luckily, Melanie was down there too, otherwise I would have lost it. She didn't ask me what was wrong, she just let me cry, which was just what I wanted her to do. I knew that she'd been pulled into my head while I was thinking and that was probably why she was up. After I was done crying, then she let me talk, she didn't comment, she didn't tell me what she thought, she just let me vent.

"Now, tell me what happened." Was all she said before I began.

"Shit, where do I begin? There's so much to tell. My psyco ex kidnaps all of our kids, tried to kill me, and fakes being Strigoi --"

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Alright. I realized how much he loves me. Who else would want to stand by your side during all this as your psyco ex-husband stalks you, kidnaps your children, and tries to kill you? Any sane person would have left months ago. I wish I would have seen this earlier. I'm not deserving of someone like him. He needs someone perfectly devoted to him, not someone who has a psyco watching their every move and putting a literal, yet creepy sense to Every Breath You Take by Police. I treat him like dirt most of the time, yet he still stays. For all he knows, I could still love Dave, which I don't, but you get the point! He took one look at me and I started crying just from how he looked at me. No one's ever looked at me like that! Complete devotion, complete security, complete love, it was all in that one look. I don't know how to respond to a look like that especially when I know I can't repeat it. I love him, I can say that much, but not like that. I've never loved anyone like that. I've been close, but still nowhere near." I said, as I began crying again.

"You will, trust me. You will. It comes with time. I saw what you were thinking before you came down." Melanie said after I got through another crying spell.

"I figured you might have. I could tell by the way you hugged me."

"I think we both should go back to bed before anyone gets concerned. Cory probably already is. Get some rest. Love you, Rosa."

"Love you too, Mel."

"What's wrong? I took one look at you and you took off crying." Cory said, obviously concerned.

"I just needed to talk something out with Melanie about today. I'm fine now, it just scared me, that's all."

"I don't know why you're lying to me, but when you're ready to tell me the truth, I'm all ears." He said before falling back asleep.