Page 10 of Chaos
“Glad to see you're awake. My name is Nora. How are you feeling?” Her soft voice instantly makes me feel a little better.
“A bit of a headache. My arm hurts, but I guess that’s normal for being shot.” I try at a joke, but it falls flat.
Nora looks at me like I am a little crazy, but I can see the humor in her eyes. She stands next to my bed, taking my vitals and making sure that I have some pain medication.
Mom is still asleep beside me. I can imagine she hasn’t slept since I have been here. I want to wake her up, but I know she needs some sleep.
After a few more minutes of Nora fussing over me, she let me know that I should be able to leave later today as long as everything stays good. I thanked her and she left the room.
I take a deep breath and try to piece together everything that happened. My stalker broke in. Chased me through the house. Spoke to me. Lastly, he shot me. Then there was pain. After that, it went blank for a while until I woke the first time. Cops came and asked a bunch of questions. Questions I couldn’t answer.
I try to wrap my head around everything, but something isn’t adding up to me. Why would someone who has made it clear that he wants me try to shoot me? Did he change his mind, or was this a way to take me more easily?
As much as I wish I had the answers to those questions, I know I will never get them. Trying to wrap my head around the thought process of a maniac is only making my headache worse.
Mom starts to stir beside me and slowly raises her head. She blinks a few times before she realizes I am awake. I smile at her, wanting her to know that I am alright, but the tears start before I can even attempt to stop them. Seeing Mom here makes everything feel like it is a million times better.
Mom launches herself at me and hugs me close while tears fall from her eyes. I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her as tight as I can, completely ignoring the pains shooting up my arm. The tears started flowing from my eyes, remembering how scared I was last night that I would never see her again. My worst fear was my mom finding my dead body on the floor in the kitchen without any answers. I hated the thought of leaving her like that.
I also hated the thought of the four men who had taken up my thoughts constantly finding me dead. They were all I could think about when the barrel of the gun was pointed at me. Midas, Odin, Zeus, and Dante.
When the guys came storming in, I let out a sigh of relief, knowing I would be fine. I watched as the bullet left Odin’s gun and hit the stalker in his shoulder. A sense of pride and love filled me, knowing that they would kill him if they had the chance. They were willing to put their lives on the line for me. I have never had that before. Except for Mom. But to have not one but three men willing to do anything to protect me was a completely new sensation for me.
The world kind of blurred after I fell to the ground, but I could feel the three of them surrounding me. I could feel the desperation seeping from them as they looked down on me.
I can still feel Midas’s arms wrapped around me, holding me close to his chest as he spoke softly to me.
“Don’t worry, Angel, we will find him. I’ve got you. Nothing else will happen to you again, I promise. You are going to be fine. Just keep breathing. I won’t let you go.”
He said those words with such certainty that they couldn’t be anything but true. I saw the fear in Zeus’s eyes when he came back to me. I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but everything hurt too much. Odin kept watch, making sure he didn’t come back. I had never felt so safe in my life. I only wish that Dante were there too.
I still don’t know what the Kings want with me. Last I heard, Midas was still with Valerie. Odin and Zeus left when Midas told them to. I know I shared a moment and had the most amazing kiss with Odin last night, but I still feel cautious. Zeus protected me last night when that guy wouldn’t leave me alone. They showed up when I needed them. My heart feels full but confused.
Mom pulls away and gives me the biggest smile. She tries to wipe the tears away from her eyes, but I stop her. They are tears of happiness, and seeing them reminds me that everything is better. I am still here and wasn’t seriously hurt. Last night could have been a lot different from what it was.
This may be one of the worst moments of my life, but I feel so joyful being with her. My mom has always been there for me, no matter what. The last time I was in the hospital, she never left until I did. She stayed by my side until I was well again.
I can’t remember a time when my mom was as worried about me as she was at that time. I purposely hurt myself, and on some level, I think she blamed herself for that. I never blamed her for my stupidity. I didn’t even blame Evan at the time, but hindsight makes everything clearer.
“I love you, Mom,” I whisper to her. My throat felt a little scratchy, but I needed her to hear those words.
“I love you more than you will ever know,” Mom says back while pushing my hair behind my ear. I lean my head into her touch, savoring the love from her.
I move over on the bed so Mom can crawl into bed next to me. She doesn’t hesitate and lies down beside me. We don’t say anything for a few minutes, just hold each other. It makes me think of times when I was a little girl, and I would cuddle with my mom in her bed. She always let me sleep in her bed whenever I wanted, even as I got older, that never changed.
Eventually, Mom asks me what happened. I give her a sort of truth. I don’t want her to know about the letters, texts, and pictures I have received. I told her that someone had broken in. I guessed it was to rob the house. I was there by myself, and he pulled a gun on me. I tried to defend myself, but he shot. I also told her that the guys came over after I was shot.
Mom instantly started blaming herself. Saying if we never moved here, this never would have happened. I had to remind her that this could have happened anywhere. People get robbed all the time. It was a fluke, and no one is to blame but the man who did this.
I don’t think my words reassured her as much as I hoped they would. Since moving to Fallingbrook, my mom has changed a lot. She is still the easy-going, chill person she always has been, but I have seen the shadows that seem to haunt her. I don’t know why here, of all places, would haunt her, but there is something in her past that this place brings up for her.
As much as I want to ask, to know what those things are, I am aware that she won’t divulge her secrets. Mom doesn’t talk about her life before she met my dad. It’s like those years don’t exist to her.
I don’t know how much time has passed before another knock at the door. Mom gets up and opens it, and gives whoever is behind the door a big smile. Midas, Odin, and Zeus step into the room after Mom hugs them. Odin and Zeus warmly hug my mom back, while Midas looks slightly uncomfortable at the contact. I can’t help but chuckle at their interactions.
Mom says she is going to go get some coffee to give us some privacy. I say goodbye to her, and she closes the door, leaving me with the three guys who saved me. Odin rushes over to my side and grabs my hand, holding it tightly. He kisses my forehead, sending electricity through my whole body. I never thought an innocent kiss like that could turn me on, but with him it totally can.
His eyes are bloodshot, like he didn’t get any sleep last night. His normally perfect blonde hair is pulled back into a messy bun, like he couldn’t be bothered to attempt to brush it too. I reach over and pull the elastic from his hair and comb my fingers through it to tame his wild locks. He leans into my touch, and I can practically hear him purring like a cat.
