"Sooner or later
it all comes around"
Weeks later...
"Nate, how do I work this?" I glance at the three different remotes. Three! This is just too much to turn on the tv. Cable added on top of that complicates things further.
"It's the black one." He shouts from the kitchen where he's getting us some snacks.
I look down and see that they are all the same exact freaking color. "Really Nate? They all look the same." I yell back frusturated.
He enters the living room, picks one, and turns the 50 inch flat screen on.
"Simple." He smirks.
"No, simple means having just one remote." I counter.
I have been living with Nate for awhile and still can't figure out his fancy stuff. For example the refrigerator, it has too many buttons and even a touch screen that I can't seem to work. I also always end up dropping ice on the floor because when I move my cup just an inch, it either stops or decides to drop twenty ice cubes at a time. I do love the rest of the house though. I especially like the giant walk in closet in our room. I don't have a bunch of clothes but I like walking in there and pretending that I'm shopping. Is that weird? It's like shopping among your own clothes.
"What are we watching?" Nate asks as we both sit on the leather sofa.
"How about Mean girls? I haven't seen that movie in forever." I try to figure out the remote and somehow manage to pick the netflix app.
"I don't feel like watching a chick flick." He whines.
"Today is my day to pick so suck it up. Now pay attention because I will give you a quiz afterword."
His response is to throw a popcorn at me.
"Very mature." I then proceed to stick my tongue out at him.
Throughout the movie I end up reciting the most popular quotes much to Nate's dismay.
When the movie is over he sighs "Finally."
"Today is tuesday by the way..." I start.
"So...."
"Tomorrow you have to wear pink!"
"Oh my god. You are crazy." He laughs and starts to tickle me.
"Stop! Listen, because you were good and watched the movie with me, you can pick which one to watch next. Even though you said I could pick today. Cause I'm awesome like that."
"Yes!" He stops tickling me to steal the remote from my side of the sofa.
"Just no scary movies!"
..................................................
"How is it already midnight?" I look at my phone surprised at how fast the day went by. We ended up watching an action movie marathon.
"Crap, I gotta wake up early tomorrow for a meeting." Nate adds. Now that Kingston Inc. owns Kemah boardwalk, he is now the manager over everything. Kay loves this because she gets free stuff and unlimited rides. Nate really spoils her. Whenever I take care of Kay now, I bring her here and she enjoys being able to use the wifi since at home we never had internet other then on my mom and I's cell phones.
"Let's go to bed. Luckily I don't have a test tomorrow at school." I started taking some basic classes at the community college. I ride the metro bus even though Nate insists on dropping me off. I like to have some freedom. I also still work at the botique store along with Matt and Em to afford the tuition and books.
After we get ready for bed, my head hits the pillow and I fall asleep.
I open my eyes and realize something is off. I look around the room but nothing is in it. Just the bed. Nate isn't sleeping next to me like always.
"Nate! Where are you?" I call out. I get up and check the rest of the house. It's all empty. There's no furniture. Just bare walls and the cold floor. It's so quiet, you could hear a pen drop.
Seconds later I hear a gunshot and a large thump near the back of the house so I go straight there.
I open the back door and see a person. It's dark outside so I can't tell who it is straight away.
"Who's there?" I call out.
"Well, well, well, I haven't seen you in awhile. How are you sweetheart?" The man I haven't seen in weeks turns around and smiles at me.
"You're supposed to be dead." Is all I can muster to say. He appears exactly like the last time I saw him. Only difference is that he has bullet holes all over his body and dried blood stains.
"I'm not dead, don't you know? I'll always be here watching you." He throws his head back and laughs.
"Where's Nate?" I ask Rob.
"Oh, well him, yeah he's dead." He points behind him and I see him laying face down with a pool of dark blood all around him.
"Nate!" I try to go towards him but Rob holds me back and whispers in my ear.
"Calm down, you'll be with your lover boy soon." I then see him pull out a knife from his pocket. It's the same one he had put near my throat when he had me at the warehouse.
"I'll make sure it hurts." He adds while winking at me.
"Audrey! What's wrong?" I hear someone say right next to me.
I wake up and realize I was having a nightmare.
"What?"
"You were screaming. What happened?" Nate looks worried.
I feel hot and sweaty. I don't want to talk about that dream. "Nothing."
"It's not nothing. Tell me." He insists and holds my hand.
"I was dreaming that Rob was alive and that he was after us again." I sigh.
"Have you had these dreams before?"
Might as well be honest. "Only a couple of times before. But never this scary or real looking."
"Why didn't you let me know?" Nate hugs and comforts me.
"Because I want to leave it in the past. He's dead, Aimee and the brother are in jail." I try to explain.
"It's normal to have nightmares. You went through a traumatizing experience. Just because it's over, it doesn't mean it won't still affect you. You can always talk to me about it. I'm here for you."
"Thanks. I just thought that if I didn't think about it, I could act like it never happened."
"It did. But you're not alone. You have me. I will always be here for you. If the nightmares don't get better, we can visit the doctor." He looks so honest as he looks into my eyes.
I kiss him softly. I'm so grateful that I have him.
"When you were in the hospital and days after, I had a hard time falling and staying asleep. I was worried that if I closed my eyes something would happen to you. Then when I feel asleep, the images of when you were shot kept replaying over and over in my head. I was finally able to be okay when you moved in with me. It's going to take time to move on from this horrible thing that happened. But what's important is that we have each other."
I nod and agree. "I love you. Thank you for being in my life."
"Thank you for existing." Nate whispers.
......................................................
Mark P.O.V *
This fucking bitch didn't keep her word. She promised that if anything went south and we kept her out of it then she would help us. Said she would hire us fancy lawyers and shit. Well, me only now that Robert is dead. Then when I contacted her she told me that I was on my own, that she didn't have any money. I have given her enough time to come around. Now since I'm going down, so is everyone who was a part of it with me.
"I heard you wanted to speak to me?" Officer Klyde walks into the interrogation room.
I look down at the cold table, then up at him with a smirk.
"Today is your lucky day. You're going to know all the truth behind the kidnapping plan. For a deal of course."
He's staring at me trying to see if I'm bluffing or not.
I roll my eyes and shake my hand cuffs. "Hurry up cause it's almost lunch time. For the first time I'm about to tell you everything, the whole story. Interested? Now sit down and get your little detective notebook ready."
Chapter Note: Only about 3 few chapters left until the story is finished :) Plus truth about the ransom plan is answered in the next update...