He's slouched with his hands resting on the arms of the chair, his legs stretched out in front of him. Dressed in a crisp white shirt, pressed black trousers, and polished black brogues, his hair is slightly wet and slicked back. He looks like a poster boy for the CEO of a conglomerate and even though I hate him, it's a look he carries quite well.
I've never seen him wearing such clothes before. It's like I'm looking at his clone and not the real person. He's like a totally different person.
The air is weighty with something heavy and I sit up immediately when I realize he's here. Ash is here. He's sitting in front of me, and staring at me. In my mind's eye, I see him sitting close to the blonde woman and staring at her. I close my eyes, trying to unsee it. I feel as if many hands are closing around my throat as I begin to gasp for air. He's beside me in an instant holding a glass of water.
"Breathe! Just breathe!" His deep voice pierces the remaining fog surrounding me, giving me the drive I need.
Adrenaline surges through me. "Get away from me, you demon."
I push him away and the glass cup in his hand slips from his hand and falls. From somewhere inside the house, a door opens and footsteps approach my room. My eyes flick to Ash but he's already looking at me. I see uncertainty flash across his face and this fills me with a surge of joy.
I used to hate that the walls in this house are so thin, but now, I'm glad. The footsteps get closer to my bedroom and a tap sounds on my door making me freeze but I'm not the only one. Ash looks at me and then at the door, he looks at me once again. His eyes plead with me not to give him away. I feel a thrill trickle down my spine as I stare at him.
There are two more taps before a voice speaks. "Alicia, honey, are you okay? I heard something break."
I take another look at Ash who from the looks of things, knows he's definitely putty in my hands before directing my attention to the door.
"Alicia, honey, if you don't answer me, I'll come inside."
Ash glances at me with stark fear in his eyes. This is satisfactory to me so I paste on a grim smile.
"I'm sorry for waking you, ma'am, I was fiddling around in the dark and a glass broke. Please go back to bed, I'm fine."
Clarissa's mum chuckles. "But my dear, let me come inside and help you clean it up."
Panic sails through me then so I stand. "No, ma'am, please, I'll be fine, please go back to bed."
"How many times do I need to tell you to call me Clara, my dear?" She chuckles once again before walking off. The sound of her footsteps fades away and it's not until a door opens that I turn to look at Ash.
"You have about sixty seconds to tell me what you're doing here acting like a creep who breaks into someone's house and plays a romance song in the middle of the night before I call the police."
He must see the grim determination on my face because emotions flit across his own and finally settles on one. "I'm so-"
"Forty, thirty-nine, thirty-eight." I start counting and his eyes take on a panicked look as he swipes his tongue across his lips and looks around.
"Where's Lily? Can I at least see my baby?"
I don't think he thought about the danger he would get into when he came here, I don't even think he rehearsed whatever excuse he would give to me, but as rage thrums through my veins, I can't help but launch myself from where I'm standing at him and give him a stinging slap. The satisfaction that flows through me when I see him wince feels so good.
But this is Ash we're talking about here. He doesn't even bat an eyelid, the bastard. The smile that curls his lips is a sad one. "I expected that, and you have every right to do even worse, but I can assure you it's not what you think happened. I didn't just walk out on you, on Lily, on us, I didn't want to, but-"
"Just shut your mouth!" I lash out. He's rambling and he knows it. "I don't care for the pathetic excuse you have to give, but if you know whatever gutter you crawled out from, you better get ready to go back there because I want you out of here now. I never want to see you again."
I can see fear jump into his eyes at my words but I don't know what else he expected. If he thinks by showing up after one year and acting all sorry I'll take him back, then clearly he doesn't know me at all. I watch as his shoulders slump and I feel a twinge of pity but I steel my mind and jut out my jaw.
He nods and throws something onto the bed. "I need you to look at those pictures and understand I stayed away for your sake, for our baby's sake."
He puts off the music from his phone which has been on all along and walks to the door before stopping. He turns around and looks behind him. I follow his line of vision and that's when I see the open window.
Crap! I left it open, and that's how he must have come in. I need to be more careful next time. He walks to the window and turns around to look at me, sadness etched all over his face, and then he disappears through it. I can't help it, I rush after him and I'm just in time to see him disappearing into the dark street.
I close the window and turn around. My heart is galloping madly in my chest but I will it to calm down by taking deep breaths. After a few minutes of breathing deeply, I walk over to the bed intending to lie down when my eyes fall on the pictures. I shove them to the floor where they scatter and lay down but I'm not at peace.
After turning severally, I know I won't be getting any sleep until after I see what's in those pictures so I sit up and reach for them. There are three pictures in all. The first I look at makes no sense to me. It's the picture of the side profile of a man aiming at something with a rifle in his hand. It looks like he's on top of a roof. The second picture is of the same man but with a different background.
As I look at the third picture, my heart lurches in my chest. I see a grainy picture of a woman as if the picture was taken from a long distance. It's not until I focus properly on her that I realize she's me. I'm the woman in the picture and it was taken on the day I was meant to be engaged to Ash judging from what I'm wearing. My heart lurches in my chest when I remember Ash's words.
I stayed away for your sake, for our baby's sake.
A gasp escapes me when I realize what's happening in those pictures.
Someone was sent to kill me.
But why?
And who?