Written In The Stars: Book Two

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Jay and Jack both came over after the shopping trip and helped hook everything up. Jack may have been a son-of-a-bitch in a lot of ways, but he was a good friend, seemed genuinely concerned about Madeline's safety, and was an electrician by trade.

Since tomorrow was Saturday, everyone was available to make the drive to Mitch and Mary's house to create the same setup.

Mitch took another week off of work, using the rest of his vacation days. Mitch wasn't a tough guy by any means, but he had conviction, and was pure poppa bear toward them both. Elijah and Madeline were his children, and at least one of his children was being threatened. Likely both.

There was still no proof there was a threat. Things could have easily been worse for Johnny, and while Elijah didn't blame the cops for not charging him with worse, he hope Madeline's ex appreciated that, took the warning and wake-up call seriously, and just moved on with his life. Breakups happened, after all. They were hard, but people got through them. Some, like Elijah, didn't always get through them with grace, but he also didn't aim that anger at other people. Only his furniture and himself.

Still, coming from a more influential family, not well known by any means, but with money and connections, Johnny had a lot to lose if he pushed this. His inheritance, job, family, friends. His future was riding on how he handled things from here on in. Hopefully, someone in his life was explaining to him how damn lucky he was, and how easily his life could have been ruined; how easily his life could fall to ruin if he didn't cut his losses and walk away.

Elijah wasn't about to rely on any of that, however. Like he'd told the police, he barely knew the guy. They'd had two conversations with each other, and there was honestly no telling what someone was capable of until you saw the worst version of them.

If the guy was a threat, Elijah didn't know who the target was. If there was a guarantee he only wanted revenge on Elijah, he'd be sending the family home tonight and dealing with it on his own. He may not have a gun, but he had his strength and plenty of kitchen knives. The issue is that even if Elijah knew he was the target, anyone who knew him would know that if you wanted to really cause Elijah pain, you'd use M&M against him. Elijah was so much stronger than he was two or even four years ago, mentally and physically, but everyone had their weakness, and his was Madeline.

"Something tells me you wouldn't be spending this much money if you didn't think this guy was a threat," Jay spoke behind him.

Since Jack was the one installing the three security camera's, Jay was mainly just here for emotional support while Elijah installed the locks, which were mainly just for the front door, as the two patio doors upstairs and the one downstairs all just needed planks of wood to stop them from sliding.

Elijah barely glanced over his shoulder when he replied. "I'd spend this much money on a ten percent chance this guy was a threat."

"Let me guess. You've been chipping away at your inheritance since Madeline's been staying with you?"

Between his father's dead, and his father's father, Elijah had inherited around a hundred and sixty-four thousand dollars after inheritance tax. The house he was building on his father's property already had a foundation, septic and city water, and cost about sixty grand to build. Filling it with appliances and what-not would cost another thirty grand. That still left him plenty of money left over for this, as well as allow him to leave his job until Madeline healed. He wasn't rich in the long run, or by many people's standards, but there was enough money in the bank for cost not to be a concern in this case.

"She's worth it," was all Elijah had to say about that. Even if this whole situation left him broke and unable to complete the house, if Madeline was safe, it was worth it. He started a life with barely anything more than once, and he could do it again.

"I know she is, man," Jay agreed. "I'm not worried about the money you're investing in all this. Your inheritance, your business. What I'm worried about is you getting too emotionally invested. Not just with her safety. That I get. But with her. She was engaged last week, dude."

The screwdriver paused in his hand only for a moment before he continued. "She wasn't in love with him. Not like she was with me."

"You can tell yourself that all day long, but-"

Elijah cut him off. "I didn't tell myself. She told me that. Hell, even Mitch and Mary could see it. She was settling, because she thought she was going for the safe choice. It sucks for him that that's what he was for her, but it turns out, he wasn't that safe a choice."

Jay remained quiet behind him for a while, to the point Elijah almost turned around before awkwardness had a chance to fill the air. "Maybe she didn't love him the way she loved you, but last week she had a whole future planned that you weren't a part of."

"Jesus Christ, man," Elijah frowned out as he turned to face his friend. "Just come out and fucking say it. You think I'm going to get friend-zoned and it's going to send me into a downward spiral?"

Jay glared at him. "That's a valid fucking concern, dude. And friend-zone you could survive. You'd have her in your life, and that would be enough for you. What I'm worried about are the other two options. I'm worried about her healing and going on with her life as if you two had never reconnected.

"And then there's that other thing. If she thinks this is something she wants and goes for it, then something happens or she decides it's too big a risk and backs out after you got your hopes up she was all in. You two annihilated each other last time, then went back for a second emotional ass whooping. There's a lot of risk here to scare her off, and you can't guard your heart from her, man. You're incapable. If she's close enough, she's going to invade every inch of that thing, and she could do that without even meaning to."

It was an accurate statement, and one Elijah couldn't argue no matter what angle he came from. Madeline invaded his heart when she was only two years old, with her young innocence and vibrant spirit. She was his best friend, his secret keeper, and his comfort. All his friends made fun of him for being at her beck and call, but Elijah didn't care. She brought a joy into his life beyond anything he'd ever experienced.

Never in a million years did he think the little girl who invaded his heart and became his best friend would someday be the love of his life. It was never on his radar before he left. Instead, she just felt like she was his to protect from the world, and never questioned why.

When everyone else failed to get through to him, or after he'd closed himself off from everyone around him, she could always wiggle her way through the barriers of his heart and mind. There was no protecting himself from the sort of power she had over him. There was no guarding his own himself from what she could do to him. She could help him soar, or put him through the sort of suffering no mortal could endure, and everything in between.