Down Came the Rain (NOW FREE!)

7

Chapter 7

The smell of fried bacon and fresh coffee hung heavy in the air, filling the kitchen a glorious aroma. Hudson filled a mug with the steamy beverage and brought the rim to her lips. She let the scent linger before allowing a small amount of liquid to slide down her throat.

Breakfast had always been her favorite meal of the day. Everything about it made her smile. The familiar sounds, the enticing smells, the satisfying tastes. Nothing said 'good morning' like birds chirping outside an open window and a home-cooked meal, and having a house guest was the perfect excuse to do it up right. She set the table for two, confident Annie would wake soon.

Just as expected, her neighbor padded into the kitchen with bare feet, her hot pink-painted toenails matching the overnight shirt she'd borrowed. Her raven hair was a mass of long tangles around her face and her eyes were still heavy with sleep. She let out a groan and sunk into a kitchen chair. "What time is it?"

Hudson busied herself at the stove, filling two plates with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. "Just after 8:30." She moved to the table and set a plate in front of her friend. "I can't thank you enough for staying over last night. Would you like some coffee?"

"Please." Annie moved her fork around her plate. "Did you even get any sleep?" she asked through a mouthful of eggs. "I could hear you tossing and turning all the way from the spare room."

"Not really." Hudson set a cup of coffee in front of her and sat down. "I dozed off a few times but not for very long. I kept picturing him standing in my room. The sound of his voice. The smell of his breath." She cringed. "It was terrifying."

"I can't even imagine. At least there's a police report now. Maybe the cops will finally do something about it." Annie shook her head. "Why does it always take something bad to happen before they take anyone seriously?"

Hudson bit down on a piece of greasy bacon and shrugged.

"That young cop was cute, though." Annie wiggled her eyebrows up and down. "He seemed pretty attentive, too. Your very own knight in shining armor."

"Hardly." Hudson smiled. "He was just doing his job."

"Well, last night his job was checking you out. I think he wants to fuck you."

"Annie!" She pursed her lips in disapproval. "Why do you have to be so crude? It's not like that at all. He's just a nice guy who's good at what he does, that's all. Nothing more, nothing less."

"If you say so." Annie shifted in her chair. "So, what are you gonna do? You can stay with me for awhile if you want."

"There's no point in that. You're always at work."

What was she going to do? She'd been asking herself that very question all night. She supposed she would live in her apartment and paint her pictures and take them to the art show and do everything she normally did. Only now she didn't even have the gun to protect her. But she wasn't about to let the attack ruin her life. She couldn't. Her artwork, the exhibit; they meant too much. And this was the very first time her paintings would be on display. In front of a real live audience, all there to see her. Nothing was going to keep her from the opportunity she'd worked so hard to gain.

Hudson fingered the tender cut above her eye. The edges were already hardening, pulling at her skin. Hopefully it would heal before the gallery showcased her pieces. "I guess I'm just going to live my life. What choice do I have?"

"Maybe I should stay here when I can?" Annie took a gulp of coffee. "But I won't be able to get another gun. And if Big D finds out the cops took the one he gave me, he's gonna fuckin' freak. Whatever you do, do not tell them I gave it to you. Stick with the story you told them last night. The intruder came with the gun and it went off in the struggle."