Ana's POV
Waking up in the morning, I felt like I got hit by a truck. My body hurt, and it felt like I had slept for years.
Not to mention the crazy dream I had last night. Saying that I was thankful to know it was a dream, would be an understatement.
As much as I would love to go back to sleep, I had to get up and start cleaning the house and get ready.
I check the time, and I saw three in the afternoon, "Shoot," I say as I jump out of bed. I had so much to do today, and getting up at this time is not helping.
I had invited Justin over today around five to make dinner with me. We had a conversation the other day about food, (he was very hungry), and he had told me that he had never tried Hungarian food. Nor did he think there was any restaurants in America that served Hungarian food. So me, the proud Hungarian I am, I said "I'll make you a dish, and we'll see if you like it," and he agreed to come over.
Standing up from my bed, I shivered. It wasn't snowing up here in the mountains, but it was definitely very cold. Even with a long sleeve, and sweats on, I was still freezing.
Going into my closet, I change into a pair of jeans and a hoodie. After changing, I go into my bathroom and brush my teeth. In the reflection, I see my stand up shower, and my things in the floor were all misplaced. "Weird," I mutter to myself as I place them in the correct order.
After doing so, I go back into my room and clean up a little. I find small puddles of water on my floor, and I make a confused face. I go into my bathroom to get some towels, and I had very few under the cabinet. Normally my cabinet of towels was filled and ready to be used. Never almost empty.
After I use the small towel to dry up the puddles, I put it in the hamper, and continued cleaning my room. After doing that, I then go downstairs to clean up the kitchen.
I lightly gasp as I see that the pink roses Justin got me was now on my counter. It was knocked over, and the water was now all over the counter.
I sigh as I pick up the drenched roses and place them in a bag. I wanted to keep them, so I place them in a bag upside down.
There was way too much water on the floor for me to use paper towels, so I go into the laundry room to get the mop. As I go in, I see the green light from the dryer notifying that whatever was inside, was dried.
But I hadn't put anything in the dryer since two days ago.
I open it, and a bunch of towels were inside. They weren't warm, and they were wrinkly, so they had been sitting there for a while.
I just don't know how long they've been in there.
I take them out and walk back downstairs with the mop to clean up the mess of water on my counter. While I was cleaning, I couldn't stop the odd feeling I had that something wasn't right.
Everything that was happening and what I was seeing, just didn't make any sense.
It's like someone came in and did these things. But no one had came in, at least I hope.
Once the counter and floor was dry, I place the towels back in the hamper, and I notice a trail of wet foot prints on the wooden floor. It followed from my bathroom tile floor, to my room, then to my hallway. As I walk downstairs, I see it also followed the steps and stopped at my door step. As I'm about to open it, my phone begins ringing.
I run to the kitchen and answer my phone, "Hello?" I say not checking who it was. "Hello Chef Palvin, what's on the menu today?" Justin says and I chuckle, "Chicken Paprikash," and he laughs, "Chicken what?" And I laugh out loud knowing he'd react that way at the name of the dish.
"Chicken, Paprikash, trust me it's good. My grandma and mom taught me well on how to make it," I say and he responds, "If you say so. Well anyways, do you have everything for the dish? I could head out to the market if you'd like if you're missing anything," he offers and I look in my cabinets and fridge.
"Um, I'll pay you back. Can you get me red, and yellow bell peppers please? That should be it..." I say and he replies, "Yeah that's fine, and don't worry about paying me back alright? My small favor for inviting me over for dinner," and I smile, "Alrighty, do you know what time you'll be here by?" I ask him and he replies, "Since I'm heading to the store real quick, a little over five, no later than five-thirty if that's okay," and I shake my head. "That's fine, don't worry about it," I say opening the plastic wrap of the now unthawed chicken.
"Well I'll let you go Ana, I'll see you in an hour or so," and I smile, "I'll see you, bye" "Bye." I get a pot and fill it up with water. Starting the fire in the stove, I place the pot over it and I place the chicken in it to boil. While it boils I then get all the necessities to prepare the chicken.
Soon enough, the door bell rings, so I quickly wash my hands and walk to the door. Opening it, Justin smiles. I hug him and I see steps on the grass that led from my lawn to Jason's house.
Odd.
"I forgot the things in the car, I'll be right back okay?" He says and I nod my head, "Yeah that's fine, I'll be in the kitchen" I say and he walks to his car as I walk into the kitchen to cook the chicken. He walks in and I hear him place the bag of bell peppers on the counter, and then I hear a crinkle.
I turn around and I see a bouquet of red peonies and pink roses. "Aw! You're so sweet!" I hug him as I smile. "I could get used to this," I say getting the flowers and he lightly laughs. I get the vase and place the bouquet in it as I then add water.
"I didn't know how much you needed, so I got a bag," he says and I responds, "That's fine, more for next time if there is some left." I say and he nods his head. "So what exactly is this dish?" He asks and I explain, "Its chicken, cooked with butter, onion, paprika, and then served with sour cream. But to help add some flavor, there is pepper, salt, olive oil, and bell peppers." "You have all that?" He asks and I nod my head, "Yes I do," I sing and he smiles.
"Anything I can do?" He asks and I nod my head, "You could help cut up the onion and bell peppers while I season and cook the chicken," I say and he washes his hands. "Where's the knives?" And I hand him one as I take the one onion out the fridge.
"Don't cut yourself," I say and he laughs, "Don't jinx it," and I mumble, "You'll be fine." As I then turn around and prepare the chicken. "You always cook your meals?" He asks and I nod my head, "Always, okay maybe not always. But it's much more than I order take out or buy fast food" I say and he nods his head. "You?" I ask and he answers as he chops the onions, "I do like to cook, but it's not the best," he says and I ask, "Why do you think so?" And he answers, "My mom isn't the best cook, and I took my "skills" from her, so I doubt mine are any better than hers," be says and I lightly laugh.
Once the chicken was boiled, I place it in a big bowl to butter and season. "Can you help me massage the chicken with butter and seasoning?" I as and he laughs. "Massage? Yeah I'll massage the chicken. I'll give it a great back rub, it's had a long day in the boiler," he says making me laugh.
"Just grab a scoop and lather it on," I say and he shrugs his shoulders doing so. "Oh this feels fucking weird," he mumbles and I look at him. "Don't tell me you've never done this?" I ask and he says, "Inappropriately touch a chicken? I'm not that weird," he says and I laugh. "I have cooked chicken, but never done this," he says and I laugh a little.
"There's a first time for everything," I say and he doesn't say anything back. "You diced up all the peppers and the onion right?" I ask and he nods his head, "Yeah do you need it right now?" He asks and I shake my head. "In a little, once we season it and place it in the pan you can dump them in," I say and he nods his head as we continue "massaging" the chicken with butter.
"I think this chicken has had enough massaging," he says and I laugh, as I then get a knife and cut it into pieces. Once it's cut into pieces, I then place them in the pan. "Can you get the seasonings for me?" I ask and he hands me them. Along with that he hands me the bell peppers, the onions, and two open cans of tomato sauce.
I get the seasoning and I tell Justin to place the tomato sauce in. "Oh shit," I laugh as the steam goes to my face and he laughs. "Don't burn your face" he says and the steam is then calmed down. I move my face from the pan, and I tell him to place the pepper and onions.
"Take out the bag of rice from the pantry please," I say and he takes out the heavy bag "This one?" He asks and I nod my head making him drop it on the counter.
I take out a measuring cup, and another pan. After dropping olive oil into the pan, I then get a cup of rice and pour it in. "Alright, stir this," I say handing him a wooden spoon and he begins stirring the rice in the pot. After a few minutes of him stirring, I get half a cup of water and pour it in the pan. Steam arises and he quickly moves his body back away from the pan and I laugh.
I place a top on the pan for it to cook and he laughs, "I thought I was going to lose my face for a moment there," he says and I roll my eyes laughing. "Just water, that's all. Your face will be fine," and he doesn't say anything.
"Is the food almost ready," he asks and I say, "The chicken will be done in a few, the rice will take a little longer," I say putting the things away and throwing some things away to clean up.
He begins helping me throw away the trash and wash the knives and other things we used. "Where are your plates?" He ask and I point to my left. "Mind if I set the table?" He asks and I shake my head, "Not at all. Mi casa su casa," and he nervously laughs. "What?" And I give him a look. "You don't know know Spanish?" And he says, "Noo," and I chuckle.
"Well, I said, my house, is your house. So yes, you can set the table," and he says "Got it." As he turns around and sets the table with the plates and cups.
"Actually bring the two plates over here. I'm going to start serving the food," I say and he brings them over and sets them next to me.
I remove the lid from the rice and the chicken and I place the food onto both plates. I hand him his plate and he gets a fork. After I serve myself I sit down next to him and I tell him to try it. He takes a bite off the chicken and some rice and he says, "It's pretty good, alright Chef Palvin, you've outdone yourself," he says giving me a high five and I laugh.
"It's good right? This was my favorite dish when the holidays came around. This dish was always made during the holidays," I say and he smiles. He then takes another bite and he asks for a napkin. "Oh yeah, sorry," I say reaching out to my left and my sweater goes down my arm a little bit.
"Oh my god, what happened to your arm?" Justin asks worried and I ask him as I was confused myself, "What do you mean?" And he holds my right arm. He rolls up my sleeves and his eyes widen, "Oh my god, what happened? Who did this?" He says worried and I look at my arms.
They had bruises all over them.
And then I remember the dream I had last night.
"Oh my god," I mutter to myself as I roll up my jeans and I see more bruises. "No, no, this can't be," I say getting up from the table. I remember in the dream breaking the small plant I had at the end of the steps. I go to the stairs and it was gone. "This can't be true," I say as I walk up the stairs and I see the claw marks at the bars next to the stair case.
"Ana? What happened?" He asks getting up from the table but I was too flabbergasted to say anything.
I walk to my room, and I see the claw marks at the floor beside my bed.
I then remember seeing the wet foot prints from the bathroom to my room, to down the hall, to then Jason's house. "Justin, did you come here last night?" I ask and he shakes his head, "No I was at work. What happened?" And I remembered it.
Jason had kicked my head before everything turned black. Before "Justin came".
Jason actually did it. And the whole dream with me showering and Justin comforting me was probably Jason showering me and holding me while I was unconscious.
And that's why the towels were in the dryer, the things in the shower were misplaced, why there were drops of water on my floor, and why those footprints were leading to his house.
He set this all up to make it seem like I was dreaming. And he did it to me. He got what he wanted.
"Ana?" Justin says walking in and I turn to him looking at the floor. "It wasn't a dream," I mutter to myself and he asks, "What? What's wrong?" He asks coming close to me. "He, he actually did it," I say realizing that the bad thing that happened in the dream was true.
My vision comes blurry as tears come to my eyes. "Oh my god," I fall to my knees sobbing and Justin immediately holds me. "No, it can't be true. It can't be," I cry out as I have my arms at my chest and he wraps his arms around me. "Ana what happened?" He asks as he holds my crying self and I choke out, "My neighbor, he took advantage of me," and he looks at me. "I'm so sorry" And I sob, "I thought it was a dream." I cry and he holds me to his chest as I sat on his lap.
"You're going to be okay, I promise. Everything is gonna be all right," he says and I just hug him as he held me tightly. It felt like everything just hit me all at once, to know that something so hurtful had been done.
"I'm right here," he says rubbing my back as I cried over his shoulder. "You're going to be strong, and you're not going to let this hurt you. You're not going to let this take away that beautiful smile you have. You're not going to let it take away the sparkle in your eyes or the light in your heart. The one thing you're going to let this do, is make you stronger." he says looking at me as he wipes my cheeks dry of the stream of tears.
"You can get through this," he holds me and I hug him back never wanting to let go. "You're going to be strong Ana, I'm here for you," he kisses the crown of my head, and I smile. "You don't have a security system? Or cameras? Why don't you change the locks? Or get a guard dog?" He says and I tell him how I did get the security system and the cameras, but that he was able to get them taken down. I tell him how I didn't want to spend another thousand dollars just for the same thing to happen, or for him to break the cameras and the security box.
"And what about the locks, and the dog?" "I don't know, I'm just scared of how he's going to react with if I do something like that." I say and he responds, "Tell you what, I'll buy the locks and the dog," "I'm not going to let you do that" I try to tell him but he didn't want to listen. "I'm going to do it regardless. I'm going to buy your locks, I have a friend who had guard dogs, and I'll pay for the cameras and security system." He says and I shake my head. "Ana, I care about you and I want you to be safe." He says and I shake my head.
"Listen to me, if this doesn't work, and if he somehow finds some way to get through it or something, I'm taking you with me. Not for me, for you. Because you need to be safe." And I nod my head, "Okay," "Yes?" He says and I respond, "Yeah, you're right. Thank you," I say hugging him and he says it was no problem.
"We should go right now, late night adventure?" He says and I ask, "What do you mean?" And he responds, "Buy the locks and get the dog," he says and I smile, "Okay, late night adventure with Bieber." I smile as so does he. And so with that we get in the car.