"You're going to go on a trip with him?" Beth's voice was dripping with disbelief.
"Yep." Paige replied casually, sipping her strawberry margarita.
"For Christmas?"
"Yep."
"To meet his parents?"
Paige grinned around her straw. "Uh huh."
Beth stood at the bar and stared at her.
Paige casually slurped her margarita.
She jumped and almost spilled her drink as Beth let out an overjoyed squeal and grabbed Paige in a bone crushing hug.
"This is the best news I've heard all week!"
Paige gasped and tapped Beth's shoulder. "Um, do you mind? Kind of delicate here."
Beth released her and giggled. "Sorry, babe, I'm just so excited!"
Paige was excited too. Overflowing with joy, giddy, elated, ecstatic, she couldn't think of enough words to describe how unbelievably happy she was. Which was odd, because normally her entire being would be consumed with anxiety at the thought of a trip.
"-and this means he's really interested in you! I mean he wouldn't be asking you to go meet his parents -for Christmas no less!- If he wasn't really interested!" Beth rambled on.
Paige smiled and sipped her margarita, waiting for Beth to let off enough steam to return to a normal conversation.
Finally she paused, took a deep breath and said. "So are you nervous?"
Paige set her almost empty glass on the bar and shook her head. "Surprisingly, no."
Beth beamed. "That's amazing! Oh, babe, I'm so happy for you!" She proceeded to give Paige another bone crushing hug, and then said. "So when are you two leaving? Are you driving or flying?"
"We're leaving the day before Christmas eve, and I think we're driving but I'm not sure."
"And you'll be there for how long?"
"Around a week."
"Wow! That's quite the trip."
She shifted on the bar stool. "It's not that big of a trip..."
Beth suddenly looked concerned. "I'm sorry, did that make you nervous? I didn't mean to make you freak out or anything!"
Paige smiled slightly. "No, it's fine, I'm just a little tired."
Beth glanced at the clock. "Well yeah, it's almost ten! You should probably be getting back to your house, you've got work in the morning, right?"
Paige stood up and pulled her jacket on. "Yeah, I'm pulling an early shift too."
Beth walked her to the door. "You poor thing, get a good night's sleep tonight, okay?"
Paige nodded and gave her friend a hug. "Will do, I'll talk to you later."
Beth smiled. "Kay, bye!"
Paige stood shivering on the sidewalk, waiting to hail a cab. The nights had been growing steadily colder, and her trench coat did little to protect her from the biting wind. Waving her arm frantically for a cab, she suddenly got a shiver down her back, the kind where you feel like someone is watching you.
She turned slightly, and glanced over her shoulder, peering into the darkness behind her, eyes searching the buildings and alleyways in between. For a brief moment, she thought she saw a silhouette in a shaft of moonlight, but the black shape just blended in with the other shadows.
"Must of been a trick of the light..." She muttered to herself, although the uneasy chill was still there, doubt and anxiety twisting in an anxious knot in the pit of her stomach.
Luckily, just when panic was setting in, a cab pulled over and she hurriedly got in.
"Evening, miss." The cabbie said good-naturedly, "Where to this evening?"
Paige gave him her address, and felt a sense of relief as they began to drive. A few minutes later they arrived at her house, she thanked the cabbie, paid him, and hurried into her house.
After locking the door securely behind her, she went upstairs and took a long, hot shower and changed into dark purple fuzzy pajama pants and a black tank top. Feeling refreshed, she retrieved her phone and checked her messages as she headed downstairs.
Hey, Paige, it's your beau *kissing sound* just called for my daily check in and to say I love you and miss your voice, call me when you get a chance!
She smiled at Liam's message and pressed the call back button as she entered the kitchen and searched the refrigerator for a snack.
"What's up, darling?"
"I love when you call me that."
He chuckled. "I know, so how was your day?"
"It was good! Beth had me o-" She broke off and froze, staring at the curtain slowly waving back and forth, brushing lightly over the shattered glass on the floor. The cold wind from outside danced across her bare feet, freezing them in place.
"Paige? Paige, what's wrong?"
Liam's anxious voice nagged in her ear, but she couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe.
"Paige!"
"Liam..." Her voice was barely a whisper, a small silent breath.
"Paige? What happened? What's wrong?"
"I...I think there's someone in the house." She was shaking now, her whole body trembling as panic set in.
She heard Liam's door slam and the engine of his car start over the phone.
"I'm on my way, get into a room with a lock and a window and barricade yourself inside."
She couldn't move. "Liam..."
"Paige listen, do what I said, and don't hang up the phone!"
"Liam...I can't move."
"You can do this, take several deep breaths, I need you to move now!"
She inhaled shakily and slowly turned, facing the dark interior of the house. Which room should she hide in? Liam said one with a window, probably just in case she needed a way out. The bathroom on the bottom floor would work, but it was at the end of the hall.
She inched forward, clutching her phone for dear life as her eyes darted back and forth, chasing every shadow. The only sound she could hear was her own breathing, and the frantic beat of her heart. Every footstep sounded like an earthquake to her hyper sensitive ears.
Suddenly, she heard another sound.
The silent swish of air as it entered and exited someone's lungs.
Someone was breathing.
Someone was breathing right behind her.
She spun around and kicked with all her might. Her foot made contact with something solid, and a grunt of pain echoed in the silence, she didn't stick around to see how hard she'd kicked the intruder, instead she turned and bolted the final two feet into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, leaning against it with her whole body as she locked the door.
She suddenly realized she'd dropped her phone in the hallway, and without the comfort of Liam's calm voice, full fledged panic set in.
She screamed as something slammed against the door, causing the hinges to rattle. Scooting backwards, she curled up in the tub and began to have a severe panic attack. Distantly aware that she was screaming and that something was still banging against the door. Then she couldn't breathe, and all there was was darkness and the inevitable pall of death hanging over her, waiting to fall and crush her to bits.
Slowly, she realized that the banging had stopped. Now, just a quiet knock sounded on the door.
She whimpered and covered her head with her hands as the knock sounded again.
Her blood turned to ice as a smooth voice suddenly called from the other side of the door.
"Paige...get up, Paige."
Her eyes widened and she suddenly couldn't breathe again. "N-no." She choked out. "It can't be..."
"Paige." The voice was sing-song now. "Paige please come out, I want to talk to you."
"No!" She screamed, digging her fingernails into her scalp. "NO! NO!"
"Paige." The voice was low, dangerous now. "You're going to make me angry, you don't want to make me angry..."
She couldn't take it anymore, and the panic that had built up in her chest exploded out in an ear splitting shriek. She squeezed her eyes shut and tangled her fingers in her hair, clenching them into fists and pressing them against her skull as if that would make the voice go away.
Her screams sounded oddly like a police siren, and the pounding of her heart almost sounded like running footsteps in her house.
Then the bathroom door burst open and Liam was there, pulling her into his strong embrace and holding her tighter than he ever had before, his arms were trembling slightly, and he was whispering something over and over in her hair.
"You're safe, you're safe, you're safe, I've got you."
She sobbed and clung to his shirt, burying her face in his neck as she trembled and cried.
What felt like an eternity later, she was sitting in Liam's car, wrapped in an EMT's blanket, still in her pajamas, on the way to the police station.
Liam had told her she didn't have to report in to the station that night, but she didn't want to spend another second in that house, and she needed to be close to Liam. So they were on their way to fill out a break in and possible assault report.
She hadn't been able to speak for at least an hour after the police had arrived, and when she finally could all she did was cry and beg Liam to keep her safe. Apparently she'd been in hysterics, although she didn't really remember much.
Liam had his hand fastened securely around hers, just as reluctant as she was to let go. She didn't mind, it felt safe, reassuring to have his fingers locked around hers.
"We're here." He murmured as he parked.
Paige peeked out the window at the large gray building, it didn't look very interesting. "So...this is where you work?"
He nodded and unlocked the doors. "Yeah, this is it."
"It's boring looking."
He smiled and kissed the back of her hand. "It's more interesting inside. Come on." He got out of the car and walked around to her door. When she got out of the car, he wrapped his arm around her and walked her inside.
After riding an elevator up to another floor, they walked out into a big room sectioned off with desks. A few men and women flickered about the room or typed things out at computers, but for the most part it felt empty.
Liam led Paige over to a neat desk and sat her down in a comfortable swivel chair.
"I'll be right back, okay? I've got to check in with the chief and let him know what's going on."
Paige clung to his hands, her eyes wide in silent pleading.
He smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hand. "I'll be right back, promise."
She hesitated, then nodded and released his hand. He hurried off, leaving her alone.
She tucked her feet up on the chair and wrapped her arms around her knees, still wrapped up in the blanket.
"Uh...who do we have here?"
She looked up at the cheerful, but somewhat confused voice. Her eyes landed on a tall, good looking, African-American with a mischievous glint in his brown eyes.
"Benny, stop harassing the poor girl." A lean man paused beside him, his dark brown hair cut stylishly. He turned to Paige and his kind hazel eyes relaxed her somewhat. "Sorry about my partner, he can be a real jackass sometimes."
Benny looked shocked and placed a hand to his heart. "Ah! Shot in the heart by my own partner! Thanks a lot, detective Lance."
Lance rolled his eyes. "Ignore him. Have you got someone to talk to you yet?"
Paige nodded numbly.
"Uh, quick question, sweetheart, why you at Liam's desk?" Benny asked, his eyebrows skewed in confusion.
"Maybe because I put her there, moron."
Paige felt relieved instantly as Liam appeared.
Lance smiled slightly and raised his eyebrows. "So what's up? You letting us in on the case?"
Liam sighed and sat down at his desk. "Her home was broken into, as far as we can tell she was the target."
Paige shifted uncomfortably.
"So since when do you deal with cases like that personally?"
Lance elbowed Benny. "Isn't it obvious? This is the dame he's been so hung up about."
Paige blushed and cast a glance at Liam, who wasn't looking to thrilled at his partners.
"Oooooh, so this is the mystery girl!" Benny smiled brightly and offered Paige his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Benny, this is my good for nothing partner, Lance."
Liam smacked his hand away. "Really? She's just been traumatized, think you could lay off the flirting until later?"
Lance had been quietly studying Paige and as his eyes landed on her wrists, he nudged Benny and motioned over his shoulder. "Let's go get the lady some coffee, okay?"
Benny sensed there was something else going on, nodded and then followed Lance out.
Liam sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Sorry about them, they can be a real pain sometimes."
Paige smiled weakly. "It's fine...they seem like they mean well. They're your two best friends, right? The ones you were telling me about?"
He smiled and nodded. "Yeah." He chewed on his lip for a moment, then said quietly. "Listen, we might as well get this over with sooner rather than later, you feel up to talking about what happened?"
She nodded slowly.
"Did you get a look at the intruder?"
She nodded again.
"Did you recognize him?"
Another nod.
He frowned. "Who was it?"
Her eyes filled with tears and she clutched the blanket tightly, her voice hushed as she gasped. "Wiley, the man who killed my sister."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't forget to comment and vote! They're always appreciated :)