I woke up, feeling cold and empty.
I couldn't believe that I had trusted you so intimately. I believed everything you said about falling for me when I was visiting Leigh-on-Sea. I believed that you always wanted to find a way to meet me, but you could never quite gather up the courage to introduce yourself. I believed that you felt remorse soon after we arrived at the cabin, knowing you shouldn't have taken me.
I believed that you really, truly loved me.
I couldn't believe how stupid I'd been or how foolish I was going to look now that I had told everyone a bunch of lies to cover your ass!
What was I going to do? I wondered whether I should go along with the lies and hope they never came back to haunt me, or if I should change my story to the absolute truth and let you rot in a prison cell.
I didn't want to open my eyes and face reality.
At that moment, I wanted to go back to sleep and never wake up.
I was so, so cold. I patted around me to find the blanket and when I felt my own downy soft comforter, my eyes flew open.
It was just a dream! I had dreamed everything about the chief telling me about your criminal records of stalking and harassing other women.
Oh, thank heavens!
But when Nolan came into my room a few minutes later, he had some eerily familiar news. “The chief of police wants to talk to you down at the station.”
“No!” I cried and tugged my comforter over my head. What if the the dream had been an omen? A creepy foretelling of who and what you really were? I couldn't handle finding out the truth if you really had been stalking several women over the years, slowly gaining their trust. I loved you, Zayn and I couldn't bear it if I had to hear that awful news all over again.
“River, I think it will be fine. It sounded like he was very eager to talk to you,” Nolan said, comforting me.
Sure, I thought bitterly. He's just excited that he's going to prove himself right, make himself look good.
But I got up and got dressed anyway. I took a long time fixing my hair and putting on make-up, not that I cared what the chief thought of me, but I wanted to stall for time. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of coming at his beck and call.
When I was finally ready, Nolan looked at me incredulously. “What took you so long? Don't you want to find out what the chief has to say?”
It seemed that Nolan knew more than he was letting on. But I just scoffed and said, “He was fairly rude to me the first time we met, and all I can imagine is that he has some condemning piece of evidence against Zayn.”
“River,” Nolan said gently. “I don't think it's that. Now, let's go!”
I rode quietly in Nolan's truck and pondered the previous night's dream. It was so real, so detailed. I tried hard to shake it out of my head. Nolan noticed my apprehension as we drove toward the police station.
He reached over and grabbed my hand, whispering gently, “It's going to be okay, sweetie.”
When we got to the station, I felt sick to my stomach. We were greeted by the chief himself as soon as we entered the building.
“Hello again, River,” he smiled. “Well, I'm not going to waste your time, little lady. I just wanted to tell you that Mr. Malik is free to go.”
I looked at him, waiting for the punchline. I expected him to be playing some cruel joke, but he just smiled sincerely waiting for the information to sink into my brain.
“What?” I finally managed to say.
“I said, Mr. Malik is free to go. He's been cleared and released. I'm sure he's waiting for you to pick him up right now.”
I stared at him for a moment and then I looked at Nolan, who was grinning like a mad man. No tricks. No nightmares. Just the news I'd been waiting to hear for weeks.
“So, do you want to go or what?” Nolan finally asked me.
Then I shouted, “Yes!” And I turned toward the door. But as an afterthought, I spun back around and threw myself at Chief Campton, hugging him fiercely. “Thank you! Thank you!”
He just laughed and said, “You're welcome.”
I suddenly had a new fondness for the chief.
When we got into the truck, I looked at Nolan's mischievous grin. “You knew, didn't you?”
“Of course, I did,” he said, pulling me into a side hug. He kissed my head and then started the truck.
When we got to the corrections facility, I half expected to see you outside waiting for us. However, you were waiting just inside the front doors with one of the guards. I ran to you and threw my whole self around you, and you picked me up, squeezing me tight and burying your head into my neck. For a moment, time stood still and it was just you and me, melded together as one.
“I love you,” you whispered into my ear. “So much!”
“I love you, too,” I said, crying and laughing at the same time. And then I kissed you frantically.
After a long, long time, Nolan finally said to us, “Do you want to go home?”
We both laughed and said yes.
I snuggled against you in the truck, not quite believing that you were coming home with us. I couldn't wait for everyone to meet you.
When we got to my house, I realized that you must have already seen it numerous times. It didn't bother me, though. I just knew we'd have to be careful about what we said around my family.
I pulled you into my room so we could talk privately for the first time in weeks.
Nolan playfully yelled after us, “Hey, you two behave in there!”
"Okay, big bro!" I laughed. Then I turned to you. “Zayn, we have to get our story straight,” I said, but you kissed me instead of answering right away. You kissed me deep and long and I didn't want it to end.
But I finally said, “We need to agree on everything, not just the story about going to the cabin. You know you can't reveal anything about seeing me in England or watching me all that time. I don't want to keep lying to my family, but we have to limit what we tell them.”
“I was just going to come clean, you know, tell them everything and start with a blank slate,” you said in absolute sincerity.
I looked at you in horror and then you said, “I'm just joking, love. Of course, we'll be careful. I'll tell them the same thing I told Janeen, that I came to the US after my grandfather died and just toured for a bit. And then I found Grand Forks. And you.”
You kissed me again, passionately and I was swept away by the taste of your lips, the feel of your tongue pushing gently against mine. I wished we could spend all day kissing, but we heard my brother at the door, saying, “Okay, you two, time's up!”
I laughed and said, “Let's go.”
We went out to the living room and sat down. It felt kind of weird because ever since I'd been home from the cabin, I'd been working feverishly to get your name cleared and get you out of jail. And before that, I'd been busy falling in love with you at your cabin. Now we just sat down and I'm sure we were thinking the same thing: What now?
Nolan came in with a tray of sandwiches and some hot cocoa. Then he sat down, clearly wanting to get to know you. “So, you two will have the craziest story when people ask how you met,” he said, smiling awkwardly.
“Sure will,” I said, smiling at you.
“So, tell me about yourself, Zayn,” Nolan said.
“Well, I'm from England, of course.”
“What brought you to the US?”
“Well, my grandfather passed away around three years ago, and I had no family left, so I decided to travel. I sold my family's home and came to the US. I traveled around a bit, but I really liked it here in North Dakota, so I found a job and stayed.”
“Which cities did you visit?”
I was glad Nolan hadn't pried too much into your personal life. You didn't need to keep rehashing the story of your parents' deaths. I decided I would tell Nolan and my mom about your parents later.
“Well, I flew into New York City, so I stayed there for a few weeks and saw the sights, went to a Broadway show. Then actually booked a 30-day tour on a bus. There were lots of places crammed into those 30 days, so I'd like to go back and spend some more time in some of those places. Like New Orleans. And maybe Southern California.”
That sounded like a fun way to see the US. You hadn't told me as many details, so it was fun to hear about it.
“Did you see the Grand Canyon?” Nolan asked.
“Of course,” you answered.
“So, out of all the exciting places you visited, you chose to come to Grand Forks?” Nolan asked, not quite believing you.
“I guess so,” you answered.
My mom came in just then and stopped in her tracks when she saw you. Apparently, she didn't know you were being released today.
You stood up immediately and walked to greet my mother. “Hello, I'm Zayn,” you said, extending your hand to my mother.
“Hello,” she said cordially. “I'm Miranda Tatum.”
I could tell that my mother was unsettled about your presence, but I couldn't understand why.
“It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Tatum,” you said.
My mom simply nodded and left the room.
“I'm sorry,” I said to you.
“It's all right, love."
Nolan jumped in and said, “She's still a bit in shock over the whole thing. It's been very emotional for all of us. We thought you were kidnapped, after all. And then it's been a little crazy since you came back.”
“Yeah, I know.” I expected everyone to welcome you with open arms, but I had to try to see it from their perspective. It was traumatic for them to lose me and then come back with such a wild story.
Nolan excused himself to get ready for work. I wasn't really sure what to do next.
“Do you want to go to your apartment?” I asked, but then I remembered the art supplies. “Oh, wait, I have something for you!”
I rushed to my bedroom and grabbed the large bag. When I came back to the living room, I set it down before you. “I'm sorry – I was going to bring these to your apartment and have them ready for you, but I didn't know you were going to be released today.”
You began to look into the bag. You first pulled out some paint brushes and your eyes lit up. Then you pulled out a few tubes of acrylic paint that I had chosen. I loved the colors, but I didn't really know if you would like them.
“I can always take them back if you don't like the colors. Or we can go together-”
You stopped my mouth with a kiss. Then you said, “These are amazing. I love them.”
“There's more,” I said, encouraging you to discover the rest of the contents. When you pulled out the small table easel, your eyes lit up again.
“I've never used an actual easel,” you said, laughing.
“I'm sorry, is that okay? I mean-”
You stopped me once again, kissing me even more deeply. I could tell you missed kissing me as much as I missed kissing you. When you ended the kiss, you said, “I told you I love them, I love it all. I'm thrilled about anything I can use to create. It's been so long since I've painted anything. You just keep surprising me with your sweetness.” And when you dropped your voice to a whisper, I was encompassed by your words. “And I still can't believe you love me.”
“Well, believe it, because I do love you. With all my heart, babe.”
I initiated the kiss this time, eager to taste you again, even though it had only been a few minutes since the last kiss. I couldn't get enough of you. You wound your hand into my hair and stroked my cheek with your thumb as you kissed me. I'm sure you hadn't had much practice, and neither had I, but your kisses were marvelous.
You moved your mouth tenderly with mine, and the heat between us increased. You pulled me closer with your other arm and slid your hand up and down my back sensually. I let my hands wander over your shoulders and the muscles in your arms as you continued to drown me with your taste and your scent. I let myself be overcome by you for the time being, now that you were out of jail and we were together again.
We relaxed on the couch, entwined with one another, content to hear each other's heart beating.
My mom soon came back in and announced that dinner was ready. “Zayn, will you be staying?”
“Yes, I'd love to."
My mom didn't seem entirely comfortable with you, but I knew she was trying.
We were halfway through dinner when Uncle Brandon came in with Melody. I was so excited to introduce you to the man who had pretty much been my father for the past ten years, and of course, Coach Freeman had been quite influential in my life as well.
I greeted them both with bear hugs and then turned to you. “Zayn, this is my uncle Brandon, and his girlfriend Melody, who was also my swim coach and one of my best friends in high school.” It felt weird to call her Melody and girlfriend, but I was glad she was still attached to my life in a meaningful way. I hoped that she and uncle Brandon would get married some day. “Brandon, Melody, this is Zayn.”
You replied in your endearing British accent. “Pleasure to meet you."
I was surprised that Uncle Brandon pulled you into a hug and said, “The pleasure's all ours. Now, I probably don't have to tell you that River is my little girl, so you'd best take care of her and don't you dare hurt her.”
Don't beat around the bush, Uncle Brandon, I thought. But he was the only father figure I'd had while growing up, and I respected his judgment.
Your words to him made my heart swell. “Sir, you don't know me at all, but please believe me that I love River more than I've ever loved anyone. And I plan to keep her safe for the rest of my life, if she'll have me.”
“I believe you,” Uncle Brandon said, winking.
Somehow, the men in my life were more willing to forgive your lack of good judgment in getting me stranded in the great Canadian wilderness. (Of course, they wouldn't have been as forgiving if they knew you had actually abducted me, but I was to forget that detail completely so that I would never slip up and tell anyone the truth.)
Melody had a similar reaction to my mother's – congenial, but guarded. Again, I didn't blame her, but I hoped that she would eventually warm up to you.
After dinner, we finally headed to your apartment, but we stopped to buy some groceries first since your refrigerator and cupboards were completely bare. It seemed very odd to walk into a supermarket with you, one I'd been to hundreds of times, but you just seemed out of context.
We went about our shopping quickly, picking out some fruits and vegetables, milk and cereal, bread and peanut butter.
When we got to your apartment, you grinned at me. “Do you like it?”
“I've been here before, remember?”
“But not with me here,” you said, raising your eyebrows. You were usually so quiet and reserved, but once in a while, I caught your quirky sense of humor, and I loved it.
After we had put groceries away, we sat down on your bright couch and had the same reaction as we had earlier in the day: What now?
I looked around, still curious to gather clues about you and your life. Then something occurred to me. “Did you mean it?”
“Did I meant what, love?”
“That you would take care of me forever?” I asked shyly.
“Of course.”
“So you mean...”
“I want to marry you.”