Chapter Eleven
When Selene awoke it was almost one in the afternoon. She ate lunch with Janet who told her about Roz’s attack. Selene upon hearing the news demanded to be taken to see her friend. Selene felt responsible for abandoning Roz. She had been so caught up in the night’s events that she had spared Roz little more than a passing thought.
By the time Selene made it to Roz’s shop she noticed the closed sign but ignored it completely and walked right in. Unfortunately she wasn’t prepared to face a sleep disoriented naked man who jumped up from the front couch where he had been sleeping. Selene’s response was to scream first and hit second.
Trevor wasn’t very lucky either, because while Selene was tiny women, she packed a mean right hook.
“Selene!”
Roz’s voice called from the stairs. Roz was wearing a robe that she tied while charging down the stairs, upon seeing Trevor naked she looked away quickly, “Trevor…your clothes.” Not that Roz or Selene that matter didn’t appreciate the golden Adonis that stood before them.
Selene noted how amazing Trevor’s body, all golden toned and rippling muscle, not like a bodybuilder, but a lean swimmer. He lacked Merrick’s height and while Selene admired the beauty of Trevor’s form, she didn’t feel the same emotions as she did when she just heard Merrick’s voice, let alone saw his skin.
Roz practically fainted right there on the stairs, at the sight of Trevor’s gorgeous body. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She wanted to reach out and touch the golden flesh, but knew she never would be so bold. She couldn’t bare to look at him. In all his naked glory he embodied everything that she needed to complete her. A handsome man who was her rescuer, her hero. She couldn’t look at him because she afraid she was falling in love with him.
Trevor looked down then back up at the two women who were trying desperately to find anyplace to look accept at him. “Sorry.” He muttered.
Trevor took a throw from the couch and wrapped it around his lean hips. He then fished around the floor and found his jeans from the floor. He then headed into the bathroom down the hall.
“I thought he was attacking you.” Selene said, as she looked at her friend battered face, “Who did this? Was it Trevor?”
“No.” Roz said firmly, “He was the one that rescued me, and to top it all off he stayed the night to make sure I was safe.”
“Trevor? The one that just was here, in this room. The one that said those awful things last night?” Selene said in disbelief.
“Pretty hard to believe?”
Before Selene could comment Trevor walked back into the room. Still shirtless but he fished his shirt off the back of the couch and pulled it on. He ran a hand through his hair. He then walked over to Roz and touched her chin to tilt her battered face to the light so he could examine it better. He grimaced and dropped his hand. “How do you feel?”
“Fine.” Roz said softly.
“Yeah, you only look like you’ve been run over by a semi-truck. I’m going to get some coffee, what do you want me to get you?”
“Oh, I don’t need anything. I can make my own—“
Trevor cut her off, “Coffee or tea, choose now or take what you get.”
“Tea, two sugars.” Roz said softly.
Trevor then turned to Selene, “Would you like anything?”
Selene held up her hands, “No, I’m good. Uh, sorry about the right hook.”
Trevor offered up half a grin, “Yeah, well it’s because you’ve got such a great arm that I think Roz will be safe while I’m out. But if there’s trouble just run out into the street and scream your head off.”
“I’ll be fine,” Roz explained, “Go and get your coffee.”
“Yeah,” Trevor looked back at Roz and just stood there watching her. Roz become a little self-conscious and gathered her robe tighter around her neck. Trevor ran his hands down his jean clad thigh nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
Roz came down the stair and sat on the couch that was still warm from Trevor’s body. She brushed her hands longingly over the soft fabric. Selene came in a sat down next to her.
“Roz…there is no excuse, I’m sorry. I abandoned you—“
Roz smiled, “Selene it wasn’t your fault. Anyway it turned out okay.”
Selene sat there for a minute trying to understand the women next to her. And then it came to her, “You like him.”
Roz remained silent and looked away in order to hide her eyes.
“You really, really like him. Does he know? Did the two of you—“
“No!” Roz said firmly her face already blooming into a rosy blush.
“Does he know how you feel?”
“He has no idea. I’m just so glad he doesn’t hate me anymore. I mean it was awful when we were kids; he used to tease me all the time. I never thought he would never not hate me. But last night…he saved me. And then he came back here and slept on my couch in order to protect me. I just…”
Selene took her friends hand, “Maybe he realized what a jerk he’s been. He might like you to. The way he touched you and waited as if he was unsure if really wanted leave…”
Roz ran a hand over her face, “I just don’t want him to feel responsible for me. It wasn’t his fault someone beat me up.”
“Who did it? Do you have any idea?”
Roz thought for a moment, “There are a lot of people who don’t like me.”
“Enough to want to hurt you like this, to kill you?”
“I don’t want to make trouble…I just want to live my life. I thought if I just stayed here in the shop and was quiet and kept to myself…” Roz was crying now. Selene moved closer and put a comforting arm around Roz’s waist. “Maybe I should leave. I’ve been thinking about it for years. I just thought that by now I would Change.”
Selene choose her words carefully, “I don’t think you should leave. I’ve lived by myself without the pack for so long, it’s lonely.”
“It’s lonely here to.” Roz buried her damp face in her hands, “Selene, I’ve been so alone.”
“But you're not anymore…I’m here and Janet and Merrick and maybe…maybe even Trevor.”
Crying even harder now Roz took Selene’s hand in both of hers and looked her straight in the eyes, “I’m so glad you’ve come here. I never dreamed that I could have a friend as half as good as you. I want you to know, that while it might not be worth much, I’ll stand by you no matter what.”
Selene’s own eyes began to leak, “God look at us, to crying old biddies. Were going to find out who did this. And I want you to know that the same goes for me. I’m going to stand by you no matter what; I don’t care what the Pack has to say about it. You belong here.”
Roz and Selene then hugged and both refused to let go, each crying their eyes out. That is how Trevor found them when he came back carrying a cardboard coffee cup holder in one hand with two white coffee cups.
“What the hell happened? I was gone like five minutes. Are you two okay?”
Both women looked at Trevor and wiped their eyes, laughing. Selene was the first to compose herself, “We’re fine. Just girl talk.”
“Well…then keep the girl talk limited, Roz needs to take it easy.”
Trevor walked into the room and passed Roz her tea. He took a gulp of his own coffee. Both women just stared at him. Finally the silence got to him. “What?”
Selene looked at Roz and then back at Trevor, “Uh, Trevor what are you doing tonight?” She asked sweetly.
Roz upon hearing Selene’s words she felt her stomach turn inside out. She knew that Trevor wanted Selene, and now Selene was offering herself up to him. Trevor looked at Selene for a minute and then looked at Roz, “Roz, what are we doing tonight?”
Roz was shocked into silence for a moment, “Oh, you don’t have to stay with me, I’ll be fine. You two should go out.”
“No.” Both Selene and Trevor said at the same time. Selene smiled and continued, “I want to invite you both to dinner, with Merrick and myself.”
Selene swore she saw Trevor’s curl in a growl but he quickly took a sip of his coffee to cover it. Roz kept her eyes on Selene, not daring to even glance at Trevor’s response. And before she could decline Selene’s offer, Trevor spoke.
“What time and where?”
Trevor gruff questions made Roz jerked her head around; she looked directly into Trevor’s eyes and found him looking right back at her. Both seem to be gauging the response of the other. Selene looked from Trevor to Roz and back again several times before she finally responded,
“Let’s say four; we can meet at Merrick’s house. I had kind of a picnic planned, somewhere where we can watch the sunset…but only if you feel up to it Roz,” Selene cautioned. “I don’t want to push you, and I would hate to put you in harms way.”
“I’ll be there, she’ll be completely safe.” Trevor assured Selene and Roz, in case there was any question of his ability to protect Roz.
Selene’s eyes flashed at Trevor, “It’s a good thing you were there last night. Who knows what that monster might have done? You didn’t get a look at him did you?”
“No.” Trevor said softly and went out into the kitchen leaving the women alone for a moment.
“You should go Selene; we’ll be there at four.” Roz patted Selene’s hand.
“You’re sure you’ll be alright, you can stay with me at the house—“
“I feel safe here, and…Trevor is here, he’ll protect me.”
Selene rose from the couch, caught site of Trevor watching her from the doorway leading to the kitchen. Selene nodded at him and he nodded back. That was all she needed to see in order to feel comfortable with leaving. She decided right then that while she might have disliked Trevor last night, she had found a new respect for him in the way he protected Roz.
Selene wondered if anything would result of the couple’s new friendly relationship. She could see that Roz already loved Trevor with her eyes, and she noticed too, how closely Trevor eyed her friend. She only hoped that she could help the two of them rather than hurt their budding bond.
Selene walked out onto the street. She took a deep breath of air. The street was nearly deserted, due to the fact that many of the town’s occupants were at work on their own properties. She looked both ways before crossing the street towards Janet’s borrowed car, but just as she was about to walk off the pavement she had the strangest feeling; like someone was tracing a cold finger up her spine.
Someone was watching her. She had never been more certain of the feeling. She jerked her head from left to right trying to spot the culprit. Of the people who were on the sidewalks no one seemed to paying her much mind other than the curious glance and smile of acknowledgment.
She couldn’t find who was watching her, but she could feel the heat of their gaze, of their hatred, it burned her skin and froze her heart with fear. She was literally frozen with terror, unable to move from the spot she stood on the sidewalk. Her senses were more alert than they had ever been. She could hear the heartbeats of the passersby, she could hear the mumblings of conversations that were taking place across the street behind closed doors and she could hear the breath of the person who watched her. She could smell the breath as if the person was breathing their moist pant on her face bathing her pores with their hatred.
She turned down the street, quickly making her way to Janet’s car. Once inside she took a deep breath and scanned the street again from the safety behind the car’s windshield. But no one looked familiar or seemed to paying her much attention. She closed her eyes in an attempt to settle her nerves. She then started up the car and drove back to her father’s house.