resemblance in appearances I’d have to say it was his parents. They looked so happy together. I didn’t have any pictures like that.
Next, I recognized the picture with his aunt Jackie and who I assumed was his uncle Jack. And next to that was a group picture with Paxton and two other people. They were teenagers, but it didn’t take much to recognize them as Kacey and Kyle Andrews. Kacey had her hair in braids with braces on her teeth and she was standing in the middle between Pax and Kyle. They all three looked so innocent with their beaming smiles, including Kyle. How he got to be so fucked up in the head was beyond me. People could change and thankfully Paxton figured that out before it was too late.
Not wanting to invade his privacy anymore, I made my way down the stairs and fixed a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. There was nothing exciting on the news, but I watched it while I ate. I never had much time to watch TV these days. When Ashleigh still lived with me I did, but that was because we loved watching our favorites. I couldn’t exactly picture Paxton watching Pitch Perfect or the Vampire Diaries .
Once out to his garage, I turned on his stereo system and wasn’t surprised to hear Avenged Sevenfold playing over the speakers. It was the same band he listened to every day he worked on his cars. The music was pretty good to exercise to as well.
I don’t know how long I worked out for, but I was drenched in sweat and my muscles ached by the time I was done. Lying on the floor, I stared up at the ceiling to catch my breath but my heart sped back up when my phone rang. Hopefully, it was Paxton saying he was on his way back. If so, I needed to jump in the shower.
When I looked down at my phone, it wasn’t him . . . it was Cliff. Dread overcame any sense of excitement I just had. “Hey,” I answered. “Please tell me I don’t have a new message waiting on me.”
“I wish I could, but I can’t.”
Immediately, I jumped to my feet and started out of the garage. What the hell was this person doing?
“I know we don’t really know each other, but I don’t like this at all. I think you should go to the station. I’ll follow you there if you want.”
Then it hit me. I told Paxton I wouldn’t go to my apartment without him. Fuck! “I can’t come there right now, not without Paxton. I told him I wouldn’t.”
Cliff snorted. “Are you afraid I can’t protect you? I think I’m insulted. If anything, I could kick his ass. Besides, it’s daylight outside and there are people everywhere. I would be more worried at night, when people can hide.”
Paxton was going to get pissed when he found out, but it was time I did something about it. “All right, I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
“I’ll wait by your door.”
Cliff did as he said and was waiting on me by my door when I parked and glanced up. He waved as I got out of the car. Taking the stairs two at a time, I raced up them until I got to the top. He held the flowers out to me with a grim expression on his face. There were four flowers this time, all black with a note attached.
“Did you read it?” I asked, opening it up.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s not good.”
When I opened it up, my stomach twisted into agonizing knots. The message was the worst one of all.
“Holy fucking shit,” I gasped, throwing the flowers down. “I need to get out of here.”
Cliff nodded and picked up the flowers before guiding me toward the stairs. “Get in your car and you can follow me to the police station. We’ll show them this and you can talk to them. Maybe they can help you figure out who it could be.”
“Okay, let’s do this,” I said, keys in hand. I was ready to go and figure out what sick fuck was leaving cryptic messages by my doorstep. Cliff followed behind me as we started down the last flight of steps.
“I know I’m not on the squad yet, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Over my shoulder, I
Next, I recognized the picture with his aunt Jackie and who I assumed was his uncle Jack. And next to that was a group picture with Paxton and two other people. They were teenagers, but it didn’t take much to recognize them as Kacey and Kyle Andrews. Kacey had her hair in braids with braces on her teeth and she was standing in the middle between Pax and Kyle. They all three looked so innocent with their beaming smiles, including Kyle. How he got to be so fucked up in the head was beyond me. People could change and thankfully Paxton figured that out before it was too late.
Not wanting to invade his privacy anymore, I made my way down the stairs and fixed a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. There was nothing exciting on the news, but I watched it while I ate. I never had much time to watch TV these days. When Ashleigh still lived with me I did, but that was because we loved watching our favorites. I couldn’t exactly picture Paxton watching Pitch Perfect or the Vampire Diaries .
Once out to his garage, I turned on his stereo system and wasn’t surprised to hear Avenged Sevenfold playing over the speakers. It was the same band he listened to every day he worked on his cars. The music was pretty good to exercise to as well.
I don’t know how long I worked out for, but I was drenched in sweat and my muscles ached by the time I was done. Lying on the floor, I stared up at the ceiling to catch my breath but my heart sped back up when my phone rang. Hopefully, it was Paxton saying he was on his way back. If so, I needed to jump in the shower.
When I looked down at my phone, it wasn’t him . . . it was Cliff. Dread overcame any sense of excitement I just had. “Hey,” I answered. “Please tell me I don’t have a new message waiting on me.”
“I wish I could, but I can’t.”
Immediately, I jumped to my feet and started out of the garage. What the hell was this person doing?
“I know we don’t really know each other, but I don’t like this at all. I think you should go to the station. I’ll follow you there if you want.”
Then it hit me. I told Paxton I wouldn’t go to my apartment without him. Fuck! “I can’t come there right now, not without Paxton. I told him I wouldn’t.”
Cliff snorted. “Are you afraid I can’t protect you? I think I’m insulted. If anything, I could kick his ass. Besides, it’s daylight outside and there are people everywhere. I would be more worried at night, when people can hide.”
Paxton was going to get pissed when he found out, but it was time I did something about it. “All right, I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
“I’ll wait by your door.”
Cliff did as he said and was waiting on me by my door when I parked and glanced up. He waved as I got out of the car. Taking the stairs two at a time, I raced up them until I got to the top. He held the flowers out to me with a grim expression on his face. There were four flowers this time, all black with a note attached.
“Did you read it?” I asked, opening it up.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s not good.”
When I opened it up, my stomach twisted into agonizing knots. The message was the worst one of all.
“Holy fucking shit,” I gasped, throwing the flowers down. “I need to get out of here.”
Cliff nodded and picked up the flowers before guiding me toward the stairs. “Get in your car and you can follow me to the police station. We’ll show them this and you can talk to them. Maybe they can help you figure out who it could be.”
“Okay, let’s do this,” I said, keys in hand. I was ready to go and figure out what sick fuck was leaving cryptic messages by my doorstep. Cliff followed behind me as we started down the last flight of steps.
“I know I’m not on the squad yet, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Over my shoulder, I
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