Never Alone

Chapter 4

     On the lonely ride home from church, Annie forced herself not to analyze the raging, varied emotions behind Trevor's intense gaze. She tried to push away the hope that somewhere deep down he really loved her. Her vision blurred as she sniffed back the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Combing through the minutiae of their conversation before church, she still failed to fathom the remarkable change in his attitude and behavior. Somehow he was not the same man who broke her heart; he was so altered.

When her mind brought their discussion of Tracy's strange behavior into focus, she was more able to cease torturing herself with thoughts of Trevor. What was happening to her best friend? She did not fail to notice the frantic appearance on her face when she finally arrived at the church. Seeing her hollow cheeks and wary expression shook her to the center of her being. Never before had Tracy looked anything but confident and full of life, but today, she was a mere shell of her former self...a stranger.

Pulling up to the front of the building, relief washed over her at the sight of Tracy's silver sedan parked in her assigned spot. She was home, and they desperately needed to talk. If it was the last thing she did, she had to get to the bottom of this mystery surrounding her friend. Trevor would want to know anything she learned, and though, as her brother, he had every right to know, she had no way to get in touch with him if she could wheedle any information from her tight-lipped roommate. Oh well, that was a bridge she would cross when and if she ever came to it.

Snatching her purse and Bible off the passenger's seat, she took the ancient concrete steps two at a time. When she turned the knob, she was surprised to find the door locked. Tracy never locked the door during the day; why would she start varying her habits now? After unlocking the door, she walked into the living room to find the drapes pulled over the large, drafty windows bathing the room in cool darkness. Stepping to the window, Annie started to pull the curtains back to their proper places but was stopped short by Tracy's trembling hand on her arm. For the first time since entering the apartment, Annie noticed her friend cowering in the dark recesses of the room. The fear in her green eyes was palpable as she silently shook her head in warning against the accomplishment of her self-designated task.

"What's going on, Tracy," her voice cracked with several conflicting emotions. "Talk to me."

"We can't talk here," Tracy's eyes darted wildly around the room. "It's not safe."

"Why not? This is home."

"They might be listening. Follow me," Tracy grabbed her keys and started out the door. Following her lead, Anne laid her Bible down on the coffee table, but kept her purse on her arm and left the building silently behind her friend.

"We'll take my car," Tracy whispered.

As her friend drove them to heaven only knew where Annie sat in quiet unrest in the passenger's seat. Fear, like long, bony fingers of ice gripped her heart and stung her eyes. "What's happening, Tracy?" Her voice finally managed to work despite the growing lump in her throat.

When Tracy turned to look at her, tears pooled in her eyes and she let out a strangled sob. "Oh Annie, I'm in so much trouble."

"Tell me...I want to help you if I can," the fear in her heart tightened its grip as she sensed the terror in Tracy's voice.

"We need to go to a public place. We'll be safer out in the open...then we can talk.  I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything. I'll do anything for you," Annie promised.

Soon, they pulled up to a local Mexican restaurant. Sliding into a tattered booth, Annie faced Tracy who had regained a modicum of composure. Since neither woman had much of an appetite, they ordered a small plate of nachos to share.