Never Alone

Chapter 11

     She wasn't sure what roused her from her deep and dreamless sleep, but just as the sky began its shift from black to grey, her eyelids cracked open. Seeing the unfamiliar, shadowy room, she tried to think back to the night before and remember where she was.

When the events of the day before crashed into her consciousness, she knew she must be somewhere in Trevor's house. It didn't look like the guest bedroom, and she couldn't remember where she was when she fell asleep. As her senses awakened, she wondered what she was sleeping on. It was too hard to be a pillow. Turning her head slightly, she was horrified to find herself reclining on Trevor with a little too much familiarity.

Her heart beat wildly when she found her arms...both of them...encircling his waist. What had she done? She let her guard down; she was handing him the power to break her heart again. This would never do. It was imperative she get as far away from him as possible, he would not hurt her again if she had any say in the matter. Quietly, she untangled her hands from around his midsection and sat up.

His hand was positioned on her back, and she moved it into his lap without waking him. Using the light on her phone, she grabbed the flash drive out of his laptop and padded noiselessly to the guest room to collect her things.

After changing into a pair of jeans and a sweater, she packed away the few things she set out the night before, placed the flash drive in her purse, and opened the bedroom door. When the hinges squeaked, she held her breath for a moment hoping the sound did not wake Trevor. It was best if she left without him knowing anything about it. If he caught her, he would try to stop her. He did not understand the effect he had on her. She had to break away from the constant turmoil he brought to her heart and mind.

Tiptoeing through the living room, she was shocked to find the couch empty. Where was he? As she neared the door and reached to turn the knob, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Where are you going?" His tone was not demanding, only curious.

She turned to face him. His dark hair lay matted on one side of his face, and he vigorously rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he cleared his throat. "I'm leaving," her words came out harsh, and she felt the sting of remorse as soon as they were uttered.

"But you're coming back?"

"No. I need to get in touch with Douglas Blake, and today is as good a day as any to get this show on the road."

"I thought we were going to do this together." He was wide awake now.

"That's not such a good idea," she said flippantly. "I'll be a smaller target if I'm by myself."

"Why do you keep pushing me away?" His words stung her, but she could not allow her emotions to take control...not now.

"Why?" the pitch of her voice raised an octave. "For the same reason I don't chew on tin foil and hug bears."

"Let me help you, Nan."

When he used the nickname from years ago, something inside her snapped, and everything in her mind suddenly ran from her lips and into the light of day.

"No," her voice was low and cold. "And you don't get to call me Nan anymore. You think I don't remember you calling me that the whole time you were leading me on?" She stepped closer to him until they were mere inches apart. "I love- I loved you. And I thought you loved me...but come to find out you were only toying with me. I need to protect myself, Trevor, don't you see that? You make me believe that I'm special to you, but how long will it last? Until your next engagement announcement on the internet? If Rebecca or whatever her name was hadn't broken up with you, would you even be talking to me right now?" She poked him in the chest with a rigid finger.

"Please listen, Annie," he rested a hand on her shoulder, and she immediately shrugged it off like he was a confirmed carrier of the Bubonic Plague.

"No, you listen," she lost sight of his face as tears stood in her eyes. "You broke my heart, Trevor! Honestly...it's still broken, and I don't know if it will ever be unbroken again. I know for a fact that as long as I'm with you, I will never get a chance to heal." She bit her lip and sighed. "Tracy wanted me to get your help with the encryption and that's all. Well...you've done your part, and there's no need for us to see each other again. So you don't get to call me Nan, and you don't get to call the shots...I'm leaving, and you can't stop me."

After her diatribe ended, she found herself breathless and flustered. Never before had she spoken what was on her mind so fully, but instantly she realized the regret which inevitably follows saying exactly what you want to say at the very moment you wish to say it. 

Breathing heavily, she looked up into Trevor's eyes which were filled with both hurt and longing. All the old passion stirred violently in her chest. Involuntarily, she glanced down at his lips and thought about the last time he kissed her. His head bent closer, and her heart beat frantically in her chest. His lips were just a breath away from hers, and she closed her eyes in anticipation. When she analyzed her feelings, she was sickened to discover that if Trevor would kiss her, she would do absolutely nothing to fight him...at first anyway. What was she doing? If she let this happen, she would never mend her broken heart. Snapping her eyes open, she adjusted the duffel bag on her shoulder and turned to leave.

As she ran from the house, his pleading voice rang in her ears, but she was crying too hard to make any sense of it.

***

"Annie, I'm sorry. Please come back." Trevor ran out to the porch in bare feet, but she was already gone.

Hurrying to the living room, he grabbed his phone and tried calling her, but it went straight to voicemail. Raking his fingers through his hair, he grabbed the laptop and found the flash drive was missing. "Oh Annie," he muttered, "What do you think you're doing?"

Thankfully he saved all the files from the drive onto his computer, so he still had access to all the information. Also, he knew exactly where she was headed. All he needed was the address of Douglas Blake, and he would be able to follow her from there. If she didn't want anything to do with him, he would have to be alright with that, but Tracy wanted him to keep her safe. If the only way to fulfill his sister's last request to him was to protect Annie from a distance, then he was prepared to do it.

Finding the contact information, he decided to print out all the files he read the night before including one he did not pry into. It was a letter from Tracy to Annie, and he overcame the temptation to read it because it was meant for her eyes only. If given the chance, he would get the letter into her hands as soon as he could. The flash drive would be of no use to her since he decoded the files on his computer, but they were still encrypted on the drive.

After stuffing all the papers into a backpack, he packed an overnight bag as a precaution and headed out the door. He made a quick run to the bank for cash, knowing he would need to be prepared. Then, checking the address, he started the one hour drive to Racine Street in Chicago. Saying a quick prayer for Annie's safety, he hoped to make it before she found herself in any serious danger.