"Alright. I had stopped by to see if she could skip out early and spend
the afternoon with me, maybe see a movie. We do that sometimes when I
finish work early. Anyway, when I got there Beth was gathering her things.
I heard a shout from Jerrica's office and Beth said something was wrong.
She had already called the police but I got the spare key from her and went
in anyway. Eric was waiting with a gun. Jerrica was....." he stopped to
compose himself as the ugly picture replayed in his mind. "She was laying
on the floor, barely moving. I went to her and she was alive but beaten up
pretty bad. Her voice was hoarse. I could tell by looking at her he had
hit her and tried to strangle her. I picked her up and laid her down
on the sofa. After that it was pretty much a waiting game until..." he
stopped, taking in several deep breaths.
"This can wait if you're not up to it." Kimber offered.
"No, I started so I might as well finish. Anyway, later in the evening he
ordered me to go stand by her desk. He threatened to shoot her in the head
if I didn't."
Kimber gasped in shock and put her hand to her mouth. Rory rubbed her arm
to soothe her. "Remember, she's alright now."
"I know. It's just hard to hear about it. I'm sorry you had to go through
it, to see what happened."
"She had it much worse than I did. Should I finish?"
"Please." Kimber said.
"So, once I was out of the way he held the gun to her head and asked her to
sign over the company. She said no. He punched her in the stomach. I
couldn't do anything; he had the gun pointed at her. I felt so helpless. He asked her again and she said no again. Then he grabbed me from behind and put the gun to my head. He asked her again and she finally said yes. He even had a document signed
and notarized. The fool actually thought he could get her to sign and the
company would be his. He must have been crazy to believe his plan would
work."
"Or just stupid." Kimber added. "So what happened? How did you guys get
out alive?" she asked.
"He let his guard down for a split second and that was all I needed. I
grabbed for his gun, we struggled, the gun went off but luckily the bullet
hit the wall. I wrestled the gun away and held it on him until the police
arrived."
"That's just incredible. I guess I should call Aja and Shana soon. They
won't mind if I wake them. I just don't want them hearing it from someone
else." she said.
"All right, I'm going to bed. You can have Jerrica's room. She has a phone
in there you can use. I'll be down here on the sofa if you need me." Rory
said, standing and placing his mug in the sink. "See you in the morning."
Kimber stood and walked over to him, throwing her arms around him. At
first Rory was taken aback but quickly returned the hug. "Thank you for
saving my sister's life. She's lucky to have someone like you."
"I'm the lucky one. She would have done the same for me. She's tougher
than she looks." he said, pulling back to look at Kimber.
"Don't I know it. All the same, I just wanted you to know I appreciate it.
She's all the blood family I have left and I don't know what I'd do without
her. She's like the glue that holds us all together."
"I'm always amazed by that. When I think back to when we first met I
realize how young she was and how much responsibility she had to take on
when your father died."
"She never complained though. It was like she knew what she had to do and
just did it. I guess she had to grow up pretty quickly, especially since I
wasn't going to anytime soon."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone handles loss differently. Jerrica
became the hard working, motherly figure to replace the parents you lost,
and you simply stayed in the role you felt safe in. It just shows how
different you two are."
"Yeah, we've always been very different."
"Before you came in I was looking at some photo albums. Would you like to
take a look with me? I'm still pretty keyed up."
"I'd love to. I'm not really ready to go to sleep either." she admitted. They
went into the living room. Kimber spread the books out on the floor. Rory
turned on the radio. They stayed up until the early morning reminiscing.
Kimber told Rory stories of her and Jerrica's childhood. Funny tales of
their adventures together and with their foster sisters. Both felt better
when they finally turned in for the night.
The next morning Jerrica awoke with a start. Looking around she was
confused until she felt the pain in her side. She lay back down and tried
to calm her breathing as a flood of memories from the previous day invaded
her mind. She pushed the call button next to her and a minute later a
petite, dark haired woman entered.
"Well, good morning Ms. Benton. How are you feeling?" she
asked.
"My side hurts." Jerrica said.
"You have a cracked rib. It will hurt a little for the next two weeks.
The doctor will prescribe you some pain medication and give you some
instructions to care for it."
"Is my fiancé here? Rory Llewelyn?"
"Handsome fella with the redhead right?" the nurse asked as she changed Jerrica's IV bag.
"Redhead?" Jerrica wondered aloud.
"Yes. I didn't catch her name though. They've been here waiting for visiting hours to start for quite awhile. It's still a little early but I'll send them in now if you're up to it."
"Yes, please." Jerrica said. When the nurse had finished checking her vitals she left the room. A minute later Kimber and Rory entered. Kimber ran to her sister's side and threw her arms around her. They held each other for several minutes, both had tears running down their faces. Kimber pulled back and stroked her sister's hair. She had to keep herself from reacting to her sister's appearance. Jerrica's face and neck were covered with bruises.
"I'm so glad you're alive. I don't know what I would have done without you." she said, sitting on the bed beside Jerrica.
"I'm fine. I just want to get out of here. I want to check on Starlight Music." she said.
"That's the Jerrica I know. I'm sure the doctor will release you today. They said you would be fine." Kimber said.
"Thank you for coming out here. How did you know?" Jerrica asked.
"Phyllis called me. I'm glad you have such good friends nearby. It makes me feel better about moving so far away."
"Don't feel bad. I'm fine. Especially since I found Rory."
"Yeah, he's not so bad either." Kimber said, turning to smile at the man standing by the door. She stood up and stepped away, letting him by. As soon as Jerrica saw his face, flashbacks from the day before hit her and she began to cry uncontrollably. Rory rushed over and sat by her side. He put his arms around her and held her close.
"Shhh. It's all right. Everything is alright." he said, trying his best to soothe her.
"I just can't get that picture out of my mind. He had a gun to your head. He was going to kill you because of me." she sobbed.
"No. This is not your fault. Eric is evil. He just wanted to beat you. He couldn't. You wouldn't let him."
"That doesn't matter. He could have killed you." she cried.
Rory pulled back and held her head between his hands, looking her straight in the eye. "No. He could never hurt me. I know that for a fact. I still have much left to accomplish in life, the first of which is becoming your husband. Then becoming the father of your children. Then growing old with you. I'll die eventually, but not by the hands of Eric Raymond and certainly not until I've done all those things." he said, smiling at her. This time Jerrica smiled back.
"I love you." she said.
"I love you too." he said, kissing her softly on the lips.
Just then there was a knock at the door and a doctor entered.
"Good morning Jerrica. I'm Doctor Price. How are you feeling today?" he asked as he looked over her chart.
"A little tired and my side hurts." she said.
"That's to be expected. Other than that do you feel up to going home?" he asked.
"Definitely." Jerrica said.
"Good, then I'll have the nurse bring in the paperwork for you to sign. I'll also provide you with some after care instructions and a prescription for some mild pain relievers. You should be completely healed in about two weeks." the doctor said.
"Great. Thank you." Jerrica said. The doctor left and about ten minutes later the nurse entered with forms for Jerrica to sign. Within the hour she was released. Once the three arrived back at her house Kimber and Rory helped Jerrica upstairs and into bed. She entered her room to find the bed was made with fresh linen and a vase of roses sat on her bedside table.
"You guys didn't have to do this. I'm fine." Jerrica insisted.
"That may be but you should rest. You just went through a traumatic experience. You even said you were tired." Kimber said, turning down the covers for her.
"I just had some trouble sleeping last night that's all." Jerrica said, taking a seat.
"Nightmares?" Rory asked as he entered the room with a glass of juice. He handed it to Jerrica and took a seat in the chair near the door.
"Yes. A little one. I'm fine really. I think I'll take a nap though." Jerrica said as she sat her juice down. "How long are you staying for sis?"
"Until tomorrow. I have a ten o'clock flight. That is unless you need me to stay longer." Kimber said.
"I love having you here, but I know that you have your own life back in New York. Besides, I have a wedding to plan and work to get back to."
"Do you think that is wise? Maybe you should take a few days off, maybe take a vacation." Rory suggested.
"No, I will not let Eric win. I understand your concern but going back to that office is something I have to do for myself." Jerrica said.
"Alright, don't get yourself upset. If that's how you feel then I respect that. We both do. We'll be downstairs if you need anything." Rory said, standing up and kissing Jerrica on the head. She climbed under the covers and drifted off to sleep. Rory and Kimber slipped out and went downstairs to the kitchen.
"Do you really think she's as alright as she says?" Kimber asked.
"I think she thinks she is. Who knows, maybe she is fine. I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough though. Particularly when she goes back to work." Rory said.
Jerrica felt as though she were dying. She couldn't breath, no matter how hard she tried. Something was keeping her from breathing. Reaching up she felt it, a face. Opening her eyes she saw that it was Eric.
"This is where you die for good." he sneered, his hands wrapped tightly around her neck. Jerrica screamed just as she thought she was going to black out. It was a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the house, causing Rory and Kimber to jump from their seats and run up the stairs in a panic. When they reached her room Jerrica was sitting upright, her hand to her throat, gasping for air. They ran to the bed and Rory stroked her face.
"Jerrica? Jerrica look at me." he commanded. Jerrica looked up. Her face pure white and eyes wide with fright. Rory rubbed her back, trying to calm her breathing. When she finally was breathing normally she spoke.
"I...I had a nightmare. He came back to finish me off." she said.
"Shhh, it's alright. Eric is in jail and you are safe at home. I won't ever let him hurt you again." Rory said as he held her close.
"You can't rescue me in my dreams." Jerrica said. She pulled back the covers and began to stand.
"What are you doing?" Kimber asked.
"I'm getting changed and then going downstairs to get some coffee. I need to get out of this room."
They went downstairs. Kimber ordered Thai food and Rory went out and rented a video. They ate as the movie played. When it was over, Kimber had fallen asleep on a blanket on the floor and Rory had dozed off on the reclining chair. Jerrica sat quietly, nursing her third cup of coffee and watching her sister and the man she loved as they slept peacefully. Later when she saw the first signs the sun was rising she went upstairs and took a long, hot shower. After drying her hair she went to her closet to get dressed. Reaching into her closet, she pulled out a pair of gray cotton pants and a white, short sleeved top. After putting on her shoes she brushed her teeth and her hair and checked herself in the mirror. Dismayed by her appearance, Jerrica went back into her room, slipped on her watch and her locket and headed back down to the kitchen with a bridal magazine in hand. She was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading her magazine when Kimber stumbled in.
"Ow, my neck hurts. Guess we all fell asleep huh?" she asked, taking a seat across from her sister.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I fell asleep on the couch." Jerrica said as she looked back to her magazine, hoping that her sister did not realize she was lying.
"Well, you certainly look better."
"Thanks. Can I get you something to eat?" Jerrica offered.
"No thanks. I think I ate too much last night. My stomach is a little agitated. I guess I'll go get a shower and get dressed. Rory said he would take me to the airport if you want to come along."
"I think I'll head into the office if that's alright with you."
"Sure. Listen, no one will think any less of you if you want to take some time off to recuperate. We know it had to have been rough, what you went through." Kimber said.
"I appreciate that but I really just want to get back to work and get on with my life. I'm sorry you can't stay but I'll call you tomorrow. You'll say hi to Bobby for me?" Jerrica asked as she got up and walked over to her sister.
"Sure. I'll talk to you soon." Kimber said as they embraced.
"Have a safe flight. I'm gonna head out." Jerrica said.
"I will. See you later." Kimber said as she headed upstairs. At that moment Rory wandered into the kitchen. Jerrica smiled at his disheveled appearance.
"That chair is not ergonomically correct." he said.
"I don't think it was meant to be slept in all night. Kimber is upstairs taking a shower. I'm going to head into the office."
"If you're sure you'll be alright." he said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Jerrica returned his embrace.
"I'm sure. Call me later. We can have dinner if you're not busy." she said.
"I would love that. If you need anything please call me. I'll be right there." he said.
"I know. Thank you." Jerrica said. She leaned up and kissed his lips before he let her go. She grabbed her purse and walked out the front door.
Jerrica entered the front lobby of Starlight Music. The first person to greet her was Jeff the security guard.
"Ms. Benton. Glad to see you're alright." the burly young man said from his post in the lobby.
"Thank you Jeff." Jerrica said absently as her eyes slowly scanned the lobby. "Have you checked the building yet?"
"Twice." he said.
"Good. Thank you." Jerrica said as she continued on to the elevator and pressed the button. When it made the familiar ding and the doors opened she took a deep breath and stepped inside. Once it reached the top floor and the doors opened again she simply stood frozen to the spot. It wasn't until the doors began to close again that she reached out to stop them, then stepped out of the elevator. Her secretary, Beth, saw her coming and stood to greet her with a smile.
"Jerrica. How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Alright. Thank you for your help yesterday." Jerrica said.
"It was nothing. I'm sorry I couldn't have done more." the young woman said, her eyes cast downward.
"Hey, you couldn't have known what would happen. Don't beat yourself up. Do I have any meetings lined up?" Jerrica asked.
"Yes, Keith and Joanne are back from Nashville with a list of prospective new artists. That meeting is at eleven. Then you have a meeting with marketing at one. Also, a Detective Collins called. He'd like you to come in later this afternoon to provide a statement. And here are all of your messages." the young woman said, handing her boss the slips of paper.
"Thanks. I'll be in my office returning phone calls and emails until eleven. Hold all of my calls." Jerrica said as she walked into her office and closed the door, locking it behind her. She stood against the door and look around. What had previously been her sanctuary at work was now a strange and scary place. Memories rushed back. She saw Eric standing there with a gun. Jerrica shook her head to clear the picture away then walked to her desk and stared down at her chair. He had sat there, holding her life in his hands. Walking to the bathroom she retrieved a can of Lysol and a paper towel. After wiping down the faux leather seat she sat down and began to sort through her messages. Phyllis, Roxy, Aja, Shana, Mary, Lindsey Pierce, a reporter from the local news. She tossed them all in the trash and turned on her computer. Her eyes grew heavy as she waited for it to boot up. When she felt herself beginning to drift off she stood up and paced the floor, trying to keep herself from dozing off. Once her computer was on she began to sort through her new emails. All of her friends had sent messages there as well, asking if she was all right and could she call them. There was an email from one of her scouts. A joke email from Kelly in accounting. This caused Jerrica to smile. She promised herself to stop by there later and say hi. Even though she was the boss, to most people in the company she was a friend. Maybe it was because even though they were expanding, the company employed the minimum employees. Jerrica kept it that way so she could siphon any excess money to Haven House and the local runaway hotline as well as Starlight Foundation which, though she hadn't taken in any new girls in years, was paying for the ones that hadn't been adopted to continue their education. The day passed by in a blur. Where she would normally stay later than her employees, Jerrica left at three o'clock and headed to the police station. She met with Detective Collins and Detective West and gave them a complete statement, her voice mechanical and cold as she detailed her ordeal for them. Afterward she headed home where the most enticing aroma awaited her when she walked in the front door. Putting her purse in the hall closet she walked to the kitchen to find Rory setting the table.
"What's all this?" she asked. There were two places set along with wineglasses and candles. A tray of lasagna was cooling on the stove and a bowl of salad was sitting on the table. Rory walked over and kissed his love.
"This is dinner. You have heard of it before I assume." he teased.
"Very funny. Why did you do all this?" she asked.
"This is because I love you, and because the other day I had a small glimpse of life without you. It was not something I want to see again. As of today I want to make every moment special. I want to treat you the way you deserve to be treated." he said hugging her close, careful of her injured rib.
"You have always treated me better than anyone ever has. You don't have to do things like this. I know you love me. As for making every moment special, well you do that too. Just keep loving me. That's all I need." she said, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"That I can promise to do. Now, since I've slaved over a hot stove all afternoon how about we eat before it gets cold." he suggested.
"Yes, I'm starved." Jerrica said.
the afternoon with me, maybe see a movie. We do that sometimes when I
finish work early. Anyway, when I got there Beth was gathering her things.
I heard a shout from Jerrica's office and Beth said something was wrong.
She had already called the police but I got the spare key from her and went
in anyway. Eric was waiting with a gun. Jerrica was....." he stopped to
compose himself as the ugly picture replayed in his mind. "She was laying
on the floor, barely moving. I went to her and she was alive but beaten up
pretty bad. Her voice was hoarse. I could tell by looking at her he had
hit her and tried to strangle her. I picked her up and laid her down
on the sofa. After that it was pretty much a waiting game until..." he
stopped, taking in several deep breaths.
"This can wait if you're not up to it." Kimber offered.
"No, I started so I might as well finish. Anyway, later in the evening he
ordered me to go stand by her desk. He threatened to shoot her in the head
if I didn't."
Kimber gasped in shock and put her hand to her mouth. Rory rubbed her arm
to soothe her. "Remember, she's alright now."
"I know. It's just hard to hear about it. I'm sorry you had to go through
it, to see what happened."
"She had it much worse than I did. Should I finish?"
"Please." Kimber said.
"So, once I was out of the way he held the gun to her head and asked her to
sign over the company. She said no. He punched her in the stomach. I
couldn't do anything; he had the gun pointed at her. I felt so helpless. He asked her again and she said no again. Then he grabbed me from behind and put the gun to my head. He asked her again and she finally said yes. He even had a document signed
and notarized. The fool actually thought he could get her to sign and the
company would be his. He must have been crazy to believe his plan would
work."
"Or just stupid." Kimber added. "So what happened? How did you guys get
out alive?" she asked.
"He let his guard down for a split second and that was all I needed. I
grabbed for his gun, we struggled, the gun went off but luckily the bullet
hit the wall. I wrestled the gun away and held it on him until the police
arrived."
"That's just incredible. I guess I should call Aja and Shana soon. They
won't mind if I wake them. I just don't want them hearing it from someone
else." she said.
"All right, I'm going to bed. You can have Jerrica's room. She has a phone
in there you can use. I'll be down here on the sofa if you need me." Rory
said, standing and placing his mug in the sink. "See you in the morning."
Kimber stood and walked over to him, throwing her arms around him. At
first Rory was taken aback but quickly returned the hug. "Thank you for
saving my sister's life. She's lucky to have someone like you."
"I'm the lucky one. She would have done the same for me. She's tougher
than she looks." he said, pulling back to look at Kimber.
"Don't I know it. All the same, I just wanted you to know I appreciate it.
She's all the blood family I have left and I don't know what I'd do without
her. She's like the glue that holds us all together."
"I'm always amazed by that. When I think back to when we first met I
realize how young she was and how much responsibility she had to take on
when your father died."
"She never complained though. It was like she knew what she had to do and
just did it. I guess she had to grow up pretty quickly, especially since I
wasn't going to anytime soon."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone handles loss differently. Jerrica
became the hard working, motherly figure to replace the parents you lost,
and you simply stayed in the role you felt safe in. It just shows how
different you two are."
"Yeah, we've always been very different."
"Before you came in I was looking at some photo albums. Would you like to
take a look with me? I'm still pretty keyed up."
"I'd love to. I'm not really ready to go to sleep either." she admitted. They
went into the living room. Kimber spread the books out on the floor. Rory
turned on the radio. They stayed up until the early morning reminiscing.
Kimber told Rory stories of her and Jerrica's childhood. Funny tales of
their adventures together and with their foster sisters. Both felt better
when they finally turned in for the night.
The next morning Jerrica awoke with a start. Looking around she was
confused until she felt the pain in her side. She lay back down and tried
to calm her breathing as a flood of memories from the previous day invaded
her mind. She pushed the call button next to her and a minute later a
petite, dark haired woman entered.
"Well, good morning Ms. Benton. How are you feeling?" she
asked.
"My side hurts." Jerrica said.
"You have a cracked rib. It will hurt a little for the next two weeks.
The doctor will prescribe you some pain medication and give you some
instructions to care for it."
"Is my fiancé here? Rory Llewelyn?"
"Handsome fella with the redhead right?" the nurse asked as she changed Jerrica's IV bag.
"Redhead?" Jerrica wondered aloud.
"Yes. I didn't catch her name though. They've been here waiting for visiting hours to start for quite awhile. It's still a little early but I'll send them in now if you're up to it."
"Yes, please." Jerrica said. When the nurse had finished checking her vitals she left the room. A minute later Kimber and Rory entered. Kimber ran to her sister's side and threw her arms around her. They held each other for several minutes, both had tears running down their faces. Kimber pulled back and stroked her sister's hair. She had to keep herself from reacting to her sister's appearance. Jerrica's face and neck were covered with bruises.
"I'm so glad you're alive. I don't know what I would have done without you." she said, sitting on the bed beside Jerrica.
"I'm fine. I just want to get out of here. I want to check on Starlight Music." she said.
"That's the Jerrica I know. I'm sure the doctor will release you today. They said you would be fine." Kimber said.
"Thank you for coming out here. How did you know?" Jerrica asked.
"Phyllis called me. I'm glad you have such good friends nearby. It makes me feel better about moving so far away."
"Don't feel bad. I'm fine. Especially since I found Rory."
"Yeah, he's not so bad either." Kimber said, turning to smile at the man standing by the door. She stood up and stepped away, letting him by. As soon as Jerrica saw his face, flashbacks from the day before hit her and she began to cry uncontrollably. Rory rushed over and sat by her side. He put his arms around her and held her close.
"Shhh. It's all right. Everything is alright." he said, trying his best to soothe her.
"I just can't get that picture out of my mind. He had a gun to your head. He was going to kill you because of me." she sobbed.
"No. This is not your fault. Eric is evil. He just wanted to beat you. He couldn't. You wouldn't let him."
"That doesn't matter. He could have killed you." she cried.
Rory pulled back and held her head between his hands, looking her straight in the eye. "No. He could never hurt me. I know that for a fact. I still have much left to accomplish in life, the first of which is becoming your husband. Then becoming the father of your children. Then growing old with you. I'll die eventually, but not by the hands of Eric Raymond and certainly not until I've done all those things." he said, smiling at her. This time Jerrica smiled back.
"I love you." she said.
"I love you too." he said, kissing her softly on the lips.
Just then there was a knock at the door and a doctor entered.
"Good morning Jerrica. I'm Doctor Price. How are you feeling today?" he asked as he looked over her chart.
"A little tired and my side hurts." she said.
"That's to be expected. Other than that do you feel up to going home?" he asked.
"Definitely." Jerrica said.
"Good, then I'll have the nurse bring in the paperwork for you to sign. I'll also provide you with some after care instructions and a prescription for some mild pain relievers. You should be completely healed in about two weeks." the doctor said.
"Great. Thank you." Jerrica said. The doctor left and about ten minutes later the nurse entered with forms for Jerrica to sign. Within the hour she was released. Once the three arrived back at her house Kimber and Rory helped Jerrica upstairs and into bed. She entered her room to find the bed was made with fresh linen and a vase of roses sat on her bedside table.
"You guys didn't have to do this. I'm fine." Jerrica insisted.
"That may be but you should rest. You just went through a traumatic experience. You even said you were tired." Kimber said, turning down the covers for her.
"I just had some trouble sleeping last night that's all." Jerrica said, taking a seat.
"Nightmares?" Rory asked as he entered the room with a glass of juice. He handed it to Jerrica and took a seat in the chair near the door.
"Yes. A little one. I'm fine really. I think I'll take a nap though." Jerrica said as she sat her juice down. "How long are you staying for sis?"
"Until tomorrow. I have a ten o'clock flight. That is unless you need me to stay longer." Kimber said.
"I love having you here, but I know that you have your own life back in New York. Besides, I have a wedding to plan and work to get back to."
"Do you think that is wise? Maybe you should take a few days off, maybe take a vacation." Rory suggested.
"No, I will not let Eric win. I understand your concern but going back to that office is something I have to do for myself." Jerrica said.
"Alright, don't get yourself upset. If that's how you feel then I respect that. We both do. We'll be downstairs if you need anything." Rory said, standing up and kissing Jerrica on the head. She climbed under the covers and drifted off to sleep. Rory and Kimber slipped out and went downstairs to the kitchen.
"Do you really think she's as alright as she says?" Kimber asked.
"I think she thinks she is. Who knows, maybe she is fine. I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough though. Particularly when she goes back to work." Rory said.
Jerrica felt as though she were dying. She couldn't breath, no matter how hard she tried. Something was keeping her from breathing. Reaching up she felt it, a face. Opening her eyes she saw that it was Eric.
"This is where you die for good." he sneered, his hands wrapped tightly around her neck. Jerrica screamed just as she thought she was going to black out. It was a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the house, causing Rory and Kimber to jump from their seats and run up the stairs in a panic. When they reached her room Jerrica was sitting upright, her hand to her throat, gasping for air. They ran to the bed and Rory stroked her face.
"Jerrica? Jerrica look at me." he commanded. Jerrica looked up. Her face pure white and eyes wide with fright. Rory rubbed her back, trying to calm her breathing. When she finally was breathing normally she spoke.
"I...I had a nightmare. He came back to finish me off." she said.
"Shhh, it's alright. Eric is in jail and you are safe at home. I won't ever let him hurt you again." Rory said as he held her close.
"You can't rescue me in my dreams." Jerrica said. She pulled back the covers and began to stand.
"What are you doing?" Kimber asked.
"I'm getting changed and then going downstairs to get some coffee. I need to get out of this room."
They went downstairs. Kimber ordered Thai food and Rory went out and rented a video. They ate as the movie played. When it was over, Kimber had fallen asleep on a blanket on the floor and Rory had dozed off on the reclining chair. Jerrica sat quietly, nursing her third cup of coffee and watching her sister and the man she loved as they slept peacefully. Later when she saw the first signs the sun was rising she went upstairs and took a long, hot shower. After drying her hair she went to her closet to get dressed. Reaching into her closet, she pulled out a pair of gray cotton pants and a white, short sleeved top. After putting on her shoes she brushed her teeth and her hair and checked herself in the mirror. Dismayed by her appearance, Jerrica went back into her room, slipped on her watch and her locket and headed back down to the kitchen with a bridal magazine in hand. She was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading her magazine when Kimber stumbled in.
"Ow, my neck hurts. Guess we all fell asleep huh?" she asked, taking a seat across from her sister.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I fell asleep on the couch." Jerrica said as she looked back to her magazine, hoping that her sister did not realize she was lying.
"Well, you certainly look better."
"Thanks. Can I get you something to eat?" Jerrica offered.
"No thanks. I think I ate too much last night. My stomach is a little agitated. I guess I'll go get a shower and get dressed. Rory said he would take me to the airport if you want to come along."
"I think I'll head into the office if that's alright with you."
"Sure. Listen, no one will think any less of you if you want to take some time off to recuperate. We know it had to have been rough, what you went through." Kimber said.
"I appreciate that but I really just want to get back to work and get on with my life. I'm sorry you can't stay but I'll call you tomorrow. You'll say hi to Bobby for me?" Jerrica asked as she got up and walked over to her sister.
"Sure. I'll talk to you soon." Kimber said as they embraced.
"Have a safe flight. I'm gonna head out." Jerrica said.
"I will. See you later." Kimber said as she headed upstairs. At that moment Rory wandered into the kitchen. Jerrica smiled at his disheveled appearance.
"That chair is not ergonomically correct." he said.
"I don't think it was meant to be slept in all night. Kimber is upstairs taking a shower. I'm going to head into the office."
"If you're sure you'll be alright." he said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Jerrica returned his embrace.
"I'm sure. Call me later. We can have dinner if you're not busy." she said.
"I would love that. If you need anything please call me. I'll be right there." he said.
"I know. Thank you." Jerrica said. She leaned up and kissed his lips before he let her go. She grabbed her purse and walked out the front door.
Jerrica entered the front lobby of Starlight Music. The first person to greet her was Jeff the security guard.
"Ms. Benton. Glad to see you're alright." the burly young man said from his post in the lobby.
"Thank you Jeff." Jerrica said absently as her eyes slowly scanned the lobby. "Have you checked the building yet?"
"Twice." he said.
"Good. Thank you." Jerrica said as she continued on to the elevator and pressed the button. When it made the familiar ding and the doors opened she took a deep breath and stepped inside. Once it reached the top floor and the doors opened again she simply stood frozen to the spot. It wasn't until the doors began to close again that she reached out to stop them, then stepped out of the elevator. Her secretary, Beth, saw her coming and stood to greet her with a smile.
"Jerrica. How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Alright. Thank you for your help yesterday." Jerrica said.
"It was nothing. I'm sorry I couldn't have done more." the young woman said, her eyes cast downward.
"Hey, you couldn't have known what would happen. Don't beat yourself up. Do I have any meetings lined up?" Jerrica asked.
"Yes, Keith and Joanne are back from Nashville with a list of prospective new artists. That meeting is at eleven. Then you have a meeting with marketing at one. Also, a Detective Collins called. He'd like you to come in later this afternoon to provide a statement. And here are all of your messages." the young woman said, handing her boss the slips of paper.
"Thanks. I'll be in my office returning phone calls and emails until eleven. Hold all of my calls." Jerrica said as she walked into her office and closed the door, locking it behind her. She stood against the door and look around. What had previously been her sanctuary at work was now a strange and scary place. Memories rushed back. She saw Eric standing there with a gun. Jerrica shook her head to clear the picture away then walked to her desk and stared down at her chair. He had sat there, holding her life in his hands. Walking to the bathroom she retrieved a can of Lysol and a paper towel. After wiping down the faux leather seat she sat down and began to sort through her messages. Phyllis, Roxy, Aja, Shana, Mary, Lindsey Pierce, a reporter from the local news. She tossed them all in the trash and turned on her computer. Her eyes grew heavy as she waited for it to boot up. When she felt herself beginning to drift off she stood up and paced the floor, trying to keep herself from dozing off. Once her computer was on she began to sort through her new emails. All of her friends had sent messages there as well, asking if she was all right and could she call them. There was an email from one of her scouts. A joke email from Kelly in accounting. This caused Jerrica to smile. She promised herself to stop by there later and say hi. Even though she was the boss, to most people in the company she was a friend. Maybe it was because even though they were expanding, the company employed the minimum employees. Jerrica kept it that way so she could siphon any excess money to Haven House and the local runaway hotline as well as Starlight Foundation which, though she hadn't taken in any new girls in years, was paying for the ones that hadn't been adopted to continue their education. The day passed by in a blur. Where she would normally stay later than her employees, Jerrica left at three o'clock and headed to the police station. She met with Detective Collins and Detective West and gave them a complete statement, her voice mechanical and cold as she detailed her ordeal for them. Afterward she headed home where the most enticing aroma awaited her when she walked in the front door. Putting her purse in the hall closet she walked to the kitchen to find Rory setting the table.
"What's all this?" she asked. There were two places set along with wineglasses and candles. A tray of lasagna was cooling on the stove and a bowl of salad was sitting on the table. Rory walked over and kissed his love.
"This is dinner. You have heard of it before I assume." he teased.
"Very funny. Why did you do all this?" she asked.
"This is because I love you, and because the other day I had a small glimpse of life without you. It was not something I want to see again. As of today I want to make every moment special. I want to treat you the way you deserve to be treated." he said hugging her close, careful of her injured rib.
"You have always treated me better than anyone ever has. You don't have to do things like this. I know you love me. As for making every moment special, well you do that too. Just keep loving me. That's all I need." she said, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"That I can promise to do. Now, since I've slaved over a hot stove all afternoon how about we eat before it gets cold." he suggested.
"Yes, I'm starved." Jerrica said.