For the stories that will be replacing this and "Why Do I Want Him Still?" see the A/N at the end of this chapter.
Ch. 4 I'll Tear Your Soul Apart
The car just stops, it's not working at all, and I'm stuck in the middle of the road. Thankfully, Owen was right behind me, he pulls up behind me and gets out of the car.
"What's wrong?" He questions after I've rolled my window down.
"I'm not sure, it just stopped all of a sudden."
"Let's get you over to the side of the road and I'll take a look," Owen says.
I put the car in neutral and steer while Owen pushes me to the side of the road. Thankfully it's late enough in this part of town that there are not many cars on the road. He then goes back to his own car and pulls up behind me, while I pop the hood. He gets out of his car and comes over, using his phone to look at the engine. He closes the hood just a couple minutes later and comes to the passenger side opening the door and getting in.
"It's pretty dark over here, but I don't see anything that would make the car just stop. We'll call for a tow, they can take it to Jay's, and he can take a look at it in the morning," Owen tells me.
"Okay," I nod putting my head back against the seat and closing my eyes.
It's not until Owen is on the phone with the towing company that it occurs to me that my car was likely sabotaged. It worked fine this morning, and after Eli's video I wouldn't be at all surprised. He probably did something to it and made sure it would stop. He must have been intending to follow me and then…then what? Come to my rescue and hope I was grateful or take me from a dark street?
I shudder a little and my eyes shoot open, looking around the darkened street, expecting a dark figure with piercing green eyes to slink out of the shadows. I don't see anything, but I do suddenly feel like we're being watched. I lock the car doors to be safe and keep looking around. I'm not sure what I'm expecting, but none of the possibilities are good ones right now.
"Tow truck should be here in a few minutes, Jay will meet them at the garage, he knows they're coming. Once the tow truck is here, we'll go home," Owen tells me.
"Good, it's been a long day."
Owen puts his arm around me, and we wait for the tow truck. Once it arrives, we get out of my car, and I go into Owen's. As soon as the tow truck has my car hitched up and Owen has signed the paperwork he gets in the car. Even on the drive home I don't feel entirely safe. I keep looking in the rearview mirror thinking Eli is following us, and even when we get home and pull into the garage I expect Eli to be there. Owen turns off the alarm as we enter the house, and I make sure to arm it again.
"I know what you had in mind for tonight, but it's been a long day and I'm really tired. You think maybe we could just go to bed? I'd love to be in your arms all night long."
"Of course," Owen smiles giving me a tender kiss, "we have more than tonight. I will be home at least through next Friday. Tomorrow night is a home game and our next one is Ottawa, so I'll be gone Wednesday afternoon and back late that night."
This is a wonderfully comforting thought; I start getting ready for bed with a sense of safety and security. Enwrapped in the safety of my husband's arms Eli, the affair and his threats fall away, and I sleep very peacefully. We wake early the next morning, Owen has work later, but we make breakfast together and then go pick up Lucian together. Lucian is of course thrilled to see his father and doesn't want to spend the day at preschool. After some struggle we do get Lucian to preschool, and Owen takes me to work since my car is at the shop.
It's a slow, rather mundane morning as I finish up work from yesterday and begin researching my new article. I even feel confident enough to go down to the coffee shop in the lobby for some quick lunch. When I return to my desk there are flowers and I smile, thinking they are from Owen. At least until I see the card, it says simply: You are my soulmate. The card isn't signed, but I know it's not from Owen, not only has Eli continuously insisted he's my soulmate, but Owen would never write that. He would say he loves me or call me beautiful or sexy.
I quickly throw away the card, but I can't toss the flowers, not yet. Too many people will see and then wonder who did send the flowers. All I can do is let them sit at the edge of my desk and smile at the compliments people give me about them. Naturally, everyone assumes the flowers are from Owen. I don't see or hear anything else from Eli and push it all to the back of my mind for a while. At least until Jay calls to tell me about my car. It was sabotage, key components were cut or loosened so that the car would travel a short distance and then stop.
"You should talk to building security Clare, or even the cops," Jay tells me.
"Yeah, I'll talk to building security. Is the car fixable?"
"All fixed, it's ready for you to pick up."
"Thanks Jay, I'll be over soon," I tell him before hanging up.
Amber is in a meeting, but I do go to building security. Only the garage entrances and exits are set up with cameras. Black and white cameras and I have no idea when Eli entered the garage or if he followed me out right away. If he saw Owen walk me to my car he may have stayed back. After going to building security I send an e-mail to Amber to say that I'm working the afternoon from home. Then I call for a cab to get to Jay's garage. When the cab pulls up to the garage Jay sees me get out of the cab and comes over to talk to me.
"Did you talk to the security at your building?" Jay asks wiping his hands on a rag.
"Yes, but only the garage entrances and exits have cameras."
"I told Owen you should file a police report," Jay tells me.
My heart starts pounding with the thought he spoke to Owen, but I should have known he would. "Thanks Jay, I'll go in and pay, thanks for fitting me in."
Jay says no problem and I go inside and pay, Jay is always nice and charges us mostly for parts because he's been friends with Owen so long. After settling the bill, I go pick up Lucian from preschool and take us home.
"Where Daddy?" Lucian asks when we get home.
"Work Honey, he'll be home later tonight, not until you're in bed though."
"I want to see Daddy," Lucian whines.
"He'll be home for several days; you'll see him in the morning Honey. What do want for dinner?"
"Nuddets!" Lucian replies clapping his hands together.
I make Lucian chicken nuggets for dinner; he likes to dip them in ketchup. I also put grapes and sugar snap peas on his plate that he must eat. I haven't exactly cooked or been shopping in the last week, thus grownup dinner options are minimal. I have a glass of wine, baby carrots, crackers and cheese for dinner. I eat while making a shopping list for tomorrow, it's never this bad, but I've been a little distracted these last few days.
I let Lucian eat while watching a movie, it's not great but it keeps him happy and distracted. Otherwise I'd never get my work done and sent in. In spite of the excitement and fear of the last few days I don't see or hear anything from Eli. I finish my article and get Lucian to bed, pour another glass of wine and sit in front of the TV. I leave all the lights on just to be safe. I don't watch Owen's game, I don't even like being at them live, it's too frightening if he gets hurt, and I've just never much cared for sports. So, I binge watch a mindless show and sip at some wine and wait for Owen to come home. It seems to take him a very long time to get home, but finally near eleven I hear his car.
I turn off the TV and stand up ready to greet him, ready to be in the warm, safety of my husbands embrace. Only when he comes in his face is red, his eyes are narrowed, his fists are clenched. He's angry, I realize he took so long to come home because he was blowing off steam, driving or walking around, too angry to come home.
"What is going on Clare?" He asks in a low growling voice.
"What do you mean?" I question and regret the words even as they leave my lips, I already know, I just don't want to face it.
"Your car was intentionally sabotaged and I'm getting calls and notes at the stadium from some guy saying he's your soulmate. Telling me I don't deserve you, and you're in love with him after some passionate affair? DID YOU HAVE AN AFFAIR?!" Owen yells and I shrink back as tears crowd the corners of my eyes.
"Owen please, Lucian is sleeping," I beg but he's unmoved.
"Did you sleep with another guy Clare?" Owen asks through clenched teeth, he's not yelling but he is seething.
"Yes," I reply barely above a whisper as I look down.
"How could you? How could you betray me like that? How could you have sex with another guy?"
I tighten up and react defensively, "You're on the road for months at a time, and I have no idea what you get into so far from ho…"
"I have never even kissed another woman, not in all the time we've been together. I would never have sex with anyone else I don't want anyone else. If you don't trust me you can ask anyone else on the team. I would never betray you like that or jeopardize our family like that. Never Clare. Am I not enough for you anymore? Do you not love me anymore?"
"No, I am still very much in love with you."
"Then how could you let someone else touch you?"
"I…I don't have an easy explanation."
"Who was it? How long has this been going on?"
"His name is Eli Goldsworthy, I did a story on him last week, I'd never even met him before that. We had sex exactly twice, it was a horrible mistake that never should have happened, I'd do anything to take it back," I tell my husband as tears begin rolling down my cheeks.
"But you gave your body to some other guy twice, because I was gone?"
"No, it's not that simple."
"Then explain it to me Clare, how could have sex with another guy? Why does he think he's your soulmate? Why is he threatening me if all you've had is two nights of sex?" Owen asks his voice growling louder and louder with each word.
"I was assigned an article on Eli, an up and coming author with a new book. I read the book, and called him to set up an interview. I admit there was an instant attraction, a mutual one. He interviewed me as much as I interviewed him, we had dinner and wine, and went back to his apartment and he kissed me. I know I should have walked out then, but I didn't. I let myself get wrapped in the moment. I admit it was exciting, we had a lot in common, it was nice to feel beautiful and sexy and desired again. We d…"
"You don't think I desire you?" Owen interrupts in a tone laced with so much venom I pull back.
"I didn't say that. Do you want to hear this or not?" I question clenching my own fists.
"No, not at all, but I have to," Owen says relaxing ever so slightly.
"I fell asleep after," I continue deciding he doesn't need all the details. "He must have asked me to spend the next day with him as I was falling asleep. Or after I was asleep, I'm not sure. I woke up very early the next morning and was overrun with guilt. I couldn't leave Eli's apartment fast enough. I came home, tried to forget, I thought that would be the end of it, it should have been. He called later that morning, wanted me to spend the day with him, I should have hung up on him. Said no, that it should never have happened b…"
"But you went back to him?! You knew it was wrong, that is shouldn't happen, but you wanted to be with him!" Owen snarls so angrily he spits as he talks and his face is deep red.
"No I…" my trembling voice is silenced by the roar of my husband.
"YOU WENT BACK TO HIM CLARE YOU WANTED TO BE WITH HIM!" Owen yells and then takes a deep breath as we hear noises from Lucian's room. "If you want to be with Eli then go be with him," Owen hisses in a venom filled voice.
He turns and begins storming for the door and I catch his arm, "I don't want Eli, I w…"
"Don't lie to me Clare, I can't even look at you right now," Owen replies in a voice that's eerily calm.
"Owen please," I beg trying to pull him back.
"Don't touch me," he growls and turns as he pushes me away.
He pushes with a lot of force and I fall back hitting one of the end tables and knocking it over. Owen looks at me, his eyes managing to be all at once irate and apologetic. He's never once raised his hand to me, but he doesn't even ask if I'm okay just storms out the door, slamming it as he goes. I can feel the tears building, about to burst free, but the sound of my child crying forces me to swallow my tears. I rush into Lucian's room as he's calling for me and Owen.
"It's okay Honey, I'm here," I assure him. I hold my son close and stroke his hair as he wipes his eyes.
"Loud, wote me up," Lucian sniffles.
"It's okay Honey, nothing to be worried about," I assure him.
"Where Daddy?"
"Asleep Baby, he was very tired when he came home." I can't tell him the truth he wouldn't understand. If Owen never comes back I'll have to tell him something, I'm hoping Owen and I can talk tomorrow.
I stay with Lucian and stroke his hair, soon he's asleep again. I return to the living room and text Adam, asking him to come over if he's still awake. A moment later I get a text saying he's on his way. I look at the broken lamp and overturned end table, I should clean it up, but all I can do is burst into tears. I can't even stop and make myself get up when I hear knocking on the door. Adam tries the door, finds it open and comes in.
"What happened?" Adam inquires sitting next to me and putting an arm around me.
"Owen found out, Eli's been calling him and leaving notes at the stadium saying that Owen isn't good enough for me and Eli is my soulmate. He stayed out late, way after the game and came home still angry. We fought of course, I tried to tell him, to explain, not that there really was an explanation. When he found out that I went back to Eli the following day he just lost it. He didn't even hear about it, I didn't get to telling him about Eli cutting himself, or the video or flowers or that Eli sabotaged my car, although I'm guessing Owen figured it was Eli that sabotaged my car."
"Hold it," Adam says before I can go any further. "What video, what flowers, and what do you mean he sabotaged your car?"
"Eli sent flowers with a card saying we were soulmates, he didn't sign the card, but I know the flowers weren't from Owen. Eli also sent a video, he's shrouded in darkness, but he talks about how he won't let me go. How I can't claim his heart and ignore him and how I'll be his by whatever means necessary. I told IT about the video, but it couldn't be traced, and you never see Eli. I was worried about going home though, so I stayed late at work and Owen found me there. We walked out together and he was behind me and then my car stopped working. Owen couldn't find anything wrong, so he called a tow truck and had it towed to Jay's. Today Jay told me, and Owen, that the car had been sabotaged, Eli had to have done it, I'm not sure why, what his plan was, but he did."
"Okay, that's all super creepy and stalking behavior, you need to go to the cops Clare. Now, what happened here, and why is there a giant bruise on your arm?"
"Owen, after telling him I went back to Eli he was enraged and started storming for the door. I tried to stop him and he pushed me back, he pushed a little too hard and I fell into the end table. He's never raised his hand to me Adam, not once. He was so angry though, and I can't blame him. I brought this on myself," I sigh.
"It's probably best for Owen to be out, cool off. I know he's angry and hurt, it's still no reason to hurt you, but I'm sure he'll be able to talk tomorrow. I'll stay the night, I doubt you can sleep, you want to talk or watch TV?"
"Thanks Adam, I don't know what I'd do without you. I think I've talked enough, put on the TV, I'm just going to go check on Lucian."
Adam and I stay up most of the night watching TV, somewhere near dawn exhaustion takes over and I fall asleep on the sofa with Adam. Jolting awake when I hear Lucian call for me, he must have gone to the bedroom and seeing neither me nor Owen got worried.
"Right here Honey, Mommy was just in the living room," I yawn dragging my half-asleep self down the hall.
"You should try and get a little more sleep, you don't work today. I'll feed Lucian breakfast, how does French toast sound?" Adam asks Lucian.
"Yay," Lucian claps excitedly.
"Why don't you go to the kitchen Buddy and I'll be right there," Adam tells him. Lucian smiles and runs off to the kitchen. "When Lucian is eating I'll try and get a hold of Owen, explain what I can. Make sure he knows Eli's been threatening and stalking you."
I don't have any appropriate words to thank my best friend, so I hug him tightly and kiss his cheek instead. Adam smiles and goes down the hall to the kitchen while I go into the bedroom. I fall asleep again quickly and sleep another three hours, waking rested, but not feeling any better. I do notice that the house seems too quiet. I get up and go out to the living room, passing Lucian's room on the way, but he's not in there. When I get out to the living room I see only Adam watching TV.
"Where's Lucian?" I ask with a yawn.
"Out with Owen," Adam replies.
"Why?" I question feeling an odd panic.
"He's his father, you don't really think Owen would hurt Lucian, or try and take him do you?"
"No, no of course not," I reply sitting on the sofa. "It's just been a crazy and emotionally trying few days. Despite the extra sleep I'm not thinking very clearly."
"I know," Adam says with an assuring smile, "Owen took Lucian for the day. He's going to take him to his parents tonight and Lucian will spend the rest of the weekend there. That way you and Owen can work on things without having to worry about Lucian. Owen figured if he was going to do that he should spend a really great day with Lucian today. You should eat some breakfast and wake up, and then we're going to the cops."
"Did you tell Owen?"
"Not in so many words, not with Lucian around. I said I was worried and would stay with you all day, and I'd take you to the station. He didn't ask with Lucian in the room, but he knew something more was going on, and was glad I'd be here with you all day."
Adam gets up and puts on some coffee, two cups, one meal and two hours later we're at the police station. I'm there for nearly three hours while I make a statement, it feels like a wasted three hours when there's nothing the cops can do. I can't press charges on Eli for having an affair with him or even cutting himself. There were no witnesses to anything else, and when I try to retrieve the threatening video it's gone. The cops do say they'll get statements from Owen, the security in my building, IT since they saw the video, and Jay. However, without any direct link to Eli, and even if they do find one there isn't much they can do.
They do say they will speak to Eli, and if Owen kept the notes or the phone calls were recorded that will show a pattern of behavior. Unfortunately not enough of one for them to arrest Eli. At this point I don't even have enough evidence for a restraining order. I return home disheartened, afraid for my life and family, and hoping Owen and I can work through this.
I tell Adam I'm going to shower and he turns the TV on as he gets out his phone. I'm in the shower so long that the water begins to turn cold, and it's very hard for our waterless tank to do that. I finally get out and pull on my robe, I hear noises in the kitchen, and smell food being made. Hoping that it's Owen and not Adam I don't bother getting dressed, and am happy to see my husband home and cooking dinner.
"Hi," I say leaning in the entry way cautiously.
Owen sets down the wooden spoon he was stirring with and comes to me. Tilting my chin up to gently place his lips on mine, "Hi. I'm sorry about last night, about losing my temper, I was angry, but that was no excuse to push you."
"I'm okay, you had every right to be angry."
"I still am, and I hate thinking about it, knowing you were touched by another man. It's going to be a long hard road, but I'm also not willing to lose you. I'm willing to work at it if you are."
"Yes, of course I am, I don't want to lose you either."
"I love you Clare, with all my heart. It will take time, but I think we can get past this. Dinner will be ready soon, you should go get dressed or I'll want to eat something else," Owen grins and I giggle.
We share another passionate kiss and I turn around smiling, it's the first good and hopeful thing to happen all week. I walk back to the bedroom, turn on the light and go into the closet to get out clothes. I start pulling clothes out of my drawers and then I hear a crashing sound from the kitchen.
"OWEN? YOU OKAY?" I call as I get my panties on. I'm completely expecting him to call back that he's fine and dropped a pan or something, but there's only silence. "Owen?" I call again leaving the closet with panties on and pulling my robe tight once more.
Still silence, I can just see the kitchen down the hall, and horrifyingly I see Owen's feet lying on the floor. My first thought is he slipped and hit his head and I begin running toward him. Before I get there Eli steps into the doorway blocking my path. I gasp and freeze in my tracks, Eli's sinister green eyes narrowed on me. He's red in the face and enraged, yet looking at me with an obsessive malevolence like a cat toying with a trapped mouse.
"You're mine, I'm your soulmate not him!" Eli's venomous voice hisses out of his lips and makes me shiver.
"What did you do to my husband?" I ask choking on the words as they leave my throat.
"He's not dead, but you will be gone by the time he wakes up. If you can't see that you're my soulmate and be with me, then no one else will have you."
Eli intends to kill me or kidnap me, I'm not sure, either outcome is not good. I have nothing to fight with right now, so I turn and flee. Running for my life, back to the bedroom, maybe I can lock the door and get out a window. Hope that I can get help and he won't return to the kitchen to kill Owen.
I turn, but Eli follows, he's close on my heels and I can't quite make it to the bedroom before he catches me. He grabs my robe tugging me back with jerking force and slams me into the wall. The force is enough that the wind is knocked out of me and I struggle to breathe.
"You belong to me Clare you are mine, why can't you see that?" Eli's voice is somehow malicious and pathetically pleading.
"I'm married Eli, you knew that, our affair never should have happened. It was a mistake I never should have made."
"STOP CALLING IT A MISTAKE IT WAS NOT A MIS…"
I cut off Eli's yelling by kneeing him in the testicles as hard as I can. He crumples to the floor and I run to my room, I don't even think about closing and locking the bedroom door. I'm just running for the window and hoping I can get out. I reach the window and start opening it when I'm grabbed from behind again. Eli grabs my arm and tosses me to the bed, he pins me down with a hand at my throat and pulls a knife from his back pocket.
"You are mine, my soulmate, if I can't have you in this life then I'll have your soul. We're like Romeo and Juliet," Eli says putting the knife at my throat. He presses the knife to my throat and I whimper as I feel it pierce my flesh. He begins slowly dragging the knife across my neck opening the flesh and muscle. Tears pouring from my eyes as I'm sure that I'm about to take my last breath. I close my eyes thinking of Owen and Lucian.
"GET AWAY FROM MY WIFE," Owen roars and I open my eyes as Eli is wrenched off of me. Eli is still clutching the knife and Owen tosses him to the floor.
My husband looks at me as Eli hits the floor, Owen takes off his shirt putting it on my bleeding neck. He looks back at Eli just as Eli makes an animalistic grunting scream and lunges at Owen with the knife still in Eli's hand. Owen moves and grabs Eli's arm, they start to wrestle, but Owen kicks Eli's leg sending him flying back towards the wall. Eli scrambles trying not to hit the wall, loses his footing and falls forward. He makes a groan and a wheezing gurgle and then his body goes limp.
Owen kicks Eli's arm hard enough to roll the body over. Eli fell on his knife and stabbed himself in the chest. He's dead, bleeding on our floor now, and yet I begin shaking and crying. Owen brings me into his arms holding me close.
"It's over, he's dead, we're okay," Owen tells me. I nod against his chest but I can't speak. "I need to call 911, that cut on your throat is pretty bad, and I probably need to see a doctor myself," Owen tells me and begins to get up but I grip his shirt and hold him tightly.
"I love you Owen," I wheeze out between tears, "I love you with all my heart. I'm so…so sorry," I tell him but it's hard to speak.
"Shhh, don't talk anymore. I love you too Clare and I wasn't going to lose you. I love you far too much to lose you," Owen says before placing a tenderly loving kiss on my lips.
And fade to black…nice cinematic ending for you. I hope you enjoyed this story, replacing this will be "Evil is Alive and Well" and replacing "Why Do I Want Him Still?" is "Passion at First Sight". Many many thanks to all that voted for what should replace "Why Do I Want Him Still?"