Chapt 18

The take out containers sat on the coffee table empty and Claire and Matt sat on the floor between the couch and the table, his arm around her shoulders, talking. When she thought they had covered everything his cell phone rang. Taking it out of his pocket he groaned and lifted himself up off of the floor.

"I'll be right back. I have to take this call." He walked into his kitchen and answered in a low, hushed tone. The conversation was held in that same tone and when he entered the living room five minutes later to find her sitting on the couch he smiled; only it looked more like a grimace. "Sorry, it was my mom."

Claire smiled back at him as he took a seat next to her on the soft couch. "Was it bad news, you look like you'd have rather been hit by a truck than to of had that conversation."

Shaking his head he turned the television to a music channel. "No, it wasn't bad news. I guess it's just that my mom and dad and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. Every call is the same thing in the end and I hate it."

"That bad huh," she said. "I've noticed that you never talk about your family, but I never asked. I always just assumed that it was a private thing or something."

"No, it's nothing personal really. Well, not where you're concerned anyway. My parents hate the fact that I would rather date a guy than a girl and they keep insisting that one day I will see the light. I've done all I can to make them proud but the one and only thing that they care about I can't give them."

Claire scooted closer and held his hand in hers, her thumb making circles on his palm. "They love you though, I'm sure."

Matt gave a short laugh. "Sure they do, and they love it even more when I try dating a girl just to be sure I'm really gay."

"You mean that you've actually dated girls before?"

"For my parents, yes, and for me when I first realized that I was more attracted to the football players than the cheerleaders. It's not that I didn't like the girls, they were all wonderful really. It was just the thought of being close, intimate with them that had my nerves on edge. I could never see myself walking down an aisle and kissing some woman and pledging to love her forever and then going home and doing all of the husband duties if you know what I mean. Hell I'm fine being with a female, as long as I don't have to be with her when the bedroom door closes."

"You've got such a way with words, you know that?"

"I try to keep it fun and light," Matt said. "Hey, do you want to watch a movie before I take you back to your car?"

"Sounds good, do you have popcorn? I'll go pop it if you want and grab us a beer."

An hour later the bowl of popcorn sat on the coffee table uneaten and two beer bottles sat empty. Matt and Claire were lying on the couch, looking like the perfect picture of a romantic and in love couple, sound asleep. By the time that Matt woke up the sun was shining in through the blinds and the birds had long since given up their morning song.

"Claire, wake up, we fell asleep."

Claire stretched out and cracked her eyes open. "We did, didn't we," she said, her voice still foggy with sleep.

Matt sat up and pulled her to a sitting position and grinned. "So much for taking you back to your car last nigh huh?"

Claire laughed, pointing to the full bowl of popcorn. "So much for popcorn and a movie it looks like! Do you have anything for breakfast in the refrigerator? I'll cook if you do."

Matt nodded and shuffled into the kitchen to show her where everything was kept. "If you don't mind I'm going to shower while you do that."

Shaking her head she fought a smile. "I don't mind, in fact I totally get it. You have to wash off your girl cooties after sleeping so close to one all night."

"If it were anyone but you I might be offended," he said kissing her cheek. "You are lucky I love you."

"I know," Claire mumbled as he left the room. Her heart was beating in an unsteady rhythm and she was afraid that she was crushing on her best friend just a little. That wasn't good, no matter how you looked at it.

To distract her mind she set about making a breakfast of eggs and bacon. After they had both eaten she took a shower and slipped into one of Matt's shirts and a pair of his old pajama pants. He followed her downstairs and then drove her back to the FCW arena to pick up her car so that she could go home. Pulling into the lot a sick feeling came over him and he glanced at her to see if she was feeling anything. She looked just fine so he brushed the feeling off.

As they pulled closer to her car the sick feeling wouldn't go away and it only got stronger. He wasn't paying attention and when Claire spoke in a frightened, shocked tone he jerked himself back to attention. "What did you say," he asked blinking.

"My car; Matt look at my car."

He took one look at her car and the sick feeling consumed him. The windows were all smashed in, and the back bumper was hanging off. There was spray painted words full of hate all over the doors, trunk, and hood that Matt wished a thousand times Claire hadn't seen.

"Oh my God, Claire I'm so sorry. Who could have done this?" In her silence he looked at her and remembered her face as she was climbing into his car the night before. She had been pale as though she had seen a ghost. A ghost or pure evil, he thought. "Claire, last night what did you think you saw as you were getting into my car?"

Without answering his question she climbed out of his car and walked over to the wreck that was hers. A folded piece of paper was sticking out of the hole that had once been a windshield. She knew that she should leave it there for the cops but she had to see what it said. She reached out and carefully picked it up, not touching anything else in the process. Unfolding the stiff sheet of white note paper she felt her entire body shaking.

"Claire, did you really think that I would let you go so easy? Did you think that you could take my money every month and that I wouldn't want something in return? Even better, did you really think you could change your last name and run off to another state and think I wouldn't find you? I saw you leave tonight with your little boyfriend and I have to say, he's not your type. Why would you bring someone else into your life you stupid bitch? Haven't you learned that I'll never be gone from you, not until death do us part? You were there when we said those vows, and look at you trying to run from them. What would God think of you breaking that vow? Enjoy your time with your lover whore because it's not going to last much longer, I promise."

There was no signature but Claire didn't need a name, she knew it all to well. She was crying by then, her whole body shaking, convulsing in fear and pure terror. She didn't even notice Matt's arms around her until he spun her around, grabbing her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

"Claire, was it your ex husband? Is that who did this?" When all she could do was nod he pulled her close to his body, stroking her still damp curls. "We will call the cops; they will make a report and look for him. If he's still in the area they will find him. He won't hurt you any more, not as long as I'm around."

An hour later a report had been filed and they were back at Matt's apartment. "Let's head over to your house Claire, make sure he didn't go there too."

Claire's eyes snapped to meet Matt's. She hadn't even thought of that and just the thought that Logan had been in her house sent chills down her spine. She nodded and then said, "Matt I hate to ask, but do you think you could come stay with me a few nights? Just until this blows over anyway, I'm scared and I don't think I could handle being in the house alone."

Matt crossed his small living room and wrapped her in his arms. It infuriated him to see her as she must have been all those months ago. "Of course I will, I'll stay as long as you need me too. You know you're always welcome here too, right?" When she nodded he pulled back and brushed a stray curl off her cheek. "Wait here while I go pack some clothes okay? I'll be right back."

After another hour had passed they were sure that Logan hadn't been to her house and she felt herself breath a little easier. How he had found her she would never know, but he had done what he had set out to do. She was terrified.