Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Zoey

IT’S BEEN TWO weeks since I was attacked the second I stepped foot on campus. I haven’t been back to school since then. Instead, I’ve been doing all of my work online and turning in everything online through email. This is not the way I wanted to complete my degree but I refuse to be on campus to get beat on and hurt in other ways. There’s no way I’m going to go to the Dean or anyone else about what’s going on either. That’s only going to paint an even larger target on my back and I refuse to play the victim. For now, what I’m doing works and my professors are fine with me completing everything online. It won’t always be this way is what I keep telling myself. Eventually I won’t be afraid to go back to school and attend my classes in person. For now, all I have to do is go to take my tests there so no one can say I cheated because I was in my apartment when I took them.

It doesn’t help that I’ve been sick the last few weeks. Every single day I get up and get sick before being able to go on with my day. Certain smells make me feel nauseous and when I’m not rushing to the bathroom, I’m so damn tired all I want to do is sleep. It’s hard as fuck to force myself to go about my day and take care of everything that’s on my to-do list each day. For the most part, when I’m not cleaning, completing school work, or cooking, I’m lazing on the couch with my favorite blanket wrapped tight around me and a book in my hand. It’s either one of my text books so I can stay ahead in my classes or one of the books I’ve been waiting to read. It”s been a long time since I’ve been able to read for pleasure. But lately that’s all I’ve been doing.

Kingston, my dad, brothers, and everyone else in my family have been continuously trying to get a hold of me to no avail. I refuse to talk to anyone because there’s so much going on and I’m scared to find out the one thing I know might be a reality instead of something I used to dream of as a little girl. My dad is the most persistent of everyone. He calls me multiple times a day and I know it’s only a matter of time before he shows up at my apartment to find out what the hell is going on with me. I might be a daddy’s girl, but there are certain things a girl doesn’t want to share with her dad. Not to mention if he knows certain things about me and what happened, I don’t see it ending well for he who shall not be named. It’s bad enough I’m about to destroy his life with the possible news I might have to share. It’s just not time to figure out if my thoughts are going in the right direction or not.

I haven’t even been out riding. With the way my stomach feels, there’s no way in hell I’m about to ride my bike and throw up in my helmet. I’ve seen guys do it before and it’s not something I have an interest in doing. Plus, I don’t want to have another run-in with the cop who seems to have a hard on for me. The less I’m on my bike and locked away in my apartment, the less likely I am to run into anyone I don’t wanna see. Including my family and anyone else from the Phantom Bastards. If I see one of them, they’ll run right back to my gramps and uncle G to tell them something is definitely off with me. Honestly, I’m surprised Shy or Sam haven’t stopped over after being forced to by gramps or my uncle. If I won’t talk to them, they typically try to send one of their women over to find out what’s going on. It wouldn’t be the first time since I’ve been here that it’s happened.

Anyway, today I’ve already done my classwork and I’ve cleaned the house to music blaring through my speakers. Now I’m sitting on the couch with my blanket wrapped tightly around me and my tablet in hand. I’m currently reading a book where the female character doesn’t have to choose between the men she’s been falling for. It’s the first one I’m reading like this and I have to say I’m enjoying it. One of the characters reminds me so much of he who shall not be named because he chooses to push away the girl he wants in favor of continuing to fuck everyone else around him. It’s almost the situation I found myself in before I decided to say fuck him and move on. It really won’t be easy if my suspicions are true though.

Yes, I think I’m pregnant. No, I haven’t gone to get a pregnancy test and I don’t want to take one right now. The longer I put it off means I can remain in denial for a little bit longer. I won’t do anything to harm myself or the baby if there is one. However, if I am pregnant, then I’m only about six weeks into the pregnancy and I have time to take the test and make a doctor’s appointment. Today, I’m going to continue living in denial and pretend I have some kind of stomach bug or something. That’s where my mind is as I settle in and pick back up in my story where I left off last night. I might have fallen asleep on the couch with my tablet in hand. It wasn’t until the middle of the night when I finally got in bed. That may be because my tablet fell and smacked me in the face when my grip on it became too loose. Yeah, not a good way to wake up. I don’t recommend it at all.

I’ve finished the first book of the trilogy I started yesterday. Getting up off the couch after setting my tablet down, I head for the kitchen where I try to find something to eat for dinner. I’m actually hungry but I don’t want to push my luck and get sick because something smells and it upsets me or the food I’m eating doesn’t agree with me. Yes, that’s happened to me a time or two since this all started. So, I dig through my refrigerator to find something that will be easy on my stomach. I really want a grilled cheese but I’m not sure I can stand long enough to make one. Maybe I can order out for dinner tonight. So many places around here deliver. Making my mind up, I head back to the couch after pouring myself a glass of orange juice. I grab my phone from the table where I placed it and bring up the app that will allow me to order something to eat.

It doesn’t take me long to order some soup and a grilled cheese from one of my favorite places to eat. I’ve tried most of them since moving here and there’s a few that I go to on a regular basis now. Kingston even goes with me every now and then. When I’m at the garage and the guys order lunch, my uncle G always orders from one of my favorite places so I’m happy and eat my food without working through lunch. I’ve been known to do that a time or two. Knowing I have to wait for my food to get here, I open my social media and scroll through to see what I’ve missed over the last few weeks.

The first thing I see are a ton of pictures Reagan recently posted of Xavier. There’s more than a few of just the baby and some with Trax holding him. Toward the end of the pictures she posted, there’s so many of baby Xavier with Jameson. Dammit! He who shall not be named I mean. Those are the pictures I stop on and study for longer than I’ll ever admit to anyone. It’s so clear to see in the pictures just how loved baby X is by his uncle. Savage, I think I can be okay calling him that because it’s not something I’d ever call him, looks down at his nephew with nothing but pure love in his eyes. I do save one of the pictures. It’s Savage holding his nephew up in the air and staring up at him. Baby X is looking down at his uncle with the biggest smile on his face. I can imagine hearing his baby giggles as they play and Savage tosses him carefully in the air.

Getting off the couch after closing out my social media, I head for the bathroom. I’ve got a ton of windows in my apartment and during the day I keep the curtains open to let in the natural sunlight. As I pass by the largest window I have in the apartment, I once again get the overwhelming feeling of being watched. My feet become rooted to the floor and I can’t move as I look out the window and try to find where someone could hide and stare into my apartment. Across the street are nothing but businesses. They really don’t have apartments above the space where the various businesses operate. There doesn’t seem to be any cars that are parked with a direct line of sight to my apartment either. No one’s standing on the sidewalk or at the edge of the park and staring at my apartment.

With a tremor running through my body, I close the curtains so whoever is spying on me can’t look in my windows any longer. Looking down my body, I let out a shriek to realize I’m only in a pair of boy short panties and a tee-shirt I stole from Kingston. The shirt is so big on me that it covers everything. However, it’s the point that someone is taking advantage of me by looking in my windows when I’m wearing next to nothing that has me wanting to throw up once again today. I rush to my room and head straight for my dresser. Pulling out a pair of baggy sweatpants, I quickly pull them up my legs and almost fall on my face. Heading for my closet once my sweats are in place, I grab a hoodie I stole from my brother Kevlar. He still doesn’t know I have it and thinks some girl he was dating in high school stole it from him. Every time he bitches about it, I have to leave the room so he doesn’t see my laughter about the situation.

Now feeling slightly better, I go to the bathroom and take care of business before washing my hands and making my way back out to the couch where I can go back into hibernation. I feel like a bear preparing to hibernate these days. The only good thing is I placed an order yesterday and bought all the snacks I could want along with things to calm my stomach down when I’m not feeling the best. Saltines, peppermint candies, some ginger ale, things I read about that will supposedly ease the nausea. I’m gonna have to get the book from the local book store about what to expect during this pregnancy if that’s what ends up being the case. Maybe I should do another order and just get a pregnancy test to find out one way or another. At the very least, I can have it here for when I’m ready to take it. Even if it’s not today.

Picking my phone up again, I see I’ve missed several messages in the time it took me to put clothes on and go to the bathroom. There’s one from my dad, Reagan, Savage, and Kingston. I’ve missed a call from my gramps. That one hurts more to ignore than the others because I really do love my gramps. I’ve missed him and I know I should go see him. However, if I do, he’ll immediately know something is wrong with me and that can’t happen. Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths. I want to have my gramps come over and hold me in his arms like he used to when I was a little girl and I got hurt doing something stupid. My gramps is right behind my dad when it comes to the important men in my life. Uncle G is just behind my gramps. Then come my brothers and Kingston. I couldn’t ever pick one of those four to go above the others so they’re all tied as far as I’m concerned.

Shaking my head, I clear out all the messages and missed call notifications so I can make an order at the pharmacy close to my house. I’d go out to pick it up myself, but after feeling like I’m being watched in my own apartment, there’s no way in hell I’m about to go out in public. I’d rather stay locked inside for the rest of my life than have something happen to me because I chose to ignore the feeling in my gut. My dad taught me to always listen to my gut and not to ignore it when it’s trying to tell me something. So, I don’t ignore it for any reason. Right now, it’s telling me to stay locked in my house and don’t open the door for anyone. Whoever brings my food and order can leave it outside the door for me to collect when they’re gone. They don’t need to see me face-to-face at all. It’s one of the biggest advantages to placing these orders online and having someone else shop for me.

After ordering a few tests and some more snacks, I set my phone down and pick my tablet back up again. I try to lose myself in my book but my thoughts keep spinning to who could be watching me when I’m in my apartment. I could understand if I only got the feeling when I was out walking the streets of my neighborhood or on my way to school. Since that’s not happening today, there’s no way in hell anyone should be watching my apartment or me for any reason. I know what I have to do. Grabbing my phone again, I call my gramps to find out what’s going on.

“Baby girl, are you okay? Why haven’t you been answerin’ anyone? Who do I need to kill?” he questions me, his voice almost frantic as I try not to laugh at how he’s being right now.

“Gramps, I”m okay. I mean as okay as I can be right now. No, I’m not getting into what’s going on. I haven’t been answering my phone because I’m trying to make some decisions about what I want to do moving forward. And, you don’t need to kill anyone. At least, I don’t think you need to kill anyone. I might get back to you on that part,” I tell him, letting a little laughter fill my voice as I try to lighten the mood and make him not worry so much about me. Though that could all change depending on the conversation we’re about to have.

“Well, I’m glad to hear your voice. I won’t pressure you to tell me what’s goin’ on though. Tell me what’s been goin’ on,” he says, moving around wherever he currently is.

“Gramps, are you havin’ someone watch over me? Even when I’m at my apartment?” I ask him, biting the nail of my thumb as I wait for his response.

“Why are you askin’ me that, baby girl? I don’t have anyone watchin’ over you. Neither does Playboy. We wouldn’t do that shit without tellin’ you about it first. Now I’m gonna need you to tell me what’s goin’ on,” he says, his voice letting me know how alert and pissed he is right now.

Well fuck. This isn’t how I thought the conversation would be going.

“A few weeks ago I was on my way to campus and felt like I was being watched. When I subtly looked around, I didn’t see anyone that looked suspicious. It didn’t ease up at all. Since then I’ve barely left my apartment. When I just went to the bathroom, I felt someone watching me through the windows of my apartment. So, I thought maybe you had some guys watching over me I guess. Or maybe I was hoping that was what is going on,” I tell my gramps honestly as I huddle down on my couch even more now that I know my gramps and uncle don’t have anyone watching over me. This situation just got a lot worse I think.

“Baby girl, don’t leave your fuckin’ apartment or open the door for anyone. We don’t have anyone on you. I’m gonna warn you now that your dad and the triplets are in town and they’re gonna be pissed when they hear this shit. There’s also someone else in town. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up,” my gramps warns me as my heart stutters in my chest and I know he’s talking about Savage.

There’s no reason for him to be in town. The most he does is ride through when he’s on a run or on the way back to Clinton City. My gramps hangs up and assures me someone will be here within minutes. No, I don’t live very far from anyone in my family here. It’s one of the main reasons my dad got me the apartment instead of having me stay in the dorms on campus. I mean the difference isn’t that much, but here I can have better protection and security measures in place. Right now, I’m ready to sink into an exhausted sleep instead of waiting for my family and Savage to show up. Yeah, my day just got a hell of a lot worse than it was before I called my gramps. Fuck my life!