Darkness

25. Autumn-Rose

Twenty-Five

Autumn-Rose

The music starts, and I take a deep breath. Today after Poppy’s lesson I wanted to spend some time skating, time on the ice to myself. There are two reasons why I know there is no need to look over my shoulder.The first being Cain is here, and secondly, Logan books out the whole rink for Poppy’s session, and then an extra thirty minutes for me. So I can be free for a small moment.

I push hard and glide my skates across the smooth, slick ice, my left leg bent slightly as I bring my right leg out behind. I’ve been listening to this song for a while. Lighting by Little Mix. There’s something about this song it calls to me, it gets me moving.

I bring my right leg down and push so I move a little faster, turning around and skating backwards, letting my body move to the music. I feel I can skate how fast I want and as much as I want, because I skate like no one is watching me. It’s something I did when I competed. I always closed myself off to the people watching, the crowd, the judges. If Ii thought about them watching me I would make mistakes. So I would block them all out.

I know for sure that there is no one coming after me when I’m on the ice. It’s just me and the ice, and no one else.

Jumping up in the air, I spin around, landing on my left foot and I spin landing on my left foot with my right leg out. I always loved spinning on the ice, it was something which took me a long time to learn, but when I finally did it, it was something which gave me a lot of happiness doing it repeatedly.

This is my world, and I’ve missed it. Would I ever go back to competing if I ever had the chance, probably not? Why? Because I haven’t been doing it everyday like I used to, I can’t do half the tricks I was able to do, this wasn’t something I did once or twice a week, no. I was in the rink at five in the morning training, then school, then back to the rink to train more. All I wanted was to be the best, I wanted to win everything I could. I was a whole different person back then.

I smile to myself as I skate faster to one side on the rink, there was a move I practiced for months and months. It was a move I knew I could never do in any competition because they had banned it. It was more for me. Wanting to prove I could do what they thought was dangerous.

I skate around the ice, gaining some speed. I know it might not happen, it’s been a few years since I’ve done it, but it never stops me from trying. Turning a little, and I go backwards, then forwards and backwards once again, and jump up to do a backward flip. Just like I thought, I miss my landing, and hit the ice hard.

“Shit,” I shout as the pain hits me. That’s going to leave a fucking bruise.

“Autumn?” Cain shouts.

“I’m good.” I get up and skate over to him as I smile. “I used to do a backflip with my eyes shut,” I tell him as I reach him and place my hands on his shoulder as I lean in for a kiss. “I’m gutted I missed my landing.” I rub my hip, because the pain burns at the moment.

Cain pulls me to the side and through the gap to get me off the ice, and starts rubbing my hip. “First, I thought we agreed all bruises on your body would be from me, and second I didn’t think you were the type to give up.” He pulls me in closer to him, and I see him quickly scanning the rink to see if anyone is here.

“I still have your finger marks on my hips from last night, and I’m not a quitter. I’ll try it again and again until I land it.” I move my hands through the sides of his hair, which always makes him close his eyes. He thinks I don’t notice it, but I do. I feel his body relax even if it’s only for a few seconds, and knowing I give him even a few seconds of peace makes me happy. “Do you have to go to the club, or can we grab some tea before I go to the shop?” I ask him, sitting on the bench so I can remove my skates.

“I can get coffee,” he looks away from me, and taps a message back on his cell. “Aunt Jane wants to know if you would like to go on a girl shopping trip, I’ve just sent her your number.” Cain kneels to grab my skate and helps me take them off, then he puts them back in the bag while I put on my ballerina flats.

“Can I go?” I ask, because I know what’s happening at the moment, and I’m not sure if he thinks it’s safe or not.

“Yes, I’m not stopping you from living your life, all I ask is you let me know where you are going and if you change location make sure you tell me. Plus Uncle David taught Aunt Jane how to use a knife, so if anything happens she can fight them off until someone gets there.” Cain opens the door for me as we exit the rink and go to his car while I process the fact that if anything was to happen they all know how to fight and protect themselves.

“Are you going to teach me how to defend myself?” I ask Cain as he holds the car door open for me, and I wait for him to reply.

“No,” one simple answer with no reason behind it, but I want to know why he isn’t even open to the idea.

“Why?” I might be pushing it with the question, but he might be in a good enough mood to answer me.

He looks around again making sure there is no one around, before turning back to me.

“Because you have so much brightness in your life, you smile while you sing, you ramble about things no one understands, you dance around the apartment like no one is watching. I’ve covered your brightness with my darkness. I won’t take anymore. I want you to ramble about shit I don’t understand, dance in the kitchen while you’re cooking, and sing, or make up your own songs. Leave the crazy side to me.” He leans in closer and kisses me, then tells me to get in the car.

He enjoys me rambling about nothing, no one likes that about me, but Cain does. He watches me, notices all the little things I do, and he enjoys everything. I don’t care what anyone says, this man loves me, and I can’t wait to hear the words from him.

Olivia Rodrigo plays in my ears, and I dance along to her music. I’m sitting on the floor of the window display and making up the coffee boxes I got from Cain’s mom. She loved the idea of coffee with flowers as an afternoon treat for your loved one to brighten up their day.

I designed the sticker which had both our shop names on it, and a color theme which is so stunning, and I can’t wait to have it finished so I can post it on our social media pages. I’ve been taking photos while making the boxes, so people know the shop has something fun coming.

I take the pod out of my ear when Katy waves her hand to get my attention. “You know the date I have tomorrow night, you think I should wear a dress or short dress?” I laugh at her question because she hasn’t really given me many options.

“I say the dress.” The guy she’s going on a date with was a customer in the shop buying flowers for his mom. I told her, he sounds too simple for her. She needs someone who will give her a ride, put her in her place when needed. She’ll get bored and then moan to me that she needs someone who gives her butterflies and not in the stomach parts either.

“The black one, I was thinking about that one, too.” Katy walks over to me, as the shop is quiet today, a little too quiet and I don’t like it. “You and Cain want to go on a double date?” Now that question makes me laugh hard.

“Does Cain look like the double date type? Hell, he hasn’t even taken me on a date yet.” Now that I think about it, Cain has never taken me out for dinner, I mean he sends me a gift every morning when I get to the shop. Even when I’m with him in the morning, he still gets a gift for me without me knowing and Katy gives it to me when I get to the shop. But I’ve never got dressed up for a date.

“He has never taken you on a date? I think I need to talk to that man of yours.” Katy shakes her head and walks over to the woman who’s walked through the door, and I get back setting up the window.

I stop for a moment and wonder what Cain would do on a date. I’ve seen him dress up smart, and I’ve seen him do all the amazing things people do after a date, but never seen the part in the middle. I grab my cell from the side, and send Cain a message.

Autumn-Rose

Can we go on a date?

I don’t have to wait too long for a reply, and smile.

Cain

I don’t mind eating off your sexy body. I can finish early.

Autumn-Rose

No, I mean I want to get dressed up, and go for a meal, or go to the movies.

I don’t get a reply from Cain straight away, so I get back to making up the window display. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about the window display. It’s an idea which I believe is something new and fresh as I’ve not seen anyone do it around here.

Katy finishes with the customer, and I see her walking back over to me. “This is for you,” she hands me a box. “It’s not from Cain, so who else have you been talking to?” She tilts her hand, and I shake my head at her. I don't have time to talk to anyone else, and if I did, or if any guy came to talk to me, I’m sure Katy would be the first one to tell Cain about it.

I take the card out of the ribbon and place it to the side as I pull the ribbon open. Lifting the lid, I take a peek inside and my whole body freezes for a moment, then trembles.

He’s found me. I glance around, seeing if I can see him anywhere.

“Autumn, what’s wrong?” I hear Katy ask me, as I stand up and look at the window, then look at the card.

Mr. Yang.

Taking my cell out of my pocket, I call Cain, he’ll know what to do. “He’s… Cain… He’s found me.” The words escape with a shakiness, how can he have found me? Cain promised me the cell calls to my parents weren’t traceable. There was no way to get past his system. He was so sure it couldn’t happen.

“What?” Cain asks.

“He’s found me.” I can feel my body tremble from the fear which is rushing through me, and I try to listen to Cain’s voice, but I can’t hear anything as I scan the street trying to find him.

“Autumn!” Cain shouts my name. “I’m on my way, is Katy there?”

“Yes.” I turn to face Katy, she looks as if she is scared for me.

“Give her the cell.” I hand her the cell and look back outside. How did he find me? What did I do wrong?

“Yes, I’m doing it now. Promise.” I turn back to Katy locking the front door, and putting the, ‘be back in ten minutes’ sign on the door. “Cain is on his way, he said get out of sight.” Katy takes my hand and pulls me away from the window, and to the back of the office. “Sit down, I’ll make you some tea.” I look over at the door, giving her a nod.

She’s going to have so many questions, maybe I should have told her from the start about Rowen, she would have understood everything. Because I feared anyone knowing, I was scared someone would tell him so I hid it from her.

“Here,” Katy places the teacup on the table, and I can’t take my eyes off the door, waiting for Cain to come through it. I just need him to let me know it’s not really him, and he hasn’t found me.

I’m so happy with my performance today, I didn’t put a step wrong. Every second of the music was aligned perfectly with my moves.

“Autumn-Rose,” my body tenses up at the sound of his voice.

Why is he still here? I don’t even know how to complain anymore, the police keep saying they have my complaints, but then a few days later I go again, and the report is missing. I know he’s the one who’s shredding them. He’s trying to make me go crazy, well it’s working. He is everywhere all the time, I come out of practice, he's there. I go out for a meal with friends, he’s there. No matter what I do, he is always there.

“You did amazing, the last-”

“Why are you here?” I cut Rowan off and see my dad power walking over to us.

“There is nothing stopping me from being here, you’ll never be able to stop me being close to you.” He takes a step closer to me, but stops when my dad slams his hand into his chest hard enough for him to cough out in pain.

“Dad,” I place my hand on his arm. The last time my dad confronted him, Rowan, being an asshole, locked him up for a few hours just to prove a point that he had the upper hand.

“Sir, all I want is your daughter to go on a date with me, again-”

“No!” I scream in his face. This has been going on for a year now. He's stalking me, and no one is helping me.

“I got you this.” He hands me a gift bag. “Open it,” he says with a smile, as I try to give it back to him. “I. Said. Open. It.” My eyes snap to him when he pushes my dad out the way.

I know he’s crazy, and I know one day he will get me. I have no idea why he hasn’t done so already. The asshole knows no one believes me. I go to different police stations, but he will always get rid of my report one way or the other.

Taking the box out of the gift bag, I look at the box. Fucking hell, how many of these does he think I need? Plus does he really think I keep them?

I take out the snow globe and look at the skater in the middle.

“You like it?”

“No.” I throw it at him, which he catches quickly, so it doesn’t smash on the floor.

Rowan takes a step closer to me and grabs my arm. “You need to stop playing hard to get,” he snaps at me, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear him.

I jump when there’s a knock on the door I should relax when I see Cain, but I don’t. Katy runs over to the door and lets Cain and Lincoln in. Cain kneels in front of me, and I breathe in, then take a sip of my tea.

“Now why do you think he’s found you?” Cain asks.

“I got a gift.” Katy hands it to Cain, and he pulls out the snow globe. “He used to give me them all the time, they would be on my kitchen counter, in my car. I know it’s him.” Cain looks over at Lincoln, then back to me as he stands up.

“He’s in England, Autumn-Rose. I‘m watching every step he is taking. I have a tracker on his car, his passport has been flagged so if he catches a flight I know about it. Right now he is in his house-” Cain looks through his cell, before turning it to me. “I’m watching everything he’s doing.” I take the cell off Cain and see he has CCTV in his house.

“How? How did you get…what…what if he finds out?” I ask, not sure what or why I’m asking him.

“I told you, no one will come close to you. I’m watching him. Did anything else come with this?” he asks, and I nod because I have no words.

He meant it when he said I will never be in danger from Rowan again. He’ll make sure the man can’t come close to me.

Katy hands him the card, and I wait for him to say anything. “Fuck,” he says as he hands Lincoln the card, and they both have a silent conversation with each other.

“There is no link between them. Rowan’s never even left the country, and Yang has never been to England. There is nothing between them, so this…” Lincoln stops talking, and shakes his head, because I’m a little confused right now.

“Cain?” I ask him.

“Yang. Mr. Yang, is the one who I told you about.” Cain places his hands into his pocket, then closes his eyes.

“Headache?” I ask him, but he doesn’t reply so I look over at Lincoln who gives me a small nod. “Cain, please say something?”

“I’m thinking.” He opens his eyes and turns to Lincoln. “I need to know when Yang went to England, and how he met Rowan without me fucking knowing about it. I thought we had a man on Yang?” Cain shouts and Katy stands behind me, her hands on my shoulder because I’m still shaking. “When was the last check in?” Lincoln takes a step back, and just stares at Cain.

“He never picked up the cell.”

“And you didn’t think I needed to fucking know that?” Cain shouts at him, then walks away from him. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen Lincoln scared about Cain’s reaction, which tells me one thing. Whatever Cain has told me about The Pit, it’s only the surface of what really happened down there.

Cain looks around the shop at the security system that Miles put in, then he rubs his forehead.

“Cain-”

“Don’t say anything,” He turns around to face Lincoln who nods, then turns to me. “I bet you wish you never came into my office now,” the corner of his lip lifts into half a smile.

“I don’t regret it for a second. Just tell me the plan, and I’m ready to fight.” My comment makes Cain and Lincoln chuckle to themselves. “What?”

“Awww, my beautiful rose thinks she can fight. while I’m alive you will never have to fight.” Cain walks over to me, cupping my face. “I’ll have blood on my hands every day, if it means protecting you.”

“Awwwww, that’s the most romantic thing I’ve heard Cain say” I look over at Katy and I roll my eyes at her.

“What’s the plan?” Lincoln asks.

“We keep going like we are. Nothing changes.” Cain turns to me and tilts his head a little. “You might have some visitors popping into the shop, they might want to stay for a while. If I’m with you all the time, then he’ll think he's winning.” Cain takes his cell out of his pocket and puts it to his ear. “Where are you?” He walks around the store and flips the sign back to open then opens the door. “Well, finish fucking her and get a family meeting set up.” He ends the call, puts his cell away and turns to the three of us.

“Cain?” I don’t need to ask him the question because he knows it.

“Do you trust me?”

Without even a second to think about it, I answer him. “One hundred percent.”

“Go about your day, like nothing has happened, tell your friend everything, and don’t worry about a thing.” Cain walks over to me, gives me a small kiss, and tells me he will come pick me up once the shop is closed.

“I’ll see you later.” I tiptoe and give him a kiss. “I love you.” I whisper against his lips.

I’m still waiting for the day he says the three words to me, they will come. I know they will. He shows it to me every day, the words will slip out and I’ll be the happiest woman on the planet. My Prince Charming is really the devil in a sexy suit.