Alice POV

“I’m going to the storage room; come and help me after you clean up here!” Cillian instructed Caden and left.

It was late morning on a Saturday - Cillian’s supply day, and Cade came to help him out before they open the pub. I came to… well, be with Caden.

Caden. We’ve been dating for a few months now and let me tell you this: they've been the best months in my life! Okay, maybe not THE best months, but certainly some of the best. It seemed like we started going out together only a few days ago. I was just so happy that I perceived time as never before.

Some of my favorite things about us being a couple?

Aunts Rose and Flora adored Caden. Azalea had met him only once and it was a brief encounter, but at least she tolerated our relationship. My aunts also met with the other two boys. Rose and Flora had been delighted and Azalea didn’t criticize. Well, she didn’t say anything good, but she didn’t criticize either. That was one worry less on my mind.

My other concern had been Keegan. When Cade and I started dating, we knew Kee still felt something for me and we felt guilty as neither of us wanted to hurt him. At first it had been awkward to say the least. But as time passed, our friend seemed more and more at ease with us. That made me really joyous.

And then there was Rachel. I’d been really anxious when we decided to visit her and tell her we were going out. What if that upset her? When I disclosed my concern to Caden he just smiled. When I pressed for more details as to why he was so confident the news wouldn’t disrupt his mom, he'd told me that the first time we went to visit her together, while I was out, Rachel had not-so-subtly hinted that she liked me and that she liked me for him. Apparently, they had the same conversation whenever he went to see her. I felt considerably calmer after that reassurance.

As for Rachel herself… Well, the moment she saw us together, she somehow knew. She clapped her hands in delight and even wanted me to give her a hug.

It seemed like everything was working out for Caden and I.

“What are you thinking about, little Alice?” A slow, silken tone questioned and I felt a pair of strong hands gently wrap around my waist.

“Us.,” I replied, turning on my stool to face the boy behind me. I could look at him all day long and not get tired of it.

How did I get so lucky?

And I don’t mean just his handsome face, full lips or gorgeous eyes. Nor his muscled body and the tribal style tattoos that were on display since the boy wore just a black singlet and no jacket. Having a good-looking boyfriend made me a lucky girl without a doubt, but his appearance was not why I felt blessed to have him.

It was the way he treated me as if I was the most important person in the world; it was the way his eyes shone whenever he laid them on me; it was the way his touch send an electric current through my body and raised goose bumps on my skin… But in a good way.

“And what were you thinking about us, little Alice?” Caden queried again and his left hand slipped under my t-shirt and slowly moved up my back. I arched my body on impulse and the boy smirked. He got the very reaction he had been after.

“I was thinking that I am happy that we are together and that I’m lucky to have you,” I replied and surprised myself with my own tone; it was breathy and even seductive.

“You know, it’s actually the other way around,” he announced, leaning closer to me. His left hand went down and back to my waits. He pulled me to him and gazed into my eyes. He was smiling. “I’m the one lucky to have you.”

He kissed me.

You’d think that after months of doing that very same activity, I’d get used to it.

You’d be wrong.

Kissing Caden always brought the same sensations. I felt nervous, I felt exited, I felt happy… I felt safe. The way he kissed me and held me truly made me believe that nothing would harm me as long as I was with this boy.

It was now my turn to wrap my arms around him, but I didn’t go for the waist. My target was the back of his neck. But my hands didn’t stay there for long. I just couldn’t keep them in one place. Not when there was so much of Caden that I wanted to touch, to caress. My palms started moving all over his arms and torso. I made sure to go slow. I wanted to tease him.

And I succeeded.

Suddenly our gentle kiss became something else; something more passionate and lustful. My hands went back to his neck, my legs wrapped around his waist and he leaned towards me, pushing my back to the bar which he had just finished cleaning. His mouth left my lips and went to my throat. He attacked it with urgent kisses and I let out a moan so loud, it was a miracle Cillian didn’t hear it in the storage room.

“Caden!” The bartender’s stern voice came from afar. Okay, maybe he had heard me. “Get your ass in here and help me sort the new bottles!”

The boy buried his face in my chest and groaned. We stayed like that and for a few brief moments the only sound that was audible was our heavy breathing.

“I’m gonna kill that guy!” Caden declared, once he had stopped panting. He adjusted my position on the stool, gave me a quick peck on the lips and left for the storage room.

I briefly wondered whether there was an actual chance of him punching Cillian for interrupting us, but I dismissed that thought.

“Not that I can spend much time wondering about that,” I mused in my mind, hearing my phone ring. I looked at the ID; it was an unknown number.

“Hello?” I started hesitantly, sure that there was some mistake.

“Alice?”

It wasn’t a mistake. It was Morgan.

“Yeah?” I questioned, confused as to why she was calling me. And how did she get my number?

“It’s Morgan. I got your number from Logan,” she replied as if she’d read my mind. That still didn’t explain how he had my number. Now that I was dating his younger brother, it had only been natural that the two of us met, but we hadn’t exchanged numbers. Maybe Caden gave it to him.

“So… What do you want?”

The answer was the sound of Morgan clearing her throat and then falling into silence.

Did that mean she was nervous? An image of when I’d met the girl popped in my mind. She had been so composed, even regal. So what could possibly make her edgy? Now I was even more curious to find out why she called.

“I want to apologize, Alice,” the girl finally went on, in a quiet voice. “For what I did to you and Caden… Well, for what I tried to do to you and Caden. I’ve already spoken to him… I ran into him while visiting Logan. You know the two of us are dating, right?”

I nodded and then facepalmed myself.

“You are on the phone, Alice, it’s not like Morgan could see you!”

“Yes, I know!” I responded aloud. I was well aware of the fact that those two had become a couple before Cade and I did.

“Well, as I was saying, I apologized to Caden already, but I felt like I should do the same with you. It doesn’t feel right doing it over the phone so could we… Would you mind if we meet? I’m coming back to town tomorrow.”

I was flabbergasted. I was absolutely, undeniably astonished.

Morgan McNeil wanted to apologize? To me? And in person? I thought that she despised me.

“Alice? Are you still there?” She questioned when I didn’t respond.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“So, do you mind the two of us meeting? It can be anywhere you like, although I’d appreciate it if it were just the two of us. I don’t want some complete strangers eavesdropping on our conversation.”

I nodded again.

“Seriously, Alice? What’s with you today?”

“How about tomorrow afternoon at my place?” I offered after I gave myself another facepalm.

“Won’t your aunts be there?”

Wow! Even Morgan knew that my aunts were the stay-at-home type. Although they’ve been spending less time there lately with Rose giving interviews about her latest book which became an instant bestseller and Flora meeting up with Will. They were officially dating now. She announced it a few days after Cade and I got together.

Hmm… There must be something in the air for there to be so many couples lately. Morgan and Logan… Asher and Beth… Me and Caden… Flora and Will… Next thing you know Keegan and Skyler would get serious about someone.

“Alice?”

Oh, man, I’d spaced out again!

“Yeah, about them. Tomorrow is that annual event in the museum; the one where the mayor holds a speech, followed by the same lecture from the same history professor that visits every year. I find it boring, but all of my aunts are going and I’ll have the house to myself.”

I gave her my address and we set a time to meet at my place. I was just saying “See you then!” when Caden came back. I hit “end call” and put the phone back in my purse.

“Who was that?” The boy asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Morgan.”

A prominent frown appeared on his face when he heard my response.

“What did she want?” He questioned in a not-so-friendly tone.

“To apologize,” I answered calmly.

“Oh, that! She already had this talk with me you know.”

I nodded once more. This time, the person I was conversing with was actually able to see me.

“Did you forgive her?” I queried, although judging by his demeanor, my guess was that he had not.

“Forgive her? After what she did to us?” He came to stand in front of me and grasped my hands. “Alice, Morgan tried to break us up before we actually got together.”

“Well, we are meeting tomorrow and I’ll forgive her.”

He rolled his eyes.

“You are way too nice, my little Alice!”

My little Alice.

I liked it when Caden called me that. I liked being his.

“Now where were we before my annoying boss rudely interrupted?” He questioned in a husky voice, leaning in for a kiss, while still holding my hands.

I smiled and responded.

“I pay you to work, not to make out with your girlfriend!” Cillian’s voice interrupted again and this time I felt like killing him myself. “Now get to work or I’ll fire you, you slacker!” The bartender went on sternly, but his eyes displayed softness as he looked at us.

I shook my head with a small smile on my lips.

Even when Cillian was trying to be strict, he obviously still had a soft spot for Caden.

*****

“I made it!” I thought as I reached our house. I’d done some shopping and lost track of time, which meant that I had to speed walk home or I’d be late for my meeting with Morgan. It was still hard to believe that she actually wanted to apologize to me. I was just about to search for my keys when I noticed something: the front door was already ajar.

“How is that possible?” I silently mused. “My aunts always double-checked if they’d locked up when they went out.”

I hesitantly pushed the door and went inside. Placing the grocery bags down on the floor, I closed it.

“Could it be Morgan?” I kept debating in my mind. “But if she came early, how did she get in?”

I heard quiet sounds coming from our living room and dread overtook my heart. Last time I’d been alone in the house I’d ran into that man who tried to rob us.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Alice!” I scolded myself and slowly walked towards the muffled noise. “It can’t be him; he’s in jail. He can’t…”

My heart stopped in my chest at the sight before me: he was back. The robber was here, in my living room, and this time he wasn’t alone.

How was that possible?

Was I seeing things?

Was I dreaming?

I let out a small whimper and both men, who had previously been busy with emptying our shelves, now looked at me.

The robber’s lips formed into a sinister smile as his cold gaze fell upon me. His companion, a much smaller, skinnier blond guy, just stood frozen in surprise.

“You’re finally back,” the bulkier one spoke quietly, making Blondie turn to him.

“You said no one will be home!” His voice came out frightened.

“I lied,” the other one spat, without even glancing at his accomplice. “I knew she’d be here; I’ve been planning this and watching the house for a while. So when a few days ago I heard her aunt ordering three tickets for today,  just three, I figured the little one will be staying home… alone. Now aren’t you happy to see me, little girl?”

“You… You are supposed to be in jail,” I managed a raspy reply.

“I got out,” he sneered. “Gotta love our penal system.”

So this was real. He truly was here and he had come for revenge. The gravity of my situation finally reached the conscious part of my brain and my fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. But this time I wasn’t fighting; this time I was going to run.

I started to turn away but in one swift motion the bulkier robber reached behind his back and pulled out a gun.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going, little bitch?” He growled through clench teeth, staring with contempt at my now frozen in fear body.

“Dude, what are you doing, man?” The skinny robber questioned in panic. “No one was supposed to get hurt, remember? We are not shooting anyone, right?” His voice was pleading and displayed the same terror that I felt.

“Fool! Why do you think I got us those guns? Now pull out yours and aim it at her!”

“Please, man… I don’t want to! She’s just a girl, man, let her go!”

“Pull it out or I’ll shoot you!” The larger mad screamed, turning to the blond one and aiming his weapon at him.

That was when I saw my chance. The two of them being momentarily distracted was all I needed. I turned on my heels and made a run for it.

“What? Wait! Come back, bitch!” Came the furious voice of the robber, but it didn’t make me halt. I ran upstairs, seeking the safety of my bedroom. I tripped and fell down, injuring my knee, but I quickly got up and ignoring the pain, began sprinting for my room. I heard heavy footsteps behind me, but I didn’t turn around to look at who was following.

I was so close now. I could already see the door to my room… The handle was just an arm’s reach away… I had to only extend my hand and I would grasp it!

A bang came from behind me and sharp pain exploded in my torso. As my feet gave out on me I vaguely registered the skinny man’s frantic repeats of “Oh, man, oh, man, this was not supposed to happen!” I fell forward but once I reached the floor, I turned to lie on my back. For some reason it was hard for me to breathe. And then I realized it: I’d been shot.

*****

When I first started telling you my story, I mentioned people with guns. Well, in case you hadn’t picked up on that already, that had been them.

Now as all of this was going through my head, I comprehended that even the smallest thing could have a major impact on your future. In this case – something as insignificant as attempting to pick a CD at the music store and shouting “Hey, tall, dark and handsome” at a complete stranger.

If I had not met Caden that day, I would have not gotten in trouble; I would have not gone to Elanor and ate that dreadful food on my way back; I would have not been at home on the day I first met the robber… And he would have not come back for revenge.

But I also would have not met Caden.

Strangely, that though brought me more pain than the gunshot wound.

And I never got to find out what was on that piece of paper he dropped the first day… Paper…

First…

Caden…

My thoughts were getting more and more incoherent as my mind seemed to be shutting down.

And then I felt another jolt of pain. This time it was on my cheek. It felt like a slap on my cheek, followed by another and another.

“Alice… Alice, open your eyes! Alice, stay awake!”

The female voice that was calling me was remotely familiar and I tried to open my eyes and look at it’s owner. But I couldn’t. My eyelids were heavy and I didn’t have the strength to lift them.

“Perhaps I should rest now!” I thought and lost consciousness.

*****

A/N: No, this is not the last chapter!