Chapter 6
Alex woke to the obnoxious sound of her alarm clock. She eased out of bed and padded to the kitchen. With her eyes hardly open, she scooped the coffee grounds into the filter. It didn't take long for the pleasant, hazelnut aroma to sift through her nostrils and perk her up. Her gaze zoned in on a piece of paper next to the coffee pot. A note from Peter. Her stomach fluttered. How did she not see that a minute ago? She read the note and smiled, liking the fact he looked out for her. She sipped her coffee and ate her peanut butter toast as she read the note again, and then unable to help herself, she read it one last time before leaving for work.
After a full day, she returned home to find Peter already there inspecting the new security system. "It looks good," he told her as he showed her how it worked.
Though thankful for the comfort of the new security system, needing to have it put her in a funk. This is what her life had now come to and it depressed her.
Remembering that Peter had plans, she thought she better cut him loose or he'd feel obligated to stay longer out of pity.
"Where's the poker game tonight?" she asked.
"It's at Jeff and Kate's."
Jeff and Kate were part of the "couples" group Alex and Sam used to hang out with, as well as Ken and Beth. Sam, Peter, Jeff, and Ken attended school together and were the best of friends, dating as far back as grade school. Alex, the same age as well, had dated Sam ever since anyone could remember. Kate and Beth followed one year behind the others and hooked up with Jeff and Ken after high school.
And then there was Peter; everybody loved Peter. What's not to love? He was as nice as they came, and he'd give anyone the shirt off his back if they needed it. He had a good job, worked hard, was extremely good-looking, and was athletic. Lord knows he'd been there for Alex during her time of need. But he was also quite the ladies' man, standing at six feet two inches with his perfect slim, yet muscular build. His wavy, dark brown hair never seemed to be out of place, and with a flash of his dark chocolate eyes, he could talk a woman into anything without saying a word. Smooth, yet honest and caring. The ladies loved Peter, and Peter loved the ladies. The couples group agreed long ago that he wasn't the marrying kind.
"Oh, by the way, Beth and Kate got babysitters, and they're taking you to dinner tonight."
"What?" Alex asked.
"I told them what happened, and I thought maybe you could use some company," Peter replied. A proud smile spanned his face.
She shot a nasty scowl in his direction. "You made me out to be some sort of charity case," she blurted, "and guilted them into spending time with me. Great. That's just great! And did you happen to give any thought to how busy they are on weeknights with the kids?" she snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
"I... I just thought it might be a good idea for you guys to go out and have some fun," he responded as he shifted his gaze to his feet.
Alex stormed off to the bathroom and slammed the door. She was sure her blood pressure was near stroke level.
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. She didn't respond. She wasn't sure what to say, and she wasn't exactly sure why she was so angry and snapped. Maybe she was sick and tired of everyone feeling sorry for her, treating her as if she were some sort of pathetic helpless person. It was bad enough Peter knew how vulnerable she'd become since Sam's death. He had let everyone else know as well, undoing everything she tried to uphold - the qualities that were important to her - that she was strong and self-sufficient. He ruined it - her.
The knock sounded again. "Alex, are you okay?"
She stood silent.
"I'm sorry, Alex. I just thought you needed a distraction to get your mind off things."
"You made me out to be some sort of pitiful loser who shouldn't be left alone."
"That's not what I intended. I just thought it would be fun for you to go out with the girls."
"Just go, I need to be alone."
A few beats of silence passed.
"Kate and Beth will be over shortly to pick you up. And in case you need me for anything, I'll be at Jeff and Kate's."
Alex heard her front door squeak and then click shut.
Her shoulders slumped, and she leaned against the wall.
What in the hell's wrong with me? Why did I go all ballistic on poor Peter? He didn't do anything wrong. He was just trying to help me.
Alex closed her eyes and sighed. She'd had about all she could take since becoming a widow at thirty years old. It just wasn't fair. And now her house had been broken into, and deep down she knew the break-in was related to Sam's murder.
What do they still want? When will it end? And when will Sam's killer be brought to justice?