Chapter Sixteen

Although her parents were still up, Jayme went straight up the stairs and to her room. Without changing her clothes, she laid on her bed where she cried. The thing that really confused her was not knowing the reason why she was crying. Was it because of her husband’s murder? Was it because of what happened between her and Rex? Or was it simply the fact that she knew she wanted Rex more than anything but the timing was not right.
Jayme knew she would have to break it off with Steve, she certainly couldn’t handle another distraction. And Steve was a huge distraction. Jayme found herself weighing the odds over Steve. She couldn’t think of any significant reason why she would include Steve in her life. Yes, she was physically attracted to him but that was the only thing the relationship sustained.
Opening her eyes to the morning sun, Jayme realized she had cried herself to sleep. But she woke feeling content and well rested. She had made a decision to break things off with Steve. He was the only remaining tie she had outside of Hillman. Her life was now, back in Hillman.
Crawling out of bed, Jayme went to use the bathroom before going directly downstairs. After eating a banana and an apple, Jayme looked through the phone book to locate the number for home construction contractors. Seeing a name she recognized because it was popular in the town, she jotted down the number and went to the phone. It was just after eight and no one answered.
Waiting for the builders to open, Jayme went back upstairs and got dressed for the day. Dressing in a warm, flannel dress with knee-high boots, she dressed for the cool weather. It was Halloween. After calling and obtaining an appointment with the builders, Jayme went to the store to buy candy for the trick-or-treaters she would get later that evening.
Walking through the store, Jayme began to feel a slight backache in her lower back. She ignored it as she continued to pick up items and put them in her cart. By the time she returned home with all her groceries, her backache had increased. She laid on the couch to try and ease her backache but it didn’t help,
It was nearly two when she heard the knock on the door. Pulling herself off the couch, she went to the door to open it. Steve was standing on her doorstep. She wasn’t feeling like much company but didn’t want to be rude. “Maybe we could visit some other time?” She responded.
“I really need to talk to you, can you give me like thirty minutes?” He encouraged her.
Drawing in a deep breath, she exhaled before answering. “Alright, come in, we’ll talk.” Jayme said, opening the door fully.
“Well, I thought maybe we’d go for a ride and talk.” Steve suggested.
“If you want, let me get my coat.” She said and turned to grab her coat. “Maybe the vibration in the seat will help my back feel better.”
“You have a backache?” Steve asked.
“Yes, severe. It just seems to get worse.” Jayme said as she slipped on her coat.
“Oh. Sorry you’re feeling bad.” Steve said as he stepped out the door.
Jayme shut and locked the door, leaving her purse and keys behind. Following him, Jayme climbed into Steve’s car. Backing out of the driveway, Steve went towards town, but drove through town.
“Where are you going?” Jayme asked, seeing him leave the city limits.
“I thought I would cook you dinner at my house.” Steve said.
“Oh, maybe some other time. I’m not feeling up to eating, really.” Jayme said.
“Well, then, we can hang out. You can lay in bed all day, if you’d like.”
“Yes, but I was hoping it would be in my bed.” Jayme said.
“Come on, just for a little while.” Steve encouraged.
Jayme drew in a deep breath, not wanting to, but she gave in. “Fine, but I want to be home in time to pass out candy tonight.” She said.
“Oh, yes, it is Halloween, isn’t it?” Steve said.
Jayme saw Steve’s house for the first time as he pulled into the driveway. It was a large house with a professionally landscaped yard, although since the end of summer, it has not been kept up. The yard was in need of a rake.
Unlocking the door, the house felt cold and but stuffy. Almost immediately, Steve went to the fireplace and built a fire. “I don’t think we have any electric yet, I was hoping it would’ve been back on by now.” He said.
As soon as he had a promising fire in the fireplace, Steve went to the cupboard beside the door and located two flashlights. Handing her one, he told her to relax and look around while he went to the kitchen. “I can still cook us dinner.” He said as he went to the refrigerator to pull out two steaks that had been defrosting in the powerless refrigerator.
Lighting the gas stove with a match, Steve cooked both steaks, along with some sliced potatoes, in frying pans on the stove. Eating by candlelight, it was dark outside just after they finished cleaning up after the dinner mess.
Settling back on the couch, Jayme laid on her back as the ache began to turn to pain that radiated to her front, abdominal area. She could feel a slight cramp every so often. Although she spent a lot of time thinking about it, she had no idea how or what she did to injure her back. Heating a small rice pillow near the fireplace, Steve slid it beneath her for her to lay on. It seemed to help, at least minimally.
“Sit tight for a minute, I want to show you something.” He said and went toward the open stairs, leading to the second level. Returning to the living room, Steve carried a small jewelry box and set it on the coffee table. Sliding open the single drawer, he pulled a ring out. As soon as Jayme saw the ring, her jaw dropped.
“Oh my God, Steve…” She said and took it from his hand. Scrutinizing it for a mere second, she looked up at him. “Where the hell did you get this?” Jayme said, suddenly confused and disrupted. She looked down as he handed her a necklace. It was one that she had never seen.
“Look at the back.” Steve said.
Turning over the golden leaf, there was an inscription that read. ‘Forever my love, Scott’. “What the hell is this?” she said, looking up at Steve.
“These are all gifts that my wife received over the last few years. Gifts from your husband.” Steve said.
“Steve…?” Jayme was completely confused but she began to piece together the reality.
“No, my name is not Steve. It’s Jim.”
“Jim Taylor!” Jayme nearly shouted. As her mind pieced together the puzzle, she began to worry about her safety, until she was terrified.
“Yes. You see, I thought that since your husband took my wife from me, I could take you, and your unborn baby and be a family. But I would have to win you over to do so. But then you had to become involved with your cop boyfriend and I knew things wouldn’t work out for me. So, I brought you here tonight to keep you as my family.”
“Steve… er, Jim, I think you should take me home right now.” Jayme said with her shaky voice.
“Oh no…” Steve shook his head as he sat down beside her. “You’re not leaving.” Jim said.
Jayme just looked at him but inside, she was dying. She could feel the tingle in every nerve ending as she realized how much danger she was in. “What are you planning on doing with me?” Jayme managed to spit the words out although her entire body was trembling.
“I told you. I’m keeping you, and this baby, to live here as a family, as it should’ve been with Kelly.” Jim said.
“No, Jim. I’m not Kelly, I can’t stay here.” Jayme said but saw the anger crawl across his face, closing his smile.
He drew in a deep breath and squinted his eyes. “What are you going to do? Are you going to give me a fight?”
Jayme felt the cramping feeling again, and the ball of fire that was in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want to answer him, didn’t want to progress the situation more. She just looked at him quietly, as she thought about how she could get away. He was between her and the door.
“I have to use the bathroom, which way is it?”
“Nice try. Come on, I’ll take you.” Jim said and stood up.
Grasping her arm, he tugged on it, pulling her to her feet. Still grasping her arm, he took her to the bathroom and checked to make sure the window was locked. Then he stood in the doorway with his back to her.
“Do you mind? Can I have some privacy?” Jayme said.
“This is as private as it gets.” Jim answered without turning around.
Jayme sat on the toilet for minutes without urinating until the stream finally came. Pulling her underwear back up under her flannel dress, she walked up behind Jim. “I’m done.”
“Oh good.” He said and turned around.
Taking her hand, he led her out of the bathroom and toward the stairs. Jayme stopped and pulled on his arm. “Where are you taking me?”
Stepping up to face her, just inches from her face, he answered her. “Well, to the bedroom, of course.”
“No.” Jayme said and jerked her hand from his, trying to step away from him. “I won’t do it.”
Jim grabbed her arm and smiled. “Well then I’ll just take it.” He said and started toward the stairs, his hand firmly on her arm, pulling her behind him. Jayme wiggled and pried with her other hand but could not even loosen his grip. Jim practically dragged her up the stairs, her feet tripping over the steps.
Pulling her into his bedroom, he shut and locked the door before letting her go. “Strip for me.” He said. “Come on baby, take off that dress.”
“Fuck off.” Jayme said and just stood still in the middle of his room.
Without a word, Jim walked directly to Jayme, embraced her and planted his lips on hers. Jayme struggled to push him off of her. Leaning down, Jim reached his arms around her waist and picked her up, carrying her to the bed. Before she could move, Jim was on top of her, pressing his weight against her.
His kiss was hard and rough as he slid his hand up her dress, dragging it against her skin to her breasts. He believed he could change her mind with his touch. But she was adamant about her decision to not have sex with Jim. Still, he continued.
As Jim located the waist band on her underwear and tugged on them, Jayme kept her legs tightly closed but he still managed to pull them off.
“Stop!” She shouted but he continued.
With every attempt to keep her legs together, Jim forced his knee between hers and succeeded his attempt. Jayme screamed as she felt him insert himself. She knew there was nothing she could do now and just released her fight. She laid still and quiet as she cried while he finished.
After a moment of him just laying on her, Jim climbed off of her and stood up, zipping up his pants and buttoning them. Jayme picked up a heavy object up off the nightstand and threw it at him, hitting him in the back.
Jim groaned and flinched then looked at Jayme. “You fucking bitch, what did you throw at me?” He said then looked at the floor, seeing the heavy glass paperweight. Picking it up, he whipped it back at her, hitting her in the left shoulder. Jayme cried out in pain as it broke her collarbone. She raised her right hand to cover her left collarbone.
Jim locked the door and slammed it on his way out of the bedroom. Jayme climbed off his bed and went to the door, trying to open it. Pushing, tugging and jerking, it wouldn’t open. Looking around, she went to the window and looked out it, trying to estimate her escape.