Chapter 37 - The Pool House
Cat continued to stare at the woman in front of her in utter disbelief. She looked like her mother, except for the color of her eyes. She was petite, with long blonde hair and a kind smile. Cat felt tears running down her face as she backed up. Was she seeing things?
"Is something wrong?" Trey was worried when he saw Cat's expression. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.
"That woman, who is she?" Cat was whispering so quietly that Trey almost didn't hear her.
"That's Valerie. She's Roger's wife." Trey looked at Roger and Valerie standing in the doorway, watching him and Cat. They were both clearly concerned by her reaction.
"She looks like my mother. Only her eyes are green and not blue. Let me calm down a little. I thought I was seeing things." Trey smiled at the older couple to let them know it was okay, and then he put his arm around Cat's shoulders.
"It's okay. Take all the time you need." Trey was more thankful than ever that they were staying here rather than in Sacramento. He could tell she wasn't ready to be around a lot of people yet.
"I'm okay now. It was just a shock." Cat looked up at him with a small smile, and he could see that she was better. He led her up to Roger and Valerie.
"Valerie, this is Cat, my girlfriend. Cat, this is Roger's wife, Valerie." Valerie saw the fear on the young woman's face and knew she was still dealing with everything that had happened to her. Roger had shared a little bit with her, and even though she didn't know the whole story, one look at her face told her it wasn't good.
"It's so lovely to meet you finally. Roger and Ellie have been telling me all about you." Valerie could tell that Cat wouldn't want to be touched, so she didn't attempt to shake her hand. She also noticed the panic that passed on her face when she said she had heard all about her.
"It's nice to meet you too. I want to thank you both for letting us stay here temporarily." Cat could feel a calmness come over her from Valerie's warm nature. She had a very comforting way about her.
"It's our pleasure. No one ever uses the pool house, so it will be nice to have some occupants. Would you like a tour of this place, or would you like to go straight to the pool house? It's your call." Roger let Valerie do the talking. He knew that Cat was more open to females, with the exception of Trey.
"I'd like to go to the pool house if that's okay. I really need a shower after being in the hospital. Can I have a tour another time?" As thankful as she was for their hospitality, she wanted to be alone with Trey. They hadn't been alone since before Caleb took her.
"Absolutely. Follow us." Roger and Valerie stepped out of the house and led them around to the back. Cat stopped briefly to take in the scenery. Their property was gorgeous.
The back of their house had a huge patio area leading to an enormous pool that looked like a rock structure. It even had a waterfall. Around the pool was a large garden with different colored rose bushes and other flowers. Cat smiled when she saw some lilac bushes; those were her favorite.
She noticed the small white cottage a few yards from the pool and realized it was the pool house. She hadn't expected it to be so big. She kept her eyes on the house as they walked, not wanting to look at all the water in the swimming pool.
When Valerie opened the house's front door and stepped aside, Cat gasped. When she pictured a pool house, it was nothing like what she was seeing.
There was a decent-sized living room with white furniture, green slate floors, and a fireplace. They continued walking through the living room, which led to a small dining room with a table and six chairs. Beyond that was a kitchen that made Cat's apartment kitchen look like a closet.
There were all stainless steel appliances that looked like they had never been used. The kitchen was fully stocked with everything Cat could think of and more. Sliding glass doors off the kitchen led to a small deck with a table and two chairs looking over the massive flowery grounds. There was also a two-seater porch swing that she could already picture her and Trey putting to good use.
Valerie then led them up the stairs from the living room, where there were two bedrooms and a large bathroom. The decor from the living room continued upstairs, with everything being white or green. Cat was speechless as she looked around.
"What do you think?" Valerie asked her with a pleasant smile as they went back downstairs.
"I'm in love with this place; it's beautiful. I don't feel like I deserve to be here." Cat spoke quietly, and Valerie wanted to hug her so badly but knew that wouldn't go over well.
"I'm glad you like it, and you can stay here for as long as you want. We get lonely having this place all to ourselves. We'll leave you now to settle in. If there's anything that you need, please let me know." Valerie smiled as she and Roger left.
"Do you think you'll be happy here for a while?" Trey wrapped his arms around her as they stood in the living room, looking out the window.
"This place is unbelievable. I feel like I'm in a whole new world here, and I feel safe. You won't have to leave to go to work, will you?" Cat thought that now she was out of the hospital, Roger might make Trey go to Sacramento to work. She was okay being here but didn't want to be alone.
"No, I'll be here with you. I told you I'm not letting you out of my sight. Do you want to change your clothes? I had Ellie pack up your clothes and mine to bring here." He looked down and saw her face finally looked calm.
"I want to get a shower first. I want to cook something for our dinner when I'm done." Trey looked at her in surprise.
"I didn't know you could cook. When did you learn how to cook?"
"I taught myself because I didn't like going out. Cooking calms me." Cat started walking to the kitchen to see what food was there.
"What are you going to make?"
"How about some chicken enchiladas? It looks like we have everything here, and it won't be too difficult." Cat saw everything she needed and got excited. It had been a while since she had been able to cook anything.
"That sounds great. I'll help you. Get your shower, and then we'll get started." Trey kissed her on the forehead before letting her go.
"Can you do me a favor? Can you stay in the bathroom while I shower? I know that sounds silly, but I'm scared to be alone." Cat hoped she didn't sound ridiculous asking him, but he smiled at her.
"Of course." He took her hand and led her to one of the bedrooms where Ellie had put their clothes. Cat got a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. They then went to the bathroom. Trey stood near the door while Cat started the shower and took her clothes off.
He was happy to see her creamy white skin rather than all the bruises. His heart filled with love for his kitten when he looked at her. She was stronger than she knew. Not many would be able to go through so much and still function. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he would help her in every way he could.
Cat showered quickly so they could start dinner. She wanted to eat at the small table on the deck off the kitchen. The view there seemed very peaceful. When she got out of the shower, Trey was still standing where she had left him. Cat quickly dried herself and put her clothes on.
They worked together making the enchiladas, and Cat even found herself laughing at Trey's lack of cooking skills. They ate on the deck as she wanted. It was quiet and serene. However, as the sun began to set, Cat felt fear coming over her in waves.
She began noticing all the shadows in the backyard. She started shaking as she imagined the darkness getting closer to her. Trey picked her up to carry her back into the house. He sat on the couch with her on his lap and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight until she calmed down.
"It's okay. I'm here with you. I saw you panicking and thought it was better to bring you inside. Are you okay?" Trey looked down into her terrified eyes that kept darting around the house that was getting dark. He realized that it was the darkness that was scaring her.
He sat her on the couch and turned on every light he found so the whole place was lit up. He then closed all the blinds so she couldn't see the dark outside. When he sat on the couch, he pulled Cat onto his lap.
"Thank you for realizing what I needed. When we were outside, and I saw the dark, I felt like I could see people coming for me. I have never been scared of the dark. When I was in that darkness before I woke up at the hospital, it made me never want to be in the dark again. I'm sorry." Cat put her head down, feeling like a child.
"Never apologize for being scared. I'll keep you surrounded by light. You will never be in the darkness again. How about we go to bed so you can get some rest? We'll keep the lights on in the house all night." Cat kissed his cheek.
"You're the best."
Trey refused to let Cat walk. He carried her upstairs and put her in bed. He did as he said and left every light on in the house. When they lay down, Cat put her head on his chest so she could hear Atlas' purring. She was asleep within minutes.
Trey fell asleep soon after her but was woken up a few hours later to Cat's screams. She was crying and thrashing around in the bed, screaming no, repeatedly. Trey knew this was a Caleb nightmare, and he swore if he ever had the chance to be alone with him, he would kill him.
