A FILTHY Enemy - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,5

board at a store.

I saw it, called the number, then I had a place to live.

Valerie was twenty years older than me and had no problem trying to slip into a motherly role in my life.

Which I didn’t need.

I had a mother.

She lived in Arizona.

And while she did support me, there was always a tone of disappointment when I talked to her. My brother Joe went to law school and worked in Arizona, so he was not only successful, he had money, and had also stayed local.

With Valerie, she loved to preach and give advice that I didn’t want or need.

I listened and brushed it all off.

The only good thing about Valerie was that she spent her entire career teaching music so she was all for me becoming a famous singer.

She was retired though.

And that meant she sat around the apartment and stuck her nose in everyone’s business.

All the time.

Each day when I got to the apartment I would stand at the door and take a deep breath before going inside.

I opened the door and walked through the foyer area in peace.

The apartment was actually really nice.

It had an old feel to it with more rooms than I thought an apartment would have.

It even had a second floor.

It was a strange setup, but it fit Valerie’s personality and fit my life.

I heard Valerie’s feet hitting the steps as she came rushing down.

I didn’t even make it to the kitchen to get a drink before she was right there to greet me.

“How was your day?”

“Great,” I said.

“Really?”

“Yeah. It was a great day.”

“Anything big happen?”

“No,” I said.

“You look tired,” she said.

“I am. It was busy.”

“But great.”

I stared at her. She had salt and pepper hair that was always pulled back. I had never once seen Valerie with her hair down. And every morning she did her makeup like she had a full day of things to do. She had big, brown eyes and a bit of a big nose. She had no problem picking on herself either, which I kind of didn’t go for. I wondered if her being single was part of that. Not that I was innocent of ever doing the same, but Valerie was a good person with a big heart.

Really, Abby? This is what’s on your mind right now?

“Oh, before I forget, someone called for you,” Valerie said.

“Called for me? Here?”

“Yeah. I took down her name and number.”

Her?

Valerie was also one of the last people in the world to pay for a landline. She had a cellphone but believed it was emitting dangerous stuff into the air and into our brains.

I didn’t bother arguing with her over that.

“I’m hoping it’s a gig for you,” Valerie said. “How exciting, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I better call back.”

I walked to the table and looked at the piece of paper.

Clementine.

That was the name.

I didn’t know a Clementine.

I took the piece of paper and went to my room.

I needed a shower. I needed food. I needed a drink.

But first, I needed to call Clementine.

I dialed the number on my cell.

“Hello?” a woman’s voice asked after the second ring.

“Clementine?” I asked.

“Yes… who is this?”

“It’s Abby…”

“Please hold,” she said.

Hold?

A second later I heard the sound of laughter.

A deep voice laughing…

I hung up the phone.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

I turned and looked at my closet.

Panic set in hard.

Really hard.

I ran to my closet and packed a bag.

I threw out Clementine’s number and hurried out of my room.

As I passed through the apartment, I called out, “I have somewhere to go, Valerie. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“A gig?” she asked. “An audition?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Good luck.”

When I left the apartment, I ran to my car.

My heart slammed inside my chest.

I looked around as I got into the car.

The entire time I drove, I checked the mirrors.

I did my best to convince myself to calm down, but there was no calming down.

I should have been used to it by now.

It was the same old thing… happened from time to time…

There was only one place I could go.

Jess didn’t live in the nicest part of the city, but not many actually did.

I parked outside her building and hoped my car would survive overnight.

It was a risk worth taking.

I pressed the buzzer over and over for Jess’s apartment.

She was on the second floor.

There was no answer.

I ran out of the building and texted her.

Outside ur building - answer me

I looked up to her apartment and she opened the window a few seconds later.

“It’s broken,” she called down to me.

I had my bag over my