Love Like This

A Christmas Surprise

Chloe's POV

I opened my eyes and immediately felt like I was in an ice box. Freezing, I got out of bed and went to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate; the power was out; the snowstorm last night must have taken out the power.

But, I wasn't going to let that take away the fact that it was Christmas morning. I couldn't stop thinking about my house and what it would have been like had I not run away.

For one, Derrick loves Christmas. It is literally the only time in the years when he acts like a human being. I don't know what it was about Christmas, but Derrick was always in a good mood.

He would wake me up with a present, usually something shiny and expensive; then he would give me a map of the house and all of the places where he hid my presents, and I would spend the morning on a scavenger hunt.

Then I would prepare us for some Christmas lunch, then later in the evening, we would go to his mother's house for Christmas dinner. They had a strained relationship, but even then, he would be polite to her.

So even though I didn't like Christmas, Derrick loved it, so I learned to enjoy it as well. To say that this Christmas is different would be an understatement. I tried to put up some Christmas decorations and even brought a small tree.

Still, it was nothing like the Christmas I had in the past. With the power out, that meant that I had to get the coal stove running and light up the fireplace. I went back to the bedroom and changed into something warmer.

I made the fire and put a kettle of water on the coal stove. I wasn't planning on going outside, not while it was still snowing like it was. I knew what would warm up the house even more. I decided to make a Christmas meal, and I had nothing to do.

I might not like Christmas, but I certainly don't want to spend this day alone. There's a small town nearby, I saw that they had a homeless shelter there. I am sure that they would appreciate a good meal.

I began to take out the ingredients and put them on the table. I started to cook and bake, and by the time I was done, it was almost evening. I checked my phone, and I had tons of missed calls from Tessa. I called her back.

" Hello," I said.

" Thank God you're fine; I was beginning to get worried; I have been trying to call you for hours," she said to me.

" I know, I'm sorry, time just got away from me," I said to her.

" Girl, you are in the woods in the middle of nowhere. What could you be busy with there?" she asked me.

" I made a Christmas meal, and it's a lot, way too much for just one person," I said, looking at all the food on the table.

" Why would you make that much food? Do you plan on having people over?" she asked me.

" No, there's a homeless shelter in town. I thought I could bring them some food, but it's getting late. I think I'll just take it to them in the morning," I said to her.

" Well, that's a good thing you are doing, you know? Not letting him stand in the way of your Christmas spirit, " she said to me.

" I hope so," I said to her.

" Well, there is something I need to tell you, it's about Derrick. You are not going to like it, " she said to me.

" What happened? Did he talk to you?" I asked her. Tessa is my only friend. He knows that. He had separated us for years, but even he knew that Tessa was the first person I would go to for help.

" Yes, he called me and asked me if I had seen you; I said that I hadn't seen you in years; he then told me that you're missing and that he filed a missing persons report," she said to me.

" He did what?" I asked her.

" That's not the end of it, he spoke to the media, he offered a million dollars reward to anyone who would help him to find you, your face is plastered everywhere," she said to me.

" That is not good, damn it!" I said in frustration.

I knew that he was going to try and find me somehow, I just didn't think that he would do it this way. This means that the man is using every resource at his disposal to find me. If my face is plastered all over the news, how am I gonna be able to skip the country?

It takes one person to recognize me, and then it's all over. A million dollars is a lot of money. People will be on the lookout for a woman fitting my description. I should have left while I still had the chance.

" Don't worry, you are safe where you are, but we are gonna have to find something else. You can't stay there forever," she said to me.

" I know all of that, but a million is a lot of money, we can't trust anyone outside ourselves right now, at least until we have a plan or two," I said to her.

" Chlo... We already have a plan; he doesn't even know that you are pregnant and you are going to start showing soon; we can make this work; come to New York with me," she said to me.

" Yes, it can work, I can change my look, but... what if he finds me? I have no one to back me up, Tessa. That man is dangerous; he cannot find me," I said to her.

" Maybe you don't have to hide yourself," She said to me.

" My brother... He knows people. We can keep him away from you," she said to me.

" No, that is too risky, and I can't ask your brother to risk his life for me. We have to find another way," I said to her.

" Fine, I'll think it over, I'll call you in a couple of days. Hopefully, we'll have a solution to this problem," She said to me.

" I have to go; I think my water is boiling; I need a bath," I said to her.

" Well, Merry Christmas, friend," she said and hung up the phone. The battery alert went off on my phone, the phone was about to die, and the power was still out. I put it on the table and went to take a bath.

When I got out of the bath, the power came back on, and the lights switched on, I smiled a little. I went into the bedroom and got dressed, but by then, the fire on the fireplace was about to go out, and I needed more wood.

I walked through the thick snow and went to the shed, I took out enough wood to last me the night and locked the shed. I was about to turn back and go into the house when I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

At first, I thought that I might have been some animal, these woods are known for wildlife, nothing too scary though, just some deer and squirrels at the most, and once in a while, a coyote.

The more I looked, the more I realized that it wasn't an animal, but a man, and he was crawling. I got scared a little bit.

" Don't come any closer! I have a gun!" I said to him.

He didn't say anything. He fell on his stomach. I don't know, but instinct just kicked in, I dropped the wood and ran to where the man was lying down. I got closer to him and saw that his clothes were torn. He looked like he was injured as well.

" Oh my God!" I said and kneeled, I turned him over. He was covered in dirt and smelled like smoke. His eyes were closed, I leaned into his mouth and felt his breath. He was breathing, but he was weak.

I took a first aid class a few years back; before I chose to be a lawyer, I wanted to be a doctor; taking the class was enough for me to realize that I didn't want to be a doctor, but I learned a few things. I slapped him on both cheeks; he opened his eyes, and his pupils were dilated.

" Help me!" he said in a weak voice and coughed.

" What happened to you? I'll call 911," I said to him.

" No, no police, no police, they will find me!" he said to me.

" Okay, I won't call the police, but you're hurt, I can't carry you, so you are gonna have to help me, okay?" I said to him.

" Okay..." he said.

I helped him to get up. It wasn't easy, but we managed, slowly. I walked him to the house, and I got him to the couch. He was hurt badly; he was shaking from the cold. I covered him with the blankets on the couch. He tried to get up.

" Lay down; you're hurt; I am going to get the first aid kit," I said and went to get the first aid kit; when I came back, he had passed out on the couch.

I could tell that he was weak. I went to the kitchen and poured hot water into the bowl, I came back with it and took off his shirt. He had a lot of cuts and one that looked bad, like he had been stabbed, nothing I couldn't handle.

I began to clean up his wounds; I tried to stitch him as best as I could and let him sleep on the couch. I had so many questions running through my mind.

I tried to find his wallet but it wasn't in his pocket, I don't know who this man was, he could be a killer for all I know, it would certainly explain why he didn't want me to call the cops.

I don't know, but something in me told me to trust him, I don't know why. I thought about calling Tessa and telling her about the stranger in my house, but I know her. She will just overreact and blow things out of proportion.

I didn't find anything on him, no weapons, no identification, just torn clothes, an expensive watch, and a silver necklace with a diamond-encrusted letter D pendant.

Who is this man? How did he end up in the woods in the middle of nowhere? Who did this to him? I am already dealing with a lot as it is, I don't need this right now, but the man needs help. I have to help him. Hopefully, he can tell me what happened when he wakes up.