You Shouldn't Have Come Here

by Jeneva Rose

There was something both beautiful and terrifying about isolation. It made you feel important and insignificant at the same time.

“I’ll treat you so good, you won’t want to leave. That’s my motto,” Calvin said, widening his smile.

RED FLAG

I glanced at the old beat-up car I drove here in and then back at him, hesitating for a moment. A sinking feeling hit me in my gut, and it felt like I was free-falling for a moment. It passed quickly, before I even had a chance to react to it, to consider it, to wonder what it was.

I was already drawn to her like a moth to a flame or them damn coyotes to my chickens, so anything I could do to buy some more time with her, I would.

CREEPY

We had more in common than she knew. I too had to keep busy. Idle hands, as they say, are the devil’s workshop.

RED FLAG

“I can lock it away in the basement if ya want.”

I knew she liked to read. It was on her Airbnb profile, and I figured she’d spend a lot of her time here with her nose in a book.

“Thanks. It doesn’t really match the rest of the house because, well . . .” I trailed off. It wasn’t something I liked talking about, and I hoped she wouldn’t ask.

No matter where you were standing in the room their black marble eyes followed you.

Curiosity always got the best of us, hence why I added the padlock.

There was just something about Grace, something different. But I wasn’t ready to chase after another girl. It was too soon.

Pulling open the top drawer of the dresser, I found several pairs of women’s underwear and a sports bra. They were nice brands: Lululemon and SKIMS. Odd. I held up a pair of thong underwear, size small. A previous guest must have left these behind, or perhaps Calvin had a girlfriend.

Finally, a thriller. This one promised a twisty ending I wouldn’t see coming. It seemed every thriller promised that these days, but few actually delivered.

“Battle wound from your cracked window.” “Oh shoot. Sorry about that.” He disappeared down the hall and reappeared moments later with a small first aid kit. “I meant to fix that. Some of my guests aren’t good guests.”

“That’s a shame about your window,” I said. “Don’t worry. They paid for it.”

“Do your guests usually get rowdy?”

“Only the bad ones,” he said, glancing up at me for a brief moment.

“Is it uncomfortable having strangers stay in your house?” I asked. Calvin paused, and his eyes met mine. “They’re only strangers at first,” he said with a serious face

“You know they say an ex will purposefully leave something behind after a breakup just so they have a reason to come back.” “Well, I hope that’s not the case.” “Why’s that?” I asked. “Because she’s dead,” he said. I swallowed and broke into a coughing fit.

“May I ask how she died?” I added. “Car accident . . . about a year ago.” He rotated the bottle in his hands a couple of times like he was deciding whether or not to say more. “We had actually broken up the night she died, but I’m sure we would have gotten back together. We always did.”

“Oh, I just wanted to send a quick text to a friend to let them know I arrived safely. What about Wi-Fi?” “I did. But the router needs replacing.”

“I work in banking,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Every year, I close my eyes and throw a dart at a map of the United States. Wherever it lands, that’s where I go for vacation.”

“I must ask: Was picking my ranch random too, or did you throw a dart at the Airbnb website?” I teased but I was serious. I wanted to know if this was fate too, or maybe not fate, maybe a part of the curse. “No,” she said with a half smile. “I picked this place, Calvin.”

There are so many things that are decided for us. We don’t choose where we’re born, who we’re born to, how our parents raise us, what values they instill in us, or even how long they’re a part of our lives. I hate that part of life, not having any control over it. It smacks you right in the face whenever it wants, and you’re just expected to take the hit and carry on.

It was a spark like when you jump-start a car. The two cables. They’re electric. My heart rate sped up, and I took a deep breath to calm it down. I wasn’t ready for anything like that, I reminded myself. No matter how drawn I was to this peculiar woman, it was too soon.

I nodded and continued down the hall toward my bedroom. It took everything in me not to turn back.

“What’s this?” “Key for the house. I usually leave it unlocked with it being the country and all, but with a lady in the house, figured I’d better lock up. Wanna make sure you feel safe .

Safe? I had felt safe. Even slept like a baby last night. But what was out there that he needed to lock out? I considered asking but I didn’t want to come off as skittish.

I glanced back at Calvin before disappearing into my bedroom and caught him staring at me. There was this intensity beneath his eyes. I had seen that look before. I couldn’t place it but I knew I liked it.

And I knew I saw the same look in her eyes that she had to have seen in mine—attraction, infatuation, lust, or maybe it was something else.

“No, I don’t really get dirty in New York City—except with my clients,” she said with a laugh. I chuckled and stood from my chair. I wasn’t sure exactly what she did in banking or what she did with her clients, but I got the feeling she was ruthless, or at least she could be.

I was happy to hear she was actually interested in this—in what country folks did. I had assumed a city girl would think this stuff was beneath her. But Grace was different.

But not everything was meant to be free. Some things had to be kept in cages.

“And highly intelligent. They say horses can read human emotions. They know what we’re feeling before we even know.”

“Does anyone help you with the ranch? It sounds like a lot of work for one person.” “A bit. My brother does when he can, and I have a girlfriend that helps with harvesting the vegetables and collecting the duck and chicken eggs.” “A girlfriend?” Grace asked, raising an eyebrow. She seemed a little jealous, but I think I liked that. I let out a laugh. “A girl that’s a friend, I mean.”

Her plump lips curved into a grin. I could have kissed them right then and there, but I broke eye contact, looking at my feet instead. Grace made me nervous, real nervous. I think she probably had that effect on a lot of people. I had forgotten what nerves felt like—them little tingles on the skin and that whoosh of butterflies in my belly. I couldn’t remember the last time I had that feeling. Well, actually, I could and it didn’t end well.

Beyond it was the woods—thick, twisting, and dark. My father always used to say: Anything goes in the woods. It’s like Vegas for wildlife. Has its own boundaries, its own cover, and the plants and animals do whatever it takes to survive in there.

There she went again, using my full name, making my stomach get all turned upside down. I missed that feeling, but I wasn’t ready for a girl like her. She was going to make resisting her the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But deep down, I already knew I’d fail at that.

A woman walked by, delivering a friendly smile and a hello. I nodded back. She gave me an odd look, and I couldn’t tell if it was from my curt acknowledgment or because I was a stranger, both oddities around here.

“Calvin’s a good man, ya know,” Betty said as she bagged up the clothes. It was an odd thing to say, and I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“You enjoy the rest of your stay, Grace. I’ll be seeing you around.” Betty smiled wide as she handed over my bag. I told her goodbye and returned a tight, forced smile. Something didn’t feel right. Something about that exchange was off. I felt it in the pit of my stomach. I looked back at the store and saw her in the window, watching (like I knew she would). I nodded and quickly got into my car. Just as I started to reverse out of my parking spot, the Mazda beeped several times and the check engine light flickered on. I smacked my hand against the steering wheel in frustration and glanced up through the windshield.

Betty was still staring at me through the window of her boutique, almost smiling like she knew I was in deep shit. And that’s when it hit me. I had never told her my name.

I hadn’t seen Grace since this morning and wondered what she had done all day. My mind kept going back to her, no matter what chore I was doing. Cutting the grass, Grace. Cleaning the horse stalls, Grace. Fixing and fortifying a shed, Grace. She was staying in my home and living in my mind. I was consumed by her.

“I can’t believe a raccoon did this,” she said as her eyes scanned over the bloody carcasses. I looked over at Grace, drawing my brows together. “They may look cute and cuddly but don’t let them fool you. They’re vicious killers.”

Most women couldn’t stomach the harsh reality of ranch life. But Grace clearly wasn’t most women.

“What are we cheers-ing to?” “To proper meals and good company.” I wanted to add that lasts forever but I left it out. Coming on too strong was a quick way to get shot down. I knew from experience.

I watched her bottom lip press against the glass as she swallowed the liquid, and then I took my drink. I wanted that bottom lip. It was plump and begged to be bitten or sucked on. I ran my tongue against my teeth and imagined sinking them into her.

If I still had my dog, I’d have “accidentally” tossed these things on the ground for him to eat. But he passed last spring. Most things didn’t survive this ranch. I was the exception.

“How’d you know it was a weasel?” “From how they kill. They bite the base of an animal’s skull. Two bites and it’s dead. They stack the carcasses up neatly too like some sort of ritual. And they’ll only eat part of one or two chickens but will slaughter the rest of them for fun.”