“Okay, Fred.” I try to keep the frustration out of my voice. “Bye, Carly. See you tomorrow.”
“Night,” she calls back and I make my way to the front door.
“Girly, wait.” Fred stops me before I can step outside. “You call me if you need anything. Any time.”
“Will do,” I promise, before closing the door.
The walk home is quick. Living only two blocks from where I work has come in handy. Especially since I haven’t saved enough to buy my own car yet, much to Fred and Carly’s displeasure.
The last fifteen months in Ohio have been… I want to say great, but I would be lying. It’s been comfortable.
It’s not that I don’t like it here. I’ve grown close with Carly and Fred, and I enjoy working at their diner. It’s just that I’m not truly happy.
The hiding my past, the not knowing when it will catch up with me, the fear he’s going to find me. It’s like I’m a caged bird desperate to be freed, and if I were honest, I’m over it.
I continue to dwell on my predicament as I take three steps up to my small one-bedroom apartment. I wish I could just push it all out, relax and maybe breathe easy, but I can’t. I can’t allow myself to become complacent. Not when he could find me any day.
“Snap out of it.” I give myself a talking to as I reach the top of the stairs. “No more.” I shake my head just as I notice the doormat slightly off center.
What the hell? My senses flare as I check my surroundings.
I live on the bottom level of a low-rise apartment building. With only one level above me, I hardly ever see my neighbor, but it doesn’t mean I don’t hear him.
Max is a twenty-something-year-old gamer, who only moved in a few months back. Since then, it’s been hard to get a decent night’s sleep with the amount of noise coming out of his apartment.
Tonight it’s quiet, which tells me he’s either not in yet or he took my friendly noise complaint serious. Time will tell.
After doing a quick check of my surroundings I decide it’s my mind playing tricks on me. Kicking it back in place, I unlock the door and step inside. Everything looks normal and in place. The flowers on the table I picked up yesterday fill the room with a sweet floral scent. Relaxing into my nightly routine, I kick off my shoes, and place my bag down on the sofa, heading straight for the fridge to fill a large glass with my favorite wine.
After nibbling on some cheese, I take my glass to the bathroom and fill the tub. I strip off my clothes and waste no time sinking into the hot water.
Today’s been a busy day. The hot water eases the tension in my muscles and the wine relaxes my mind. This has become my standard routine every night. Wine. Bath. Bed.
After soaking for thirty minutes, the apartment walls start to shake with vibrations of gunfire and explosions, letting me know Max is in fact home.
Great. He didn’t take me serious.
Knowing I’m not going to be able to relax with the noise, I decide to call it a night. I stand and wrap a towel around my body. Not bothering with drying off completely, I take my glass and head to my room only to stop dead in my tracks.
“Hello, Mackenzie.” The wine glass falls to the carpet as his voice runs through me, and my world comes crashing around me.
“Ch-Chad?” My knees lock as I take in his form lying on my bed. His eyes rake over my body before coming to meet mine. I’ve been waiting for this moment the last eighteen months. Dreamed about how I would react, if I would react. But now that he’s here, it’s like it’s not real.
“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?” His jaw ticks and his eyes flash with something I’ve never seen before. It’s almost crazed. Feral.
“How did you find me?” I still haven’t moved. I’m dripping with water, wrapped in a small towel. My heart pounds rapidly in my chest, almost as loud as the noise coming from Max’s apartment.
“Fuck, it wasn’t easy. You, sweetheart, have cost me a fucking arm and leg trying to find you. I almost had you in Arizona when you called Heidi.” My pulse drums in my ears. Heidi.
“What did you do to her?” My mind runs a mile a minute. He wouldn’t dare.
“I didn’t come all this way to talk about that bitch. Can you tell me why you need a gun, Mackenzie?” Chad throws his legs off the side of the bed and stands, pointing a gun at me.
Shit, he has my gun.
I weigh up my options. I could scream for help, but no one would hear me over Max’s game. I could run, but won’t get very far, or I can fight him.
Before I can unstick my legs, he’s moving toward me. Acting on bad instinct, I react. Spinning in my spot, I hold onto my towel and try to make a run for it.
“I don’t think so, Mackenzie.” Chad races behind me, his hand snaking out, fisting my hair and pulling me back. “You and I have things we need to discuss,” he seethes, tightening his grip. I fight back, reaching over my shoulders and slapping him. He recoils, letting me go, but before I can pull away he slaps me hard, a stinging sensation covers my cheek. I drop to the floor from the force, my towel falling away from my body, exposing me.
Reaching for the towel, I leave myself open. Not missing his chance, he delivers a kick to my side. Air leaves my lungs in a sharp thud before my long lost friend, pain, comes to visit.
Knowing I can’t cower, I roll to the side, give up the towel and find my balance as I stand up. I need to keep myself up if I’m going to have any chance.
“You’ve ruined my life long enough.” He reaches for me again, but I shift out of his way. I just need to get the gun out of his hands.
“Please, Chad,” I beg as I back out of my room. I don’t know why I think it will work, but I need to try something.
“None of this had to happen, Mackenzie.” He follows me out, not chasing me, but drawing out my panic.
“You’re right. It didn’t then and it doesn’t now. Please put the gun down and we can talk this through,” I try to reason. Maybe if he believes I want to work things out, I might have a shot at this.
“You’ve made my life hell the last eighteen months. Do you know what people are saying? The rumors that spread because of what you did? I had to file for divorce. Make it out that I divorced you for abandoning me. You fucking did this.” A wave of relief and sadness washes over me knowing we’re no longer married. Can he even do that?
“You know what we had was unhealthy, Chad.” I attempt to talk to him, not at him.
“How can you say that? I fucking love you.” He steps forward, gun raised. His eyes are frenzied, his hands shaking. “You fucking left me.” Another step closer.
“Please, Chad.” It’s almost surreal. After running for so long, this is what it comes down to.
“You promised me till death do us part. Remember, Mackenzie?” My back finds the wall as the gun finds my chest. “I’ve come to make sure you honor our vows.”
Twenty-Five
Mackenzie
“Beau?” I whisper a few hours after I pretended to fall asleep. Beau doesn’t stir so I quickly slip out of his bed and sneak back into my room to grab the small emergency backpack I’ve kept since living here.
I didn’t want to have to do this, but there is no other way. I can’t let this come out. My only option is to get out of town.
The house is quiet as I tiptoe down the hall and make my escape. I don’t spare a second glance at the home Beau offered me. My only desire is to get out. It’s like I’m on autopilot, my mind emotionally bankrupt. There is nothing left to say. With each stride, my resolution grows. It’s as if the distance from the safety of Beau’s arms gives me more clarity. The truth is, since I’ve been back, I’ve invented every excuse for staying, when I should have got the hell out of here. I’ve been living a lie, a beautiful lie, with fake hope. I know Beau is going to be pissed, but I also know he’s not going to understand. I can’t have people looking for me here. I need to make a clean break and go back on the run.