“And who is that?”
“Me.”
12
Nina
How can Arlo know me even better than I know myself? I hate that he knows me so well.
I hate that he already thinks he has my whole plan figured out.
I hate that he thinks I don’t love Heath.
I hate how he is holding me so close, like I’m his to do what he pleases with.
I hate how he looks at me like he can control me with just his eyes.
I hate the smell of his aftershave, how it is the only smell I will remember from tonight.
But, most of all, I hate how my body still reacts to his. Every nerve inside me is on fire, begging for him to touch me, hold me closer. My heart is fluttering far too fast in my chest for what is healthy for me. My breathing is uneven, making it hard for me to think. My body loves him even though I hate him. And I don’t know how to get my body in line with my heart.
“Leave me alone, Arlo. I’m not afraid of you anymore. I might have been, but it was because I was a scared little girl who still believed in horror stories. I don’t anymore.”
Arlo pulls me closer every time I say something he disagrees with. I should stop provoking him; it just makes him hold on to me tighter. But I can’t stop myself because I hate him and also because I love it when he holds me closer. I can feel more of his hard body, and it gives me a better angle to rip his throat out if I so choose.
“Oh, my Nina, you have no idea what horrors truly exist in the world. But you are going to find out.”
He’s going to make his move soon. I know it.
I beg Heath to get back to me soon. To stay with me. To protect me. But I know he can’t really protect me. I know the only person who truly can is me. I just have no idea if I’m strong enough.
“Bullshit,” I say, repeating his word from earlier.
His eyes search mine, looking for something but I don’t know what. Is he looking for fear? The fear is oozing out of every single one of my pores, so it shouldn’t be hard for him to find.
“Kidnap me, Arlo, and show me how horrible you are. Show me exactly what kind of evil monster you are.”
I need to keep my mouth shut. Nothing I say is going to improve my situation. But it makes me feel better. It makes me feel like I have some amount of control even though I have none.
Arlo shakes his head. “No, Nina, I’m not going to kidnap you. You are going to come with me willingly.”
And then he lets me go and disappears into the night, leaving me alone on the dance floor.
What the hell was that?
I wait for Heath to return with our drinks while I search to find where Arlo went, but I can’t find him. Anywhere.
I head over to the bar to look for Heath, but he isn’t where I last saw him. I fibbed when I told Arlo that Heath was coming back. He was still waitin
g at the bar for our drinks.
I walk all the way around the circular bar. He’s gone. I know it. I feel it, but I can’t let him go.
“Excuse me,” I say to the bartender.
He ignores me and continues to serve the dozens of people who were here before me. I glance down at my wedding dress that is covered in sand and seawater after being dunked in the ocean. I look like a mess, but I’m still a bride, damn it. It’s still my wedding day, and I think I deserve something for that.
“Excuse me! Today’s my wedding day, and I could really use your help,” I say, fed up and frustrated.