“Shit,” Ronnie mutters. “Sit tight, I’m going to call.”
I hang up the phone and sit on the back porch, staring at the screen and basically holding my breath. If he’s out, and he has figured out where I am, we have a problem. I’ve got a restraining order against Joel, a domestic violence order, and even though he’s not supposed to come near me, there is no saying he won’t. Joel does what he wants, and he’s a dangerous man.
It feels like forever before the phone finally rings.
“Well?” I ask, my voice tight.
“He was released not long after you arrived at the retreat. I didn’t know, if I had known ...”
My worst fear has been confirmed.
It’s him.
I know it’s him.
“Where are you and Hudson?”
“We’re safe, June. It’s not us I’m worried about, it’s you. If he finds you ...”
“He already has found me, Ronnie. I just don’t know what to do about it. If he figures out what we’ve spent so long hiding ...”
“He won’t. If he comes too close to you, he’s going back to prison. You need to tell the ranchers what’s going on, and you need to call the police.”
I swallow.
I’m not sure I want to tell them what’s going on.
I don’t want to drag them into this.
Maybe I should just leave?
“Should I just come home?”
“No,” Ronnie says. “You can’t run every time he shows up. He’s not going to be in prison forever. You need to call the police.”
“Okay, I will. I’ll do that.”
“In the meantime, you shouldn’t be alone. I don’t know what he’s capable of.”
I do.
That’s why I’m scared.
“I’m going to go inside and call the police, let them know he has been here,” I say to Ronnie, even though I’m not certain yet that’s what I’m going to do.
I don’t know what I’m going to do.
I finish the call with Ronnie and go back inside, my mind distant. I want to do the right thing here, and I don’t want the retreat to have anymore bad press because of me. Maybe it is best if I say nothing until it’s over? If I call the police, they’ll come out here and with them, the media. If I go into town, it’ll be suspicious.
I don’t know what to do.
Should I tell Enzo?
That means I have to tell him everything, and he’ll know I lied when they asked me if I knew who was doing this.
I’m lost.
I had no idea what the right step is here, but I do know that Joel needs to be caught and handled. Do I think he’ll do something crazy like kill me? No, he’s not that crazy, but he’s crazy enough to make my life a living hell in a way that is far more terrifying than just dying. I think dying would be quick and painless in comparison to what turmoil he’ll create if he gets near me again.
He's the devil, and he’s not scared to let everyone know it.
“How was Hudson?” Faye asks when I walk into the cabin.
I’m startled –I didn’t even see her in the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” she asks me. “Is everything okay?”
I nod, sharply. “Yeah, sorry, just a few ex dramas.”
She gives me a sympathetic smile. “Oh, that does suck. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” I admit. “I’ll be okay. I am so excited for the massage, though. God, I need it.”
This gets Faye on the path of rambling about how excited she is, too. It’s easy to distract Faye, that’s the best part about her. She loves to talk, she loves to be involved, and she’ll do basically anything to ensure that happens.
I go to my room to lie down before the massage, at least, that’s what I tell Faye.
Mostly, I need to figure out what the hell to do next.
I’m running out of time.
I just know it.
14
The spa afternoon is everything we all needed and more.
Linda even said hi.
Which I, of course, returned with a smile.
I’m not a complete asshole.
Then we all head up the restaurant for a barbeque dinner and an outdoor movie. Rhett has set up a massive screen by the lake, and we all have good cushions and blankets to lie on. I’m actually really excited because it has been so long since I’ve had an outdoor movie experience. We’re given popcorn, drinks, and chocolate, and it’s the absolute best way to end the day.
Except for one thing.
Enzo won’t talk to me.
Through dinner, I put it down to him being busy helping with the grill and serving the food, but that was also when I realized he wasn’t looking at me. Like, at all. I walked over, I tried to talk to him, but he’d always disappear before I could get there. He was avoiding me, there was no doubt about it, and every time I did see him glancing in my direction he looked pissed.