Fool Me Once

The line to the ladies’ room is long, but since I only need to wash my hands, I slip inside. Sierra actually has to use the restroom, so she’s stuck waiting in line. As I’m walking out, she’s finally making her way in. “I’ll wait for you out here,” I tell her, and she nods.

I step to the side so I’m not in the way and pull my phone out of my back pocket to make sure Larissa hasn’t called or texted. No new messages. Just as I’m putting my phone back in my pocket, I hear my name being called from behind me. I turn around, but when I see who it is, instinctually, I back up, prepared to run.

“I just want to talk to you,” Brenton says, putting his palms up in a silent gesture to imply he means no harm. I call bullshit.

“Are you following me?”

“You moved out of the apartment,” he says, not answering my question, “and in with Keegan.”

Oh my God, he has been following me. “I’m not doing this with you.” I’m afraid to turn my back on him, but at the same time, I don’t know how else to get away.

“I just want to talk to you.” He steps closer, making me extremely nervous.

“Not happening.” I turn on my heel to run, but before I even make it a foot away, he grabs me by my hair and drags me down the dark hallway. I saw the exit sign behind him. He’s going to kidnap me. I scream and start to kick, but he wraps his strong arms around my body and shoves me out the door before anybody notices.

His car is waiting by the door and he throws me inside. He shuts the door and opens the front one. I try to open the door, but it doesn’t budge. He fucking childproofed it!

Before he gets the idea of taking my phone, I grab it from my back pocket and push it down into the seat. He opens the door back up and grabs my wrists. I scream at the top of my lungs, hoping someone will hear me. But he quickly covers my mouth with duct tape before he wraps a thick rope around my wrists.

Shutting the door again, he stalks around the car and is about to jump in, when he must remember something because he walks back around and opens the door. “Where’s your phone?” he asks, as if I can actually answer him.

Without waiting for me to answer, he shoves his hand into each of my pockets and then lifts my shirt, exposing my bra. “Where’s your phone?” I shake my head and he rips the tape off my mouth. “Where the fuck is it? I saw you using it!”

“It must’ve dropped in the club,” I say quickly, hoping that Keegan is still tracking my phone and will be able to track wherever it is Brenton is taking me.

He grins evilly. “Good.” He sticks the tape back over my mouth and slams the door.

I sit quietly while he drives, looking out the window to see where we’re going in case I get the opportunity to escape. After several minutes of being on the road, Brenton turns his radio off and begins to speak.

“I didn’t want it to come to this, Blakely.”

My gaze flickers over to the rearview mirror and for a second our eyes meet before I look back out the window, not wanting to give him any more of my attention.

“I don’t get it. For years I was there for you and your fucking kid. You told me you couldn’t date. You had to focus on your son. So I waited and waited.” He slams his hand against the steering wheel. “I fucking waited! And for what? So that asshole could step right in and take my place?”

Oh. My. God. He’s lost his fucking mind.

“I told you, you didn’t know him! The entire time he was a fucking cop. Lying to you! I accepted that you were upset over everything that went down, but I knew you’d come around. And then you go and forgive him and move in with him, but you can’t give me the fucking time of day?”

He gets on I-95 and heads north and my heart hiccups. He can be taking us anywhere at this point. The highway runs through the entire state of Florida and all the way up the East Coast. My only hope is that Keegan is still tracking my phone and is following behind us. My seat vibrates, and I thank God I had it on silent. If it were on loud, Brenton would know I still have my phone and would throw it out the window.

“I gave you four fucking years and you shit on me the moment that fucker appeared! And now there’s a chance I’m going to go to jail all because of him. Fuck that! Do you even care?” he asks. “Huh? Do you even give a shit that your boyfriend is ruining my entire life?”