Page 46 of Escape

I was back at Kurt’s place, staring into his murderous gaze, and feeling my aching body trembling with the fear that I felt. Kurt hadn’t cooled down from the argument days ago. He was just as livid as he’d been that day, angry that I’d gone behind his back and attempted to come up with a plan to save myself from this mess of a relationship.

This couldn’t be happening again. It just couldn’t.

I wouldn’t survive.

And judging by the pain I still felt in my body, I hadn’t even fully recovered from what he did to me before.

“You’re not leaving me, because I won’t let you go. It’s my ring on your finger, Josie. Did you forget that? You belong to me,” he shouted.

I was moving my feet backward, knowing I could only go so far before I’d run into the wall and have nowhere else to turn.

Recognizing I had nothing to lose, I took a different approach for the first time in my life. “I’ll give it back to you. You don’t love me.”

“I won’t take that ring back. The minute you accepted it and allowed me to put it on your finger, you decided I was the one you wanted to be tied to for the rest of your life. We’re going to be together forever.”

Shaking my head through the heaviness, a desperation like never before washed over me. “Please, don’t do this. Just let me go.”

Kurt continued to advance on me, and his voice was menacing. “That’s never going to happen. You’re mine for the rest of our lives.”

The danger was closing in on me. I had no way out. I’d never be able to escape this nightmare. Feeling as though I had no other option, no choice but to give up and accept my fate, tears leaked from my eyes.

I’d made such a mess of my life. If only I’d found the courage to leave sooner.

My back hit the wall; Kurt was closing in on me. I had nowhere to go, no way out. “Please,” I begged again. “Please, let me go. I’m sorry.”

Kurt moved his head slowly from one side to the other, declining my pleas. “I’m never letting you go. You’ll never leave me, and I’m going to make sure of it.”

I watched the unmistakable movement of him lifting his arms. I was convinced he was going to rear one of those arms back so he could land a punch. I closed my eyes, clenched my jaw, and lifted my hands to my face to brace for the impact. Then I felt his hands on either side of me, gripping my shoulders as I screamed, “No!”

“Josie.”

“No, no, no.”

“Josie, honey, it’s me. It’s Huck.”

Huck?

“Huck?” I rasped.

“Yes, it’s me,” he assured me. “You’re safe. I’ve got you. Nobody is going to hurt you.”

It was dark in the room, a faint light creeping in from beneath the door. The sterile smell in the room indicated I was still in the hospital.

I hadn’t gone back. I hadn’t wound up back at Kurt’s place.

It was a nightmare. It was just my mind playing tricks on me. I was here, Huck was with me, and I was safe.

But even if I was able to make that distinction now, it didn’t change the ominous feeling that had settled in me as a result of the dream.

The tension was coursing through my body, every muscle, bone, and inch of my skin aching. “What if he doesn’t let me go?” I cried.

It was a very real possibility, considering what I’d learned hours ago when the police arrived to talk to me. I’d officially gone about filing a report, needing to recount my whole ordeal. It hadn’t been easy, especially when I’d glance toward Huck and see how hard he was struggling not to lose his hold on his emotions. As it stood, the police took my account of everything, making it clear that it wouldn’t be up to them to decide what happened with Kurt. I could certainly ask to press charges, but with this being Kurt’s first recorded instance of violence—regardless of how horrible it had been—it wasn’t likely he’d receive any of the punishment he should have. Recognizing that, I understood it was a very real possibility that Kurt might decide he didn’t want to let me go. It was safe to say I was feeling unsettled about that.

Huck’s hand gently cupped the side of my face. “He doesn’t have a choice, Josie. I’m not going to let him anywhere near you.”

My bottom lip trembled. “I’m scared.”

“I know you are. But I promise I’m going to protect you. There isn’t anything or anyone that is going to hurt you ever again.”