Page 49 of Stalked by His Ex
“Thank you.” My voice is soft and malleable.
Her smirk dissolves slowly, and only for a second, before the façade is back in place. “Your breakfast is upstairs. I’ll be back soon.”
She returns a while later with scrambled eggs and toast. It’s cold and hard, like she cooked it last night, and left it out on the counter until morning. The eggs smell putrid, enticing my gag reflex. But instead of commenting on the state of the meal, I eat it without complaint while she sits in her safety chair just out of reach.
“I’m going to see Jaxton today.” She blurts, watching for a reaction. “We’re slowly rekindling our love. It’s like you didn’t exist.”
She’s trying to rouse me, so I let it go, but speak the truth. “I miss him so much. Please let me go. I won’t tell anyone about you.” I beg, knowing it’s pointless. The entire reason behind the kidnapping is to separate Jaxton and me, and if she let me go, I’d go right back to him.
“Avery, quit begging. It’s pathetic. You need to accept that he doesn’t want you anymore.” Her smile is sly, like Rumpelstiltskin in the flesh, as she tauntingly steps within reach to grab my plate. Now’s not the moment, so I give it to her without struggling, even though half the food remains.
She’s irritated and I’m loving it. She designed every one of her actions to knock me down a peg, but they slide off like Slip ‘N Sliding naked in olive oil. Admittedly, it’s difficult to listen to her speak about him so intimately, but faith is keeping me strong. I so badly want to believe she’s working me up and telling no semblance of the truth. Regardless of the outcome, this is what I’ll believe, giving me that extra boost to kick her ass and get out.
Sarah stomps up the stairs louder than normal, as a small victory smile stretches my lips when she slams the door behind her. The bulky remote temps me enough to turn the TV on, sitting cross-legged on the bed, channel surfing like it’s a normal day at home.
What surprises me is that my face covers every station reporting the news. I figured there would be reports sporadically, but nothing of this magnitude. The more I listen, the more I realize it’s mostly because it’s being reported that Jaxton—the movie star’s—girlfriend has gone missing.
When I pick a channel, the news reporter is beginning her story. “There are still no leads in the disappearance of Avery Dawson. For those of you just tuning in, she is the girlfriend of popular movie star, Jaxton Knight. Her last known location was her home after being dropped off for the evening. The police have no leads and ask that if anyone has information to call the Eugene police department.” They flash a picture of me for a moment, but then pause on one of Jaxton.
She continues with the next story, but I stop paying attention. All I can see is Jaxton’s face, the softness of his creamy skin, the sharp definition of his jaw, and most of all, his golden eyes. It’s as if I haven’t seen him for years. I miss him and his sexy southern accent immensely. My entire body aches with need. The tears sneak up and dropkick me, as a giant lump builds in my throat. My chest heaves as I struggle to gain control of my breathing while hugging my knees tightly to my chest and ducking my face between them.
The hopeless dead sensation weighs heavily, trying to break my will, but I owe it to myself, dad, Jaxton, and every one of my friends to fight like hell. So, I wipe away the tears, breathe in deep, and try to recenter my thoughts.
What seems like hours later, the key jiggles in the lock, and the door swings open with a protesting screech from the hinges.
Sarah’s pissed. Her face contorted, upper lip curled, practically snarling. Instead of speaking, she grows a pair of lady balls and stalks over to punch me straight in the face.
Not expecting an instant attack, blocking isn’t an option. “Ow! What the fuck!” I holler, covering my face, and jumping to my feet.
She doesn’t expect the quick reaction and stumbles away in her attempt to escape. But then she’s yanking the black bar out from behind her and advancing until I trip over my chain and fall. She continues and kicks me while I’m down, instead of using the metal pipe. When I’m curled into a ball to protect my ribs, she flicks her hair out of her face and blows out an exasperated breath.
“Sorry.” Her lower lip pops out with mock sympathy. “I had a bad day. Jaxton didn’t want to…” She pauses, glancing over, and then redirecting the sentence. “Jaxton and I had a great day.” She’s lying. “We were together all day. There was a lot of heavy petting, but I’m making him wait, just to prove how much I care and sympathize.” She blabs on and on about their interactions. Half-lies and half-truths, and it’s up to me to decipher which is which. She delves into too much detail. Even knowing they’re fabricated, I stop listening, not wanting the mental images they invoke. But she notices and lightning quick hits me with the bar. Instantly, pain blooms as I grab my head, wishing the intense throbbing would stop. It gets worse when my hand comes away bloody.
“See what you make me do.” She growls, walking out the door, but returning a moment later. “Here. Eat this.” She orders, slapping a sandwich on the desk surface.
Confusion slows my reaction, wondering why she’s randomly handing me a sandwich. The delay causes her to screech again, screaming at me to hurry and finish. My bites are frenzied, and no matter how quickly I eat, another hit comes my way. When the sandwich is gone, she throws a bottled water at me, demanding its depletion.
Once I finish, she smacks me again, causing the blood to drip and splatter. The pain is worth it, because I know what more than likely happened—Jaxton’s rejection must have been harsh.
My pain is all too real, but a smile stretches anyway, silently celebrating the minor victory. She narrows her eyes and steps back out of the room before quickly returning, hiding something behind her back. Instantly, internal warnings sound as I scurry against the wall. She closes in slowly, knowing dizziness rocks my world, tipping and twirling.
She’s within arm’s reach again, when her hand snaps out, revealing a syringe. Not wanting another dose of who knows what, I slap at it wildly, hoping to land a hit.
“Don’t fight me, Avery. I’ll win every time,” she snaps, while hitting me with the bar again, and slamming the needle into my thigh.
Seconds later, a warmth floats through my veins, rolling my eyes like it’s the best trip of my life. Light fades in and out, vision like a funhouse mirror, tempting me into darkness.
~~~~~
The next thing I know, my head is throbbing like a boombox from the nineties, all gangster rap. I’m lethargic and weak, my hands not functioning when I send them orders. For a long while, I’m practically paralyzed, until my limps slowly gain sensation. The tingling is a sigh of relief, because for a while I wondered if she hit me too hard and paralyzed me. After what seems like hours, I have enough strength to sit up and lean against the wall for support.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, as dry as the Sahara Desert, signaling that I’ve been out for a while. Only confirmed when my bladder protests and my stomach growls furiously at the same time.
There’s one bottle of water on the desk across the room and the strength required to get it is just out of reach, seemingly an impossible task. After several minutes of focusing and practiced breathing, I stand on my wobbly legs and shuffle over. It’s slow going, but I make it, and suck the water down in a matter of seconds. The cool liquid instantly revitalizes my mental and physical stability and lessens the pounding in my head. While relieving myself, I trace the sore places on my head, remembering why my it’s beating like a drum.
I didn’t know when Sarah would return, let alone how long I’ve been unconscious this time around. The TV’s low purr draws my attention as I walk back to the bed on sturdier legs and flop lifelessly onto the sheets. I’m half listening until the anchor says my name, attracting my full interest.
“…no leads in the disappearance of Avery Dawson, the local women who disappeared nearly four months ago.”