Jake tried to give me his undivided attention but sometime during breakfast, he got a business call that he had to attend to and I watched him disappear. Kate hadn’t said a single word since we sat down, in fact, she tried to avoid my gaze the entire time.“I’m sorry if we-” I began but she cut me off.“I would rather not think about what you were doing,” her cheeks tinged pink as she spoke. “He looks happy so I guess that is what matters the most to me, and you seem like a great person too, you stood up for me when you didn’t know me. It doesn’t count for much but you have my support.”“Yours would be the only one I have right now so it counts for a lot.”Her eyes softened considerably. “Let me guess, your parents didn’t take it well?”“My dad, yeah, he’s friends with Jake so I can understand.”She grimaced. “What about your mum?”“I don’t have one,” I shrugged. “The closest I have to one is Alana- our maid- and she hasn’t said anything yet. She doesn’t say much most times, she belie
I walked into the office with my head held high hoping that it would hide the raging storm inside of me. There were whispers as people stared at me and for a minute, I wanted to know what they were whispering about, I wanted to know why the stares but I couldn’t ask, I didn’t ask. I wouldn’t have done that a week ago and I wasn’t going to do that now. I kept my head facing forward as I headed straight for my office.I had barely gotten to the door when someone approached me. Sienna looked a bit hesitant as she stood awkwardly at my door. She had a plastic cup in her hands and from here, I could smell that it was coffee. She handed it over to me and I watched it carefully. I wasn’t trying to be rude, I just didn’t know if I could trust her.“It isn’t the shit one they serve in the cafeteria,” she assured me. “I got it from this really nice café on my way to work and it cost like twenty dollars so you kind of have to take it or else I would have wasted my-”I took it from her and took a
Over the next two days, there was complete silence and I personally found that completely out of character for Charles and terrifying. The last time he had done that, he came out with pictures of Jake and I and nearly ruined my relationship with my father. I wasn’t trying to start anything but I was on guard. I checked my car and my office more times than I could count for listening devices despite Jake assuring me that there was nothing and that no one had entered my office.I was also looking over my shoulder at every opportunity. I knew my paranoid behavior was affecting everyone and not just me. Dad was worried and so was Jake but they still weren’t speaking to each other which only seemed to worsen my predicament a little because I hated feeling like I was in the center. I hated feeling like there was nothing I could do.“What you need is hot tea,” grandma chided as she took me in. As soon as work was over, dad had all but dragged me into his car and driven over to his parents.H
I left without informing anyone. They were much too busy to even realize that I had rushed out anyway and I had no intention of being in the middle of their argument. I tried to call Sienna but she wouldn’t answer. Panic started to climb up my throat like a band. I didn’t know Sienna well, but she seemed kind and the last thing I wanted was for her to be in trouble. We were not friends, so if she felt the need to call me then it had to be urgent.I tried dialing her one more time but when she didn’t respond, I sent her a text.Me: Where the fuck are you? Send me your location or something. I need to know where to go.It took a few seconds but she started typing again.Sienna: I’m so sorry, there’s someone following me and I don’t want them to think I have seen them. I’ll send you my location right now.She sent me the location and I muttered a curse under my breath as I drove there in a rush. It pinged to a bar and it looked like the kind of place I would rather be caught dead in. Sti
JAKE’S P.O.VI had expected Michael’s anger the moment I walked in through the door which was why I wasn’t surprised when he started screaming at me. Michael was my only friend, he was my closest friend and I knew I had crossed some serious boundaries the moment I decided to pursue something with Hayley. I wasn’t stupid, I knew what the consequences were going to be, it didn’t mean I was ready for them.I noticed the moment Hayley left as well and I couldn’t blame her. This couldn’t be easy for her, she was caught in the middle and as much as I wanted to protect her from everything, I couldn’t. She was an adult and I couldn’t wrap her up in a bubble like I wanted to. It made no sense to me.“Put yourself in my fucking shoes, Jake,” Michael slammed his fists down on the table. “You have a niece. Imagine she came home with a dude twice her fucking age and said she had been fucking him.”I tried not to imagine it. “Please leave Katherine out of this. She has nothing to do with this conve
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI stared at the camera with the flashing red light and the knife in his hands.“This has to be some kind of joke, right?” I asked. “You’re insane, maybe even a little crazy, but you’re not stupid. You wouldn’t risk hurting me and documenting it because you know as well as I do that you’d be a dead man or you’d get to spend the rest of your life in prison.”“I covered all my tracks.”I snorted. “I sincerely doubt that because if you’re here contemplating actually killing me then you weren’t smart enough to do that.”His face burned red. I knew it was a stupid idea to antagonize the guy with the knife but it was the only idea I had. If he got pissed then he was more likely to make a mistake. Granted, he was more likely to kill me as well but I was hoping for the former. He pushed off his seat and I watched as it clattered to the ground. His hand wrapped in my hair and tugged back so hard that moisture gathered at the back of my eyes.“Listen here you little bitch,” he spa
JAKE’S P.O.VIt took looking through the past footage in the office to know that there was one girl that Hayley had been speaking to as of late. Michael pulled her file and within half an hour, we were in front of her house. For someone who worked in a very good paying firm, she lived in a fucking dump.I chose to speak to her because Michael couldn’t be trusted to be logical. I banged my fist against her door a couple of times before she finally opened it very slightly. She poked her head out and took me in from head to toe.“I’ve seen you on the news,” she said simply and I hummed. “You’re my boss’ friend.”“Yes, are you friends with Hayley?”“I wouldn’t call us friends per say, we work together. She isn’t very good at making friends although I’d like to be her friend. I could say that if we keep talking as we do then maybe we can end up being-”“Where is she?” I cut her off and she turned to me with furrowed brows.“I don’t know where she is. Why would you assume that I knew that?
HAYLEY’S P.O.VWith every passing second, my heart seemed to pound harder inside my chest. I still hadn’t heard anything from Charles but I had figured out a way to untie my hands- I just hadn’t done it yet. I didn’t want to until I had a clear cut plan.The lights turned on again and I was quick to throw my hands behind my back again. Charles walked into view but this time, he didn’t have the camera in his hands. The knife was still with him but other than that, he seemed free of any other weapons.“If you try any funny business, I will carve you open,” he warned and I rolled my eyes. If I said I wasn’t terrified, I would have been lying straight through my teeth but I managed to keep a straight face. He cut through the ties on my legs. “I’m warning you, Hayley.”“You don’t need to repeat yourself. I heard you the first time,” I drawled. “Where are we going?”“That is none of your concern. All you have to do is keep your fucking mouth shut and we will not have any problems.”He brand
HAYLEY’S P.O.VIt took me weeks to finally feel comfortable enough to leave the house without an army behind me.It was so easy to pretend to the public, to put on a smile and act like things were fine when in reality, they weren’t. The only people who saw the real me were my family. They saw every breakdown, every nervous wreck, every tear. A few years ago, I would have hated the idea of anyone seeing me weak but now, I was glad to have people I could lean on.It took months, but I was fine now. Marie was convicted of Charles’ murder as well as the other two and my kidnapping. She was never getting out of jail for the rest of her life and the thought made me giddy.“Stop watching the sentencing,” Kate chided, turning off the TV. “It’s over now.”I rolled my eyes at her. “It relaxes me.”She raised a brow. “A court case relaxes you?”“If I was allowed to go to work, I wouldn’t need to watch the sentencing,”She stared at me incredulously. “You’re ready to pop. There’s no way in hell th
HAYLEY’S P.O.VThere was a loud beeping sound somewhere at the back of my mind and it just wouldn’t go away.My head felt foggy and my body felt like it was weighed down by a fucking tractor, but against all odds, I managed to pull my eyes open.Voices overlapped as I tried to figure out where I was.The walls were white and there were machines next to me, I could see Jake and my father speaking to a woman in a white coat- a doctor. A small groan left my lips and all eyes turned to me.“Baby,” Jake’s voice cracked as he made his way over to me. His eyes were dull and hollow as he rushed to my side, his hand softly stroking my cheek. “How do you feel?”“Like I was run over,” I mumbled. “What happened?”“Marie took you.”I nodded slowly. “I remember that. I remember running in the forest.”“We were calling out to you. You slipped and rolled down a hill.”The memories came flooding back. My head was pounding as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to it but all I could feel was fear and w
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI watched Marie making her way over to me, a smoking gun in one hand and the other on her hip.She was dressed in black leggings and a loose shirt. She surprisingly looked good for someone who had just shot two men in cold blood.“Don’t look so terrified. You’ve witnessed a murder too, haven’t you?”I swallowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”She snorted. “Please, I’ve been alive far longer than you have. I know all about the boy that was thirsting after you and his body that was found.”“Again, I don’t know what-”She aimed the gun right at my face. “Lie to me again, I dare you.”I didn’t dare speak, I just stared straight at her and forced my expression to neutral. She was crazy, far crazier than Jake had led me to imagine. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a recent development or if she had always been this insane.“I thought so,” she mumbled before lowering the gun. “Do you know what this is?”When I said nothing, she made her way over to me and grab
HAYLEY’S P.O.VWe spent three magnificent days in Paris without any disturbance from anyone.It was just us, going out, fucking until the sun rose and eating good food. It was the best time I had in a long time but as always, every good thing must come to an end.I lay across Jake’s chest asleep when my phone rang loud. I mumbled a small curse under my breath, reaching out to silence the call. I hoped that whoever it was would take the hint and stop calling but my phone rang again.“Do you want me to answer it?” Jake asked but I shook my head, grabbing the phone blindly and picking up.“Hello?”“Where’s Jake?” my father’s panicked voice filled my ears.“He’s right here. Why didn’t you call him?”“I did, the bastard probably has his phone on do not disturb. I need to talk to him.”I handed the phone to Jake, trying to figure out what it could be that would make dad worry this much. “It’s dad.”Jake was up in a second, the sleep gone from his eyes as he took the phone from me. I couldn’
HAYLEY’S P.O.VA hand brushed my hair over my shoulder and warm lips placed open mouthed kisses on my throat and collar bone.I mumbled something incoherent and nestled closer to the warmth. I was too comfortable to move or open my eyes. I just wanted to enjoy the extra soft sheets underneath me and the warm hands on my skin.“As much as I want to get in bed with you, baby girl, you need to eat,” Jake whispered, his hand trailing down my side. “You’ve been asleep for too long.”“How long?”“Hours.”I forced my eyes open and found him seated behind me. He smiled softly at me and pulled back. I missed his warmth instantly, missed the feel of him next to me. He was dressed already, in a plain t-shirt and sweats.A quick glance at the window told me just how late it was.I couldn’t remember much from before I fell asleep. I remembered getting out of the shower and Jake settling between my thighs. I remembered him eating my cunt until I sobbed for reprieve and I remembered him fucking me f
HAYLEY’S P.O.VMy skin buzzed with excitement as we walked into our hotel room.I still couldn’t believe that he had done this. It was one thing to plan a vacation and it was another to plan it without me knowing and get me to the airport all while I had no idea what was going on.The hotel room was beautiful. It had its own living room and the room was so large that I took a double take. Jake stood behind me, one hand on my hip as I took in the room. I could almost feel his smile against my hair.“You’re quiet, I’m going to assume that you’re impressed,” he drawled, his voice dripping with amusement.“This is amazing,” I breathed turning to him. “How long are we here?”“The plan is one week, but we can stay longer if you want.”I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t help but lean on my toes and kiss him. “Thank you.”I kissed him again and this time, he pulled me close, one hand tangling in my hair to kiss me deeper. I felt the kiss all the way to my toes as my head emptied of all thou
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI was bursting with excitement the next morning.I had no idea where we were going, but I was excited.I woke up to Jake whispering sweet nothings as he placed a soft kiss on my shoulder. When I didn’t stir, he carried me into the bathroom where he ran a soft bath for us. It took far longer than it should have for us to get out of the bathroom but I wasn’t complaining.Once that was done, he all but pulled me into the car. He was yet to tell me where we were going and with each passing second, my curiosity seemed to grow.We stopped at a café and my brows rose. “Is this where we’re going?”He snorted. “Not a chance, but we have to get you coffee first.”He didn’t say anything after that, choosing instead to help me out of the car.The inside of the cafe was beautiful, and I was shocked that I had never noticed it before. The interior was a beautiful cream color, with artwork and plants hanging on every wall. It looked expensive- felt expensive even.He placed our order
HAYLEY’S P.O.VAfter our quickie, we managed to get our clothes off and go at it again.I lay sprawled on his chest, one hand mindlessly stroking my hair while the other drew circles on my lower back. We were yet to talk about what happened with the officer. I wasn’t stupid, I knew there was more to it than what he told me.“Jake,” I began slowly. “Are you going to tell me the truth about why the officer was here?”There was silence for a full minute.“No.”I turned to him. “No?”“The less you know, the better. All you need to know is that they will never know what happened. Everything is going to be fine, I promise.”“You shouldn’t make promises like that. Anything could happen. You don’t get to go to jail, not now that-”I exhaled deeply.Maybe it was selfish of me to think this way. Charles was someone’s child after all and I could only imagine the worry and pain his mother was going through but I wasn’t selfless enough to give her closure at my own detriment.“I want this Charles
HAYLEY’S P.O.VKate was panicking and it was pissing me off.It wasn’t that I didn’t empathize with her- I did. I couldn’t begin to imagine how she felt in the moment. I was just strung up as it was and she was making it worse.“Are you alright?” she asked for what felt like the tenth time in one minute and I nodded.I sat on the cold bathroom floor, my hands on the toilet seat simply because I didn’t have the energy to move. My stomach was still churning and my head was pounding like crazy. The last thing I wanted was to get up and throw up again.“Do you need me to call Jake?” she began before stopping herself. “He’s with the police, of course I can’t call him. Perhaps I could pull your dad out?”“Dad is his lawyer,” I cut her off. “They have to be together.”“Should I call an ambulance?”“I threw up, I’m not dying,” I dragged myself to my feet slowly and made my way over to the sink to clean up.I hated the after taste that vomit left in my mouth more than anything.Behind me, Kate