“I’m not staying here. There’s nothing between him and me. He’s just a nice guy helping me out. Just leave me alone.”
“Is everything okay, dear?” Cynthia pulled Star into her lap and gave me a curious look. I was sure she’d sensed there was something wrong by my body language and she’d probably even overheard a few louder spoken words.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Her narrowed eyes told me she knew I was lying. “Could you go inside and give me a minute.” She stood and carried Star inside.
“That’s right Jessica Tell them it’s all going to be okay. And as for him being nothing to you, you’re a dirty little liar. Tell me you didn’t fuck him. Lie to me, you whore. I know how much you like being a dirty slut. I bet he does too now.” He laughed, and my spine tingled.
“Why can’t you leave me alone? Just let me go, Nick. You don’t love me, you never did,” I said, my voice trembling.
“You don’t get to walk away from me and humiliate me. You’re supposed to play your fucking role as my wife until I say it’s over. I call the shots here, Jessica. And I fucking own you. Do you hear me? I’m not going back to Chicago without you.”
I hung up the phone and looked around to the trees out in the distance. Had he been watching me? The burning sensation of eyes upon me was more than I could stand, so I ran into the house and closed the blinds.
“I’m going to have to step out for a minute.” I was shaking like a leaf.
“Who was that calling? You’re as pale as a ghost.” She lowered her voice. “It was the person you’re running from, wasn’t it?”
“I need to go now.” I hurried upstairs and packed a bag and a minute later, and I came down to find Star playing on the floor.
She looked up at me and smiled until she saw my bag. “I’m just going to go back to my house for a bit.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her she’d probably never see me again, and my heart ached knowing it was the truth.
“But we’re having a sleepover, remember?” The little girl’s eyes filled with concern.
“I know sweetie; I’m so sorry.” I knew it was going to be hard on her when I never came back, and hard on Chance as well, but I cared too much to let anything happen to either of them.
I was running out of time. I had to go; now or never. “Be good, Star.” I looked to Cynthia who followed me to the door. “Take care of them and tell Chance I’m sorry.”
CHAPTER 15 – CHANCE
I finished up early making the cast, and since the drive hadn’t been as long as I thought it would be, I thought I’d get home early to see what Dream had cooking. It was nice thinking about someone waiting for me at home, almost like having a wife. Not that I’d do that again. One mistake was enough for a lifetime.
But I liked having her with us, and if she was willing to stick around, I would be willing to see where it went.
I was zoned into the road when something flashed in my rearview mirror. At first, I thought it was lights, but then I realized, it was a car’s windshield reflecting.
The car was not the same as the one from before. This one had a long silver streak down the side where the paint had been rubbed off in an accident, and a huge dent in the front. It got close on my tail, and the front windshield’s glare made it impossible to see inside.
I wouldn’t have known Nick if I’d seen him. So I would have had no way of knowing it was him, but I had a pretty good idea. I decided to turn down one of the hunting lease roads, where I knew I could easily lose the car if it followed. When I took the dirt path, the car turned behind me, and I kicked up my speed and caused a stir of dust to surround him.
Knowing I had a good lead, I turned down one of the wider side trails where I knew I could loop back around to the main road, and sure enough, when I did, the car was nowhere in sight. I decided to take one more detour home, hoping that if it was her ex, I’d have the advantage of knowing the back roads.
With him on my mind and knowing how persistent the guy had been in the past, I realized he might have seen my vehicle the other day and checked it out. He’d have found the address if he had, so I thought it might not have been a good idea to leave her there all alone.