“B-but—” she stuttered.
“No.” He cut her off harshly. “No buts. Goodbye, Chloe.”
With that, he turned and walked away without a second glance.
She stood there in shock.
Had that really just happened?
Had she really just taken a leap of faith and laid her heart on the line for him to just stomp all over it and walk away?
She was crushed.
She hadn’t hurt this bad since the day her son had died.
It was really over.
Even though she hadn’t realized it until this moment, part of her had always believed that after a little time, after they’d grieved the loss of their baby, that they would find their way back to one another.
How naïve could she be?
And how stupid.
She had no one to blame but herself.
It had been her choice to walk away, and now she had to pay the price.
Sinking down into one of the chairs, she propped her elbows up on the table, buried her face in her hands and cried.
*****
6:47 P.M.
Why her?
What about her had made him pick her out of all the otheryoung women in the city?
If Avery knew why he’d chosen her, then maybe she could figure out a way to talk her way out of this room.
She had tried being obedient.
She had tried to make a run for it.
But in the end, there was nothing she could do to stop him from hurting her.
He hadn’t held back in telling her exactly what he intended to do to her. Strap her down to the examining table in the corner, then break every bone in her body one at a time until he’d broken them all and killed her, or until her body couldn’t take anymore and she died.
Avery knew she had to get out of here, but how?
He had let her search every inch of wall and floor in her frantic investigation of the room. If he was happy to let her do that, it was because he knew she wasn't going to find a way out. After he’d left her alone here, she had examined the room at a much slower, more methodical pace and come to the same conclusion.
She was trapped.
That didn't leave her with many options.
It seemed highly unlikely she was going to be able to convince him to let her go. He’d done this three times before, and those women hadn’t been able to talk their way to freedom, so why should she be any different?
Although she didn't want to admit it, it seemed her only hope was probably to pray that the cops were able to find her before he killed her.