Want Me (Protector Series Book 3)

by Melissa Townsend

  I let out a sigh as a small weight left my shoulders. She had mentioned me and she was getting better. That was enough to make my worst day better.

  “Did she write you from her normal email?” I asked.

  “No, she used a new account. I guess it’s part of their rules there. I can give it to you if you want,” Macie said with a wink.

  After breakfast, Jasper rode with Macie back to my place to get his truck. I went and picked up some groceries before going back home.

  Once the food was put away, I sat down on my oversized couch and turned on ESPN. I managed to make myself watch TV for half an hour before I grabbed my phone and opened my email.

  I typed in Taylor’s new email address and stared at my phone like it was a foreign object. The more I thought about what to say, the more I felt like I should say nothing at all. I stood and started pacing around my house as I debated whether or not to write to her. After several minutes, I decided against it. I wanted her to focus on herself right now, and my email would only be a distraction she didn’t need.

  I tossed my phone onto my bed before I changed into some shorts and running shoes. I left my phone while I went for a run. I tried like hell to get away from it all, but thoughts of Taylor being alone hundreds of miles away followed me at every turn.

  Taylor

  I met Taryn downstairs in the café. She’d saved me a seat at our usual table. We’d been eating breakfast together almost every morning since I’d arrived at Divided Paths.

  “I ordered the omelet for you,” she said as I sat down across from her.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled.

  “Did you not sleep well?”

  “How’d you guess?”

  “The dark circles under your eyes and you choosing not to tame your crazy hair were my first clues.”

  “I haven’t slept well since I came to this godforsaken place,” I griped.

  “Oh, c’mon, it’s not that bad here,” she said.

  “Speak for yourself, Taryn. I just want to go home. I miss my bed, my dog, my job, and my friends.”

  “Your so-called friends are the ones that sent you here,” she said defensively.

  “My friends wanted to help me because they saw how miserable I was. If they knew this place made me even more miserable, they’d want me to come home.”

  “They’ll never know whether you are or aren’t miserable here,” she snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  I cocked my head to the side before I responded. “Trust me, if I want them to know, they’ll know.”

  “Good luck keeping your email privileges after Ana finds out you’re trying to bail,” she snapped. The sound of her chair screeching against the floor as she stood kept me from saying anything else.

  “What the fuck?” I whispered to myself.

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know, darlin,’ ” the elderly waitress whispered as she sat my omelet down.

  “Wh—what did you just say?” I stammered. The familiarity of that statement put me on edge.

  “There’s so much you don’t know about this place and these people. Keep your eyes and your mind open and don’t trust anyone. Best not be talking ill of this place in your emails or phone calls, either,” she said quietly.

  “Thanks, I think,” I mumbled as she walked away.

  My hands shook as I brought my fork to my mouth. I could only manage three bites before I gave in to the sick feeling in my stomach and pushed my plate away. I had a scheduled meditation time in fifteen minutes, and I knew I had to pull myself together before then.

  I took the elevator back to my room and tried to sort through my thoughts. Why had Taryn gotten so upset when I’d told her I wanted to leave Divided Paths? Would Ana really take my email privileges away if she found out I was planning to leave? And if she did, then how was I ever going to get out of here?

  I still felt uneasy when it was time to meet outside for meditation. It was usually a group of ten of us who meditated together. It wasn’t mandatory for everyone and I didn’t want to go, but I’d never skipped before and I didn’t want to make waves if Taryn had already told someone what I’d said at breakfast.

  I pressed the button for the elevator and waited for a moment before opting to take the stairs. The door to the stairwell was at the end of the hall. I heard people talking loudly inside one of the rooms as I walked by, and I slowed when I recognized one of the voices to be Taryn’s.

  “She said she’s miserable, Matt. She wants to leave. What are we going to do if she leaves? We won’t find anyone else as suitable as her,” she said frantically.

  “Please don’t let her be talking about me,” I mumbled under my breath.

  “Taylor Long belongs here, Taryn. She won’t be leaving, and you needn’t worry yourself about such silly things,” Matt told her calmly.

  I gasped when I heard him say my name and ran down the hall as fast as I could. I heard a door open and close behind me and knew it had to have been from the room Matt and Taryn were in. I didn’t slow down until I was halfway down the stairs.

  Suitable for what? I thought to myself as I thread my fingers through my hair and tugged nervously.

  “Taylor? Is that you?” I heard Taryn call.

  She must have seen me in the hall. I knew my hair was a dead giveaway of my identity. I panicked and started running down the stairs again.

  “Taylor! It’s just me,” she called again.

  My Converse slipped off the step below me and I lost my balance. My body kept moving forward, but my feet couldn’t catch up.

  I don’t remember falling asleep, but I do remember the dream.

  “There’s a lot you don’t know, darlin,’ ” Jarren said. Only it wasn’t Jarren’s voice. It was a woman’s voice. The one from the café at Divided Paths.

  “Go get Sam,” Macie said. Only this wasn’t Macie’s voice and it didn’t sound urgent like she was frightened. It was a familiar voice and it sounded…malicious.

  “What did you say?” I asked, in attempt to hear the voice again. I was met with silence instead. Jarren was walking toward me while Macie stood in front of me, ready to protect me at all costs. Only I knew that wasn’t Jarren, and I knew the Macie in front of me wasn’t going to be protecting anyone.

  I woke up covered in sweat once again. I looked around quickly as I tried to figure out where I was. A solid white room with no windows, no decorations on the walls, and obviously no air conditioning. An annoying beeping started going off repeatedly and the door to the room I was in opened seconds later.

  “Oh, good, you’re awake,” Ana said. “How are you feeling? That was a nasty fall, according to Taryn.”

  “Where am I and why is it so fucking hot in here?” I asked, ignoring her question.

  “You’re in the hospital wing of Divided Paths. You fell in the stairwell and hit your head. You’ve got a terrible bump. Don’t you remember?”

  “I remember,” I snapped as I instinctively touched the bump on my forehead. “When can I go back to my room?” I wanted to ask when I could go home, but I was keeping that thought to myself.

  “Matt wanted you to stay here overnight so the nurses could make sure the concussion was only minor. He will be down in the morning to take you to breakfast.”

  “I don’t want to go to breakfast with Matt. And I don’t want to sleep here. I feel fine and I’ll rest much better in my normal room.” I started to turn and get out of the bed without looking at her. Even if I’d wanted to look at her, the pain in my head would have prevented me from moving it enough to see her fully.

  “Taylor, we’re so glad you’re here. Can’t you see that?” she asked sweetly, which made my stomach turn.

  Her cold fingers wrapped around my wrist just before I felt the sting and hot liquid shoot into my arm. I started to feel dizzy at first. Then my body suddenly got very heavy. I couldn’t even hold my head up. As Ana helped me lay back down onto the small bed, I tried to ask what she had done to me, but my mind was too
foggy. I couldn’t form the words.

  ***

  I woke up in my usual room. I looked around slowly to make sure I was alone before sitting all the way up. Aside from a slight headache and an empty stomach, I felt pretty normal.

  When my stomach growled I glanced at the clock to see that it was 8:30am. But what day was it? I thought to myself. I knew the only way I’d find out was to get ready and go downstairs.

  I showered and took my time doing my hair and makeup. The bump that I’d felt on my head was completely gone. There was nothing more than a tiny bruise to prove that I’d had an accident. I didn’t even glance toward the stairwell as I waited for the elevator. When the doors opened I was overcome with an eery feeling of uncomfortableness. I felt sweat roll down my back, yet there were chill bumps on my arms. I wanted to get off of the elevator, but my feet wouldn’t budge. It was like my body was no longer in touch with my mind.

  My breaths came out in quick, harsh puffs. The pain in my head amplified. I started to wonder if I was going to pass out before I reached the first floor and was able to escape the elevator. Just as blackness started to creep into my peripheral vision, the doors opened.

  I ran out and straight into Brent’s arms.

  “Woah, everything okay in there?” he asked as he looked behind me into the empty elevator.

  “What day is it?” I asked quickly. Hoping like hell he’d say it was Friday.

  “It’s Friday, Taylor. What’s up with you?” His eyebrows pinched together as he studied my face.

  “Nothing, I’m fine. I just had a crazy dream. The kind that you wake up from not knowing where you are,” I explained with a forced smile.

  “Ah, man. I hate those kind.”

  “I’ll be fine. Just going to grab some breakfast,” I said as I turned toward the café.

  “See you at meditation,” he called after me.

  I sat at my usual table and waited for the elderly waitress to notice me. After a few minutes passed, I saw her head my way with a glass of water.

  “Good morning, Miss Long,” she said slowly. Almost as if she were saying it cautiously.

  “Good morning, Miss—. What is it again?” I asked. Even though I knew she’d never told me her name before.

  “Williford. Martha Williford,” she said with a small smile.

  “Martha, have you ever been to the hospital wing here at Divided Paths?” I asked as I smiled back at her. I needed everyone around us to assume we were having a casual conversation.

  “There is no hospital wing here, Taylor.” Her eyes had gotten wider when I’d initially asked the question, but she’d recovered quickly.

  “I see. So, if someone were to fall down a flight of stairs and injure themselves, where would they be taken?”

  “I assume they’d call the paramedics,” she said with a shrug and a fake chuckle. I was relieved that she was picking up on my plan to look like we were having a light conversation.

  “And if Ana were to use medication to put me to sleep, what would be the reason behind her actions?”

  “Oh, dear. That didn’t take long. I can’t tell you anything, now. They’ve already done it. You’re different. It’s done. You’re already changing,” she rattled off quickly. It was becoming obvious that she was upset, and her voice started to shake.

  “Martha, I’m fine. Everything is fine. But you’re the only one I can trust right now and I need to know what’s happening. Why am I here?”

  Martha’s hand trembled as she placed it on my shoulder. “They chose you so they could get to him.” She turned and walked back to the kitchen more quickly than she normally would. I waited at the table for several minutes for her to come back, but she didn’t. It was clear that I wouldn’t be getting any more information from her for the time being.

  I finished my glass of water before leaving the café. I smiled at Ana as I walked past her desk on my way to the computer room. Something told me that I needed to keep the peace with her until I knew exactly what was going on.

  I’d planned on sending Macie an email filled with lies about how happy I was now and how wonderful it was at Divided Paths. I knew she’d know something was off and start trying to figure shit out the second she read it. However, the computer wouldn’t recognize my login credentials. I assumed Ana or Taryn had something to do with that. My stomach sank as a feeling of complete loneliness settled in.

  I went to meditation that afternoon. I smiled and participated in small talk when it was necessary. I went through the motions of a normal day at Divided Paths even though it felt far from normal.

  Once I was in my room, all bets were off. I no longer had to pretend everything was fine. Instead, I had to figure out what Martha meant when she’d said I was changing. I took off all my clothes and stood in front of the mirror. I inspected every inch of my body as I tried to spot anything out of the ordinary. I looked the same as I always did, and aside from being freaked out, I felt the same, too.

  Sam

  Sweat trickled down my face as I ran, but I didn’t wipe it. I only ran faster, harder. It was still dark outside; the sun wouldn’t be up for a few more hours. I’d attempted to sleep when I got home from work, but I couldn’t stand to lay there and think about Taylor for another second.

  It had been just over a month since she’d left. Macie had heard from her once. I hadn’t, but that was no surprise. I’d hoped that she would have emailed me today. Or at least emailed Macie again, but Macie had assured me that she’d call me if she got anything from her. When she never called, I couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. I transferred to Taylor. I couldn’t believe it fucking worked: even I’d never been able to make distances that far. And for some reason, I wasn’t completely wiped afterward. I was able to run as fast and hard as I always did when something was eating at me.

  I was lost in thought, hearing nothing but the sound of my shoes against the pavement. I have no clue how long I’d been running, but when I looked up I was outside Jasper and Macie’s place.

  I knew J would be pissed at me for knocking on his door at an ungodly hour, but I did it anyways.

  “What the fuck?” Jasper answered the door in nothing but boxers. His eyes were barely open when he stepped aside to let me in.

  “Sorry, bro, but I need you to keep me from doing something crazy,” I said in a rush.

  “What’s going on? Are you in trouble? What fucking time is it?” he groaned.

  “You might want to get Macie before I explain,” I suggested.

  “She’s going to kill you,” he said as he threw a towel from the kitchen at me. “Stop sweating on my floor.”

  I chuckled as he walked back to the bedroom to wake Macie. Taylor’s dog, Pookah, came strutting down the hall toward me. She jumped and rested her paws on my calf until I bent down to pet her, still trying to catch my breath.

  “Yeah, babe, I know it’s 4am. He’s your friend, too. Put some clothes on.”

  “Shit,” I muttered when I heard Macie slamming things in the other room.

  “Yeah. The woman is not a morning person,” Jasper said as he shrugged.

  “Especially when it’s not even morning,” Macie snapped as she came into view. “You realize I only got home from work three hours ago, right?” she huffed. I watched her pop a pill into her mouth and swallow it without a drink. I’d seen her do this from time to time. The pills helped her turn off the Protector in her temporarily. I guess she could see the confusion on my face without me even asking why she needed the pill.

  “Your legs feel like they have lava running through them and your lungs feel like they’re covered in splinters every time you take a breath. It’s four o’clock in the morning and if I’m going to concentrate on whatever you’re about to say I can’t be feeling as beat as you are right now,” she explained.

  I nodded in understanding. I often forgot the side effects of Macie being a Protector. She could feel everything.

  “Alright, Sam, what the hell is going on?” Jasper asked. I
took a deep breath before I started.

  “It’s Taylor. I just feel like something’s not right. Why didn’t we hear from her today?”

  “Make some coffee, please,” Macie said to Jasper before turning to me. “Sam, I know you miss her. I miss her, too. But Divided Paths is—”

  “That’s not what this is about, Mace,” I said, cutting her off. “I saw her. Something is wrong.”

  “You saw her? What do you mean you saw her?” Jasper asked as he poured coffee into three mugs.

  “I transferred,” I said quietly.

  “Shut the fuck up. Nobody can transfer from here to Phoenix, man. Not even you.” I was well-known back in Florida for being the Raider could transfer farther than anyone had ever been able to, but the distance from Seattle to Phoenix was too far, even for me.

  “I didn’t expect it to actually work, you dick. I don’t know how I went so far, but I saw her.”

  “Was she at Divided Paths? What was she doing? Are you certain it wasn’t a dream?” Macie asked as she handed me my coffee. It was obvious by her calmness that she didn’t believe me.

  “That’s the thing: I don’t know if she was at Divided Paths or not. I don’t know what the place looks like. I just saw a plain white room, and Taylor was asleep on a bed with plain white sheets. I was so shocked to actually be there that I kinda freaked and came out of it. It all happened so fast.”

  “Sounds like a hospital,” Macie said as her brows pinched together.

  “Yeah, or a rehabilitation center,” Jasper chimed in sarcastically. I glared at him.

  “Hospital? You’re right, Macie. She had a bandage on her arm and I think I saw a bruise on her head.”

  They looked at each other for a moment before looking back at me.

  “Guys, I don’t know how to explain it, but I’ve got a feeling that something isn’t right. I’ve tried to shake it, but it’s not going away. I can’t stop thinking about her,” I said warily.

  “I’ll call the center first thing in the morning, Sam. Why don’t you let Jasper drive you home to sleep until then? If I find anything out you’ll be the first to know,” Macie said, still too calm.