by Naomi Niles
There were tears in her eyes, which made me get a bit emotional too. I quickly brushed the tears away, not wanting her to see them, but I’m not sure how successful I was. “I love you, son.” She smiled at me. “And have a good time.”
“I love you, too, Mom, and I miss you already.”
As I walked away from the house, I felt sadder than I ever thought I would. That was the only life that I’d ever known, and it was strange to leave it all behind. James had promised that he would visit me at college soon enough, but I already knew that it wouldn’t be exactly the same. He was forming his own life, and I mine. I just hoped that at least some of my old life would remain the same, despite everything going on.
***
As the bus trundled towards my destination once more, all I could think about was Danica. I knew that I should probably just let her go and give her the space that she needed to get over me and us, but I needed to see her all the same, and I really hoped that it would lead to us working our way back to one another, rather than tearing us apart. I couldn’t stop worrying, and I needed to make sure that she was okay. I couldn’t think about anything else. My heart was totally overruling my head.
Without a second thought, I grabbed my phone from my pocket, and I tried to call her once again, but of course, she still wasn’t answering. Not to be deterred, I fired off another text, praying that she would at least read it.
‘Hi, Danica; it’s Rhett. I know that you’re not talking to me, and that I’m probably the last person in the world that you want to speak with, but I really need to see you. You might be in danger, and it’s pertinent that we meet. Please come and see me in the reception area of your college at midnight? x’
I knew that she probably wouldn’t respond, but I had to hope that she would at least listen and turn up. I wasn’t sure what else I could say to persuade her to speak to me. I couldn’t tell her everything over text message because it was too much and too confusing. Plus, if communications were still being monitored, which I seriously prayed they weren’t, then I didn’t want to give away what I already knew. That was my leverage over my dad, and I wanted to use that wisely.
By the time the bus finally arrived, I only had one thing on my mind. If I had to wait until midnight to see Danica, then I didn’t even want to risk being on the college grounds before then. I knew it was risky, but what I’d told my mom was true–I really did need my car, and I really did want to at least attempt to get it back. I already had the keys pressed firmly into the palm of my hand, and now I wanted the vehicle to go with it. The pros of getting it back greatly outweighed the cons–including the fact that I might need to get away at a moment’s notice–which was why I decided to risk heading to my father’s land to attempt a car rescue.
If I got there within the next hour, it would be before my dad was home anyway, which would make things so much easier. Lyla might be there, but I hoped that we still had a good enough relationship that she wouldn’t turn me away, and if I found Danica there, then all the better. If she was at risk in any way, then I wanted to be the one who rescued her.
I needed my car, and was determined that I would get it. It belonged to me after all, I only left it behind because of the way that I got sent away.
I argued with myself all the way there, despite the fact that it was pointless. I was doing it now, and that was the end of it, but there was no denying the fear that coursed through my veins.
Although, as I arrived at my father’s home, it seemed like all my worry had been for nothing. It didn’t even look like anyone was home. I crept around, peeping through all of the windows, but it quickly became clear that the entire building was empty. Curious, and wanting to know more, I snuck the spare key that I’d seen Lyla hide under a stone on the driveway, and I made my way inside. Sure, I’d noticed my car still sitting there where I’d left it, which was something of a surprise, but right now my attention was off somewhere else entirely.
My heart thumped painfully as I tiptoed through the building that had already become so strange to me. Small images of Danica smiling at me from across the room kept flicking into my mind, but the memories had started to feel like they’d happened to someone else, someone not connected to me. I could remember her and us clearly, but associating those memories with this house was too weird for words.
As I got to her bedroom, where we’d spent many nights tucked up together under her duvet, my heart broke for what might have been. I tried to tell myself that it could all still happen, that there was still time, but the obstacles that we still needed to overcome felt too much–too overwhelming.
The fact that there was barely any sign of Danica in this room could only mean one thing–she was at college after all, which meant that was where I needed to go. Having no more business in my dad’s home–I didn’t even need to find any more evidence what with the papers I had stashed in my bag–I raced outside to grab my car. She was safe, she was under the protection of her college, and that was enough for me.
I knew that as soon as I moved this car from the driveway, he would know that I’d come back, which would speed the entire process up, but honestly, that was okay. The quicker this was done the better, as far as I was concerned.
As the engine roared to life, all of the anxiety came back tenfold. I needed to escape, to book into the nearest hotel and just hope that everything would come into place come midnight. There was a chance that Dad would get to Danica first, but I prayed the image that he’d set up in front of Lyla would prevent him from doing so. He’d spent such a long time portraying himself as a nice, trustworthy guy that I had to pray he would need some time to act upon my appearance.
Time was key. If this plan was going to work, if I was going to somehow end this, I really needed time to be on my side.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Danica
‘I read the message on my phone’s screen over and over again, wondering what the hell I should do about it. Should I call Rhett? Message him back? Agree to meet him? My initial instinct was to ignore it, like I had his answer phone message, but the fact that Brad was missing and that my mom was a mess had me actually wanting to see him. If he knew something that I needed to know, then would I be stupid to avoid him…right?
I couldn’t deny that my heart fluttered excitedly with the thought of laying my eyes upon Rhett again, which really annoyed me. I was still furious for all the things he said to me, all the lies he spilled before leaving me on my own.
There was just no excuse for that whatsoever. Did he think that none of that mattered anymore? Did he think that I would just forget the shitty way that he treated me because something else had happened?
But then again, would it be petty to ignore him just because I was annoyed?
I glanced over at my mom, wondering if I should ask for her opinion, but I quickly disregarded that thought. She was a hot mess, and I couldn’t pile this on top of her, too. She’d spent most of the night trying to get in touch with Brad with no luck, and she’d even stayed over in Chloe’s bed.
I’d contacted my roommate to check where she was, and luckily it turned out that she’d gone back home for a few days to visit her family, so she was completely fine with my mom using her bed. I’d explained some of the story to her, but not everything. That was more than just a phone call conversation, I was sure of it.
It had been a very stressful night, which hadn't been good for anyone, and I’d even had to miss my doctor’s appointment because I didn’t want to put that on Mom, too. I was sure that now that she knew the truth, I’d be able to rebook it in a couple of days whether she was still by my side or not. I just needed to wait until the moment was right.
It was only all of this that had me wanting to agree with Rhett right away, but as I held my phone between my fingers, I couldn’t find the words to write back, just in case I changed my mind at the last minute.
After a few moments of deliberation, I decided that I would wait until nearer the time, then I would make my choic
e, but deep down, I already knew that I wouldn’t be able to let Rhett be in this building without going to see him.
***
The day passed in a haze of worry; my mind was constantly all over the place, making even the simplest of tasks challenging. That, combined with the sickness that had seemed to decide to stretch out all day now that I’d been more honest about what was happening with me, made it really hard for me to do anything. Sure, I did my best to help Mom with her desperate attempt to find Brad, which took my mind off things somewhat, but we still got nowhere. It seemed like he really had disappeared off the face of the planet. We faced dead end after dead end until I ended up getting really frustrated with everything.
I felt bad not telling Mom that I sort of had a meeting planned with Rhett when she was so worried about what was going on, but I had no idea what he was here for, and I wanted to figure out his motivation first. If his end game was just to get close to me again, it didn’t seem fair to raise her hopes, just to have them dashed again.
I’d like to think that Rhett was someone I could trust, but he’d proven to me on more than one occasion that wasn’t the case, so as much as it killed me to keep it a secret, I knew that it was best for everyone involved.
So as we got into bed much later in the evening, I allowed her to drift off into a worried sleep while I forced myself to stay awake. Then once I was absolutely certain that she was sleeping, I snuck out of the room and I crept into the bathroom where I could ready myself in peace.
I stared into the mirror for a few moments, just drinking in my stressed, haggard face. When I considered how healthy I looked the first time I saw Rhett, it was a massive difference to how I appeared now. My face was pale and sick-looking, my skin was spotty, and my entire aura was that of someone who didn’t know what the hell to do next. I was a mess, and I hated having to see him while I looked that way.
But it didn’t seem like I had any choice, so I grabbed my baggiest, most unflattering clothes to cover up my baby bump. Maybe this repellent look would be a good thing; maybe I didn’t want him to like me anymore.
But I knew that it was pointless even thinking that. Rhett’s adoration had kept me going through the difficult summer months, and I wished that I could be in a position to obtain that again. Obviously, that wasn’t going to be possible, so instead, I hoped that this was going to be a meeting that cleared everything up. I hoped that Rhett had all the answers as to what was going on with Brad. Maybe he had a plan to fix all of this. That would make almost everything worth it!
As I wandered nervously down the stairs and out towards the reception area of the college, my heart pounded heavily. I kept breathing deeply, trying to keep myself calm, but it wasn’t working at all. I was already a nervous wreck–I had to hold my arms across my body, just to stop myself from falling apart.
And then I spotted him standing there, and my entire body went into meltdown. The world fell out from beneath my feet and my head started to spin like crazy. It didn’t help that he looked so gorgeous when I felt so dreadful. It didn’t feel fair!
Keep calm, I told myself. Just get through this.
But the walk towards him was long and tortuous, so I kept my gaze fixed on my feet, which was the only place that they felt safe. By the time I forced myself to raise my eyes to meet his, my first thought was that he actually looked kind of relieved to see me, which I hadn't really been expecting.
“Danica,” he gasped, stepping towards me. “Thank you so much for coming to meet me. I didn’t think you would.”
Ah okay, he didn’t think I would turn up.
“No,” I agreed, not able to return his smile. “Nor did I.” I felt stiff and awkward, but that was out of my control. In that moment, it didn’t feel like the amicable ease would ever return between us. It was almost as if there was too much water under the bridge now.
“Can we go somewhere to talk?” As I really looked him up and down, scanning over the familiar body that was somehow now strange to me, I noticed that he had something in his hands. A stack of papers, which clearly meant something. It was obviously the key as to what the hell was going on here.
“Sure,” I muttered, my curiosity getting the better of me. “Follow me; let’s go to the common room.”
As we walked in silence, my anxiety started to eat me up. This was the weirdest situation that I’d ever been in, and I had no idea what to even do with myself. Rhett seemed just as uncomfortable with me, which left a horrible, thick silence hanging in the air. It was obvious that neither of us knew how to be around one another anymore.
But that all changed once we got inside, and Rhett could finally unload the secret he was so desperate to tell me. He became animated as he told me all that he’d found out about Brad and his sketchy dealings–well, more bordering on criminal activity, which was an odd association. He just didn’t seem like that sort of man at all, so it was hard to put him in that box.
At first, I didn’t believe it at all–or maybe I just didn’t want to–but the evidence was sitting there in front of me, and it was overwhelming. He really was this terrible person who had done awful things, and I actually couldn’t believe it.
Mom had married a conman, and her entire universe was about to be shattered around her. It hurt even more that there was nothing that I could do to stop that. I couldn’t soften the blow at all.
It seemed like my initial suspicions were right. There was a reason why the wedding had happened so quickly. I just wasn’t sure what the reason for that was. Sure, it clearly had something to do with his crimes, but what?
Then it all became painfully obvious when Rhett explained the involvement with one of Brad’s cover up companies and her law firm. I could only assume that she had gotten too close to the truth, and he’d seduced her as a way to distract her.
But why get married?
It didn’t make any sense. Not really. But then again, who was I to try and figure out the mind of a criminal? There was obviously some reason that made perfect sense to him.
But why did it have to be my mom that got caught in the crossfire? Why did the first man she introduced into her life after twenty years have to be this horrible douche bag? It just didn’t seem fair.
“He’s left Mom,” I heard myself admitting to Rhett. “He vanished the night before last, and no one knows where he is.”
“Oh shit.” He understood how important this was, and we both panicked about what this meant for all of us. “What do you think that means?” he asked me. “Do you think that he’s got what he needed? Or that maybe the police are getting close?”
I shrugged my shoulders, considering both of them options. Neither of them were good; they both meant that the wedding was a scam, which meant my mom was about to get her heart broken all over again. She was going to fall apart, and all I could do was help her to pick up the pieces. I’d never felt so hopeless in my entire life.
“She’s staying here with me,” I told him. “She’s absolutely heartbroken.”
“I’m so sorry; this is all such a mess.” He held his head in his hands before continuing. “My mom doesn’t know that I found this out, but during this research I did, I found out that he got a little too close to the law around the time he left her, too, and I wonder if this is a similar situation.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, panicking. This was absolutely terrifying, but I knew that I couldn’t just ignore it. “Whatever it is that you’re doing, I’ll help you.” I finally said. “Whatever we need to do to solve this, I’ll be there. I cannot let my mom get hurt for nothing.”
As I looked at Rhett, I started to feel a stirring inside of me, so I broke eye contact quickly. I couldn’t have any feelings for him now, not in the middle of all of this.
He and I would have to wait.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Rhett
There was a moment, when Danica gave me a meaningful look, that I very nearly leant in to kiss her. I even felt my entire body gravitate towards her, but I bottled it at
the very last second and I fixed my eyes upon my shoes.
Danica might not have known what I was about to do, but my body did, and it was freaking out accordingly. My heart was pounding, my mind was racing, and I was tingling all over.
“Erm, yeah, thanks,” I replied awkwardly instead, trying to cover up my humiliation. “That means a lot.” I was glad that she was back on my side, and I didn’t want to screw that up already. Not when we had so much to lose.
“Why did you leave?” I suddenly heard her ask quietly. My eyes flicked back up at her, and when I saw her again, all of the boldness that she’d been embracing before was gone, and it was like she was a shell of a former self. The shell that I’d left behind when I ran away.
Guilt washed over me as I realized that after everything, I’d probably made the wrong decision after all. I should have stayed, I should have explained, I never should have cut communication. That was stupid, and I couldn’t help but regret it.
“I… I’m sorry,” I replied sadly. “I wish that I hadn't gone. I should have stayed, but Dad threatened me. He threatened you…”
“So why didn’t you just tell me that?” she snapped angrily. “Why did you just ignore me when I messaged you?” Her face flushed red, which proved just how upset she was. Embarrassed, too, which made me feel even worse.
“He said that he was monitoring our communications, and that-”
“Wait,” she jumped in quickly, a panicked look spread across our face. “Does he know about us?”
“I don’t think so,” I shook my head, hoping that I was telling the truth. “I think he might suspect, but he doesn’t know for sure.”
“Oh God.” Even that was enough to panic her. “So he has that hanging over our heads.” Her breaths were coming out laboured and stressed now, which had me worrying, too.