Olivia
My room is crowded. Luke is here, plus Pyper, my mom and dad, two police officers, a doctor and a nurse. I appreciate their concern, I really do. I get that they were scared for me and need to see me, but I feel like I’m suffocating. My chest feels tight, my breath keeps catching, and already I’m picking at my new cast on my leg. It’s too much. I think it’s due in part to the fact that I know what’s coming – the dreaded questions. Just thinking about them makes my stomach twist and churn.
The reunion with my parents was an emotional one. My mom kept running her fingers through my hair, and stroking the side of my face like I’m a little girl. Silent tears fell down her face as she told me over and over again how much she loves me. Even my dad, whom I don’t know if I’ve ever seen cry, was emotional. His eyes became glassy and he kept clearing his throat while asking me repeatedly if I’m feeling any pain. Before we could do or say much else, the police officers came into my room. Once they heard I had awakened, they were ready to begin questioning. They keep telling me the timing is so important if they are going to catch Deacon. I don’t tell any of them that I don’t think he will be found.
“Hi Olivia, my name is Detective Kline.” Nodding to the other man with him, he says, “With me is Officer Timpleton, and we’re here to ask you some questions about your kidnapping.”
I take in Detective Kline’s dark hair and dark eyes. He has a five o’clock shadow, hinting at a long night, and full lips. I decide he could totally be on one of those cop shows. I store that information to discuss with Pyper later. She’ll appreciate it. And it could be great conversation to use as a distraction from me and how I’m feeling. I know she will agree that he’s easy on the eyes, and speaking of eyes - his reveal compassion and kindness. They immediately put me at ease.
His partner, Officer Timpleton, looks younger. He has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a young, boyish face. He continuously sways from side to side, with his hands clenching and unclenching. I get the impression he would much rather be running someone down on the street, as opposed to questioning me. I can’t really blame him. I would give back my favorite Jimmy Choo’s if it meant I could get out of this. Well okay, maybe not, but close enough.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
Before the officers speak again, the doctor and nurse excuse themselves, likely not wanting to interfere. I give them a smile as they head out and then return my attention to the officers.
“First, I want to say I’m sorry. I know you just had surgery, and that you were just reunited with your family. I promise, we will try to keep the questioning short, so you can get back to your time with them. As we mentioned, time is of the essence if we are going to have any luck tracking Deacon down before he gets too far.”
I flinch. It’s an automatic response to Deacon’s name. I can’t help it. Trying not to show my fear, I nod in response, and brace myself for a round of questioning that I know will be difficult.
“Are you okay with your family being present during this round of questioning?”
I look around at all of their faces. This is not only going to be hard for me, but it will be for them as well. “Yes, it’s okay.”
“Okay.” The officer clears his throat and then begins, “Olivia, let’s start with the day that you were taken. Can you tell us what happened?”
Taking a deep breath, I give them a nod and dive right in. That day has played over and over in my mind more times than I can count. I couldn’t forget it, even if I tried. I begin with the roses I received at the restaurant. They ask me specific details about everything, from where I was in the restaurant when I received them; who gave them to me; how many there were; and what color they were. “I assumed the roses were from Luke,” tears fill my eyes and I glance at Luke and see a tick in his jaw, “that’s why I texted him to tell him thank you. When I got to the condo, the door was closed –”
“Did you notice any signs of forced entry?”
Shouldn’t they know this already? This seems pointless. Then I remember that I’m not in my home state where the incident occurred. I should be more patient. “No, I didn’t. If I had, I wouldn’t have gone in. I would have called the police, assuming there was a break in.”
“What happened when you went inside? Walk us through it, please.”
“I saw the back of Pyper’s head,” my eyes well up again, making me sniff in an effort to hold them in, “I remember thinking it was strange that when I called her name, she just sat there. She didn’t turn around, didn’t acknowledge me at all. I walked toward the couch, instinctively knowing something was wrong.” I swallow hard, and take a deep breath, “When I saw she was tied up and gagged,” I pause a moment as the memory of Pyper sitting there floods my memory. Tape over her mouth, tear tracks down her cheeks, fear and pleading in her eyes. “I didn’t even think twice about removing the tape from her mouth to help her, and find out what happened. Before I could, Deacon appeared with a gun in his hand.”
“What then?”
“He said, ‘hello, princess’, and pointed a gun at me.”
“Did he say anything else to you?”
“He said lots of things. I don’t see how any of that is helpful.” I want to cry. Remembering how I was forced to leave my best friend on the couch bound and gagged makes me want to lose it. I’ve spent hours and hours running that day through my mind. I’ve asked myself what I could have done differently, time and time again. Could I have helped her? Freed her? Or prevented his taking me somehow? I was so afraid for Pyper, so afraid for myself. I’m getting that tight feeling in my chest again, and I find myself gasping for air.
“I’m sorry, I’m sure this is difficult for you, but we need to know everything – no detail is insignificant. Everything you tell us will only help our investigation.”
I take another deep breath and count to ten. Luke walks to my side and takes my hand. “Do you need some water, angel?”
I give him a small smile, “That would be great, thanks.”
After taking a sip, I continue. “Deacon made me leave Pyper on the couch. I pleaded with him to let her go immediately. I told him that it was me he wanted, and that Pyper had done nothing wrong. I told him…” I hesitate and take another sip of water before continuing. “I told him I would do anything he wanted.” Tears instantly blur my vision as I recall my desperate pleas to Deacon. They went unanswered. “He ignored me and brought me to my room. I-”, I need another minute. I’m so weak and angry with myself. This wasn’t even the worst of my experience, and already I need a moment. “I opened my mouth to scream and he shoved his gun down my throat.” I choke on my words. Luke’s hand tightens around mine and my mother gasps in horror. Tears start streaming down Pyper’s face, and I clench my teeth tight in an effort to stop the tears from falling.
I lose focus for a moment as I remember exactly what he said to me, “Don’t even think about it bitch – if you make a fucking sound, I won’t hesitate to walk into that living room and blow your precious friend’s brains out while you watch. Do you fucking understand me?”
“Olivia?”
I blink several times trying to clear the image from my mind. “He told me if I wasn’t quiet that he would hurt Pyper. So, I remained silent while he used rope to bind my arms and legs. After that, he put duct tape over my mouth. He said he couldn’t trust me to keep quiet. When he was finished, he threw me on my bed, pulled out his phone and made a call.”
Understanding my distress, the Detective’s voice is soft, “Who did he call?”
“I didn’t know then. Now, I’m guessing it was probably Ronnie.”
“Ronnie?” Officer Timpleton takes over questioning, “Who’s that?”
“Ronnie is the man who helped Deacon kidnap me.”
Detective Kline and Officer Timpleton exchange a look before Timpleton asks, “Helped how?”
“He was always there. When Deacon would leave, he… he would be with me. He is also the one that drove the vehicle here.”
Det
ective Kline takes back control, “Okay, we will get to that. What happened after he made a call?”
“Deacon came back to the bed where I was lying and pulled a syringe out of his pocket. Before I could even comprehend what he was about to do, he stabbed me in the neck with a needle, and I lost consciousness.”
Luke cursed. Pyper choked on a sob. My mom used a tissue to catch her tears. My dad looked away. I’m regretting my choice to let them stay. They don’t need to hear this.
“Did he ever mention what was in the syringe?”
“No.”
“Did he use it again?”
I hesitate. “Yes,” I whisper.
“Please explain.”
“I was drugged consistently. Sometimes, as soon as it would seem like it was wearing off, I would get stabbed with a needle again and put under. Sometimes I would go out completely. Other times, I was in and out. I lost all sense of time. I have no idea how long I was under its influence each time. I lost total awareness of time.”
“Where have you been the last four weeks, Olivia? Where did Deacon keep you?”
It was my turn to gasp. The days just seemed to all melt into one another. They seemed long and endless. I thought I would never get away. Somewhere inside of me, I started to resign myself to the fact that I was doomed to a life with Deacon. I hated myself because the truth is, there were times when I just gave up. I welcomed the darkness the drugs would bring. It wasn’t until I woke up naked the first time that I started to be terrified instead. I was afraid of what was happening during the moments I wasn’t aware, but they didn’t need to know that.
Before I can stop it, a grainy memory assaults me, “You like that baby? Being touched there feels good doesn’t it?” Deacon’s rough hands on my breasts, pinching, pulling, hurting... I shake my head, wishing the action would shake the memory right out of my mind.
“Four weeks? I’ve been gone for four weeks?” Oh my God. What my family must have felt. I squeeze Luke’s hand and look into his eyes. I see the pure agony he’s trying his best to keep hidden. I know that every moment I was gone must have felt like a lifetime for him. I know if it were him who had been missing, I would have felt the same way. I want to soothe the hurt away, but I don’t know how.
“Yes,” Luke says, “four very long weeks,” his voice is raspy and full of emotion.
Detective Kline asks again, “Can you tell us where you’ve been?”
“I’ve been in a house somewhere. Locked in a bedroom.”
“What can you tell us about the house? About the bedroom?”
“There was no way out.”
Luke’s hand is squeezing me so tight, it’s beginning to hurt. I know he’s doing it subconsciously. I hate that he has to hear this, because I know him. He’s blaming himself for all of this.
“You tried to escape?”
“Yes.”
“And what happened?”
I hesitate. I look at Luke, Pyper, my mom and dad. A squeeze to my hand makes my eyes meet Luke’s. He runs the back of his fingers over my cheek, lending silent support.
I open my mouth and start telling them about the time I tried to look for an escape from the bedroom where I was being kept. I told them how I searched the room, and desperately looked to find a weapon of some kind to use. How I tried to scream for help, when that got me nowhere, how I swung at the glass doors trying to break them so I could use the glass as a weapon. I told him how I found out Ronnie was in the house.
“What did Ronnie do when he came into the room?”
“He threw me to the bed and told me it didn’t matter how loud I screamed or cried, that no one would hear me.”
“Olivia, how did you get these injuries? How did you end up being brought here to the hospital?”
Again I hesitate, knowing the answer will be hurtful to those that love me. “I… well I umm… fell.”
His brows lowering in confusion, Officer Timpleton asks, “You fell? How?”
“I fell off a balcony after I managed to take Deacon’s gun from him and threatened to shoot him. He called my bluff, went for the gun, and I overcompensated by throwing myself off a balcony.”
“Good God,” my dad exclaims, “you are lucky you didn’t die!”
Pyper and my mom hold onto one another. It looks like if they let go, one of them will fall over. My eyes meet Luke’s, and his are full of pure fear and agony. I squeeze his hand, knowing where his mind is, and at the same time wanting to reassure him that the worst didn’t happen. I’m here. His eyes soften, but a lone tear falls down his cheek. I wish I could move toward him to wipe it away.
“Do you remember what happened after you fell, Olivia?”
“I came to and Deacon was over me. Some bushes had broken my fall and Deacon was cursing at me and telling me that I was stupid. He told me…” I stop. Pure fear runs through my body in a rush when I repeat his words, “He told me that he had no choice but to bring me to the hospital because of my injuries but he said,” I stop again, then whisper, “he said he would be back for me.”
“I dare him to try.” Luke says with pure heat behind his words, “I will kill the bastard.”
Officer Timpleton and Detective Kline look at Luke, but say nothing. I see understanding in their eyes when they look at Luke.
“Olivia, we have a few private questions to ask you. I don’t know if you would prefer for us to conduct them one on one.”
“Privately? Why?”
“They are personal in nature.”
At first, I don’t realize what he is trying to say to me, but then it clicks. And my whole body stiffens. Luke looks at me curiously. “We are her family, I’m sure whatever you have to ask, we can be here. Right, love?”
I feel like I’m going to suffocate again. He can’t know. I don’t want Luke to know that Deacon had his filthy hands on me. What will he do? What will he say? Will he still want me? Am I tainted? I am. I’m tainted by Deacon. I’m not pure. I know that while it wasn’t in my control, my body was violated while my heart, my very soul belonged to Luke. Is that cheating? When it isn’t in your control? What will Luke think? I can’t… I just can’t…
I look at Detective Kline and I know he sees the pleading in my eyes.
“I’m going to need to ask that everyone leave the room, please.”
“What, why?” Luke asks, his eyes going from me and the detective like he’s watching a tennis match.
“We have a few questions that we must ask her privately.”
Luke looks at me, and I don’t say a word. I know he wants me to say that it’s okay, that he can stay. That there is nothing that they could ask that he, Pyper, or my parents couldn’t hear, but that isn’t true. I close my eyes, avoiding having to see the worry and confusion in his.
“Come on, son,” my dad says to Luke and under any other circumstances I would have smiled at the ‘son’ reference.
“I will be right outside that door okay, Olivia?” Luke asks.
I open my eyes, look in his, and give a nod.
They all leave the room and Luke looks back at me once more. I try to give him a reassuring smile, but I know it looks like a grimace instead. I’m sure he can see the residual fear in my eyes.
Once they are gone, Detective Kline hesitates, “I’m sorry Olivia, but we have to ask…”
I nod my head, waiting for him to say the words.
When the Detective takes a deep breath, I almost believe for a moment this is as hard for him as it is for me. “Olivia, other than being drugged, were you abused in any other way - meaning, physically or sexually?”
My breath catches, tears fill my eyes as they lose focus, “Oh God, you feel amazing princess. It has been too long since I’ve been with you. You belong to me. Do you hear me? You belong to me.”
“Olivia?”
A whisper, “Yes.”
6.
PUNCHING A STEERING WHEEL HURTS LIKE A BITCH
Luke
I don’t want to leave her. I feel hurt and confu
sed that she didn’t tell me I can stay with her. What could they possibly have to ask her that I couldn’t, or shouldn’t, be here for? Each step towards the door is a challenge; I feel like I’m trying to walk through cement. I look back at her and when our eyes meet, I hope she will tell me that I can stay. Instead, her eyes lower, and she look sad, scared and…ashamed? Why would she feel ashamed?
I’ve just gotten to touch her, hold her and see her again after fearing the worst - I don’t want to leave her. I swear I’m not a pussy, and I know that I’m being irrational and unrealistic, but I don’t want her out of my sight. Even in a room with police officers. I just need to be able to keep an eye on her right now. To know that she’s safe – and okay, maybe also so I can keep reminding myself that she really is here.
Pulling the door behind me, I start to latch it closed, but then stop. I know I shouldn’t do this. I should respect her privacy, but I can’t help it. I just need to be within listening distance. If something distresses her, I want to know about it. I want to be there in a second if she needs me, and I just feel better knowing she’s basically within my reach. This stupid door feels like a huge barrier, and the fact that it is all that is keeping me from her is putting unease in my stomach. I want to rip it off its hinges so that the obstacle is no more.
So, I make a decision. I don’t close the door all the way behind me.
I’m not standing here long before a voice trails out to me. I can barely make out what’s being said. I want to try not to listen, I really do, but I abandon all my best intentions at the words I hear.
“Olivia, other than being drugged, were you abused in any other way, meaning physically or sexually?”
I stiffen.
I can’t breathe.
I don’t fucking move.
My stomach has dropped to my ass.
I can’t hear the response from Olivia, but what I hear next confirms my worst fears.
“Okay, we are going to let our forensic nurse know. She's the nurse who will help us gather evidence. She will do a medical exam, gathering samples required for the rape kit protocol, perform a vaginal inspection, draw blood for testing, and take some pictures.”
Pretty Little Dreams Page 5