by CN Thornton
"Em, relax." He took my bag from me. "It's not him."
"How can you be sure?" I demanded as I put my laptop into my bag and started on my clothes.
"Because, before we moved in here I talked to a few of the tenants and they said someone had been breaking into apartments but not stealing anything, just trashing things."
"Yeah?" I asked.
Bash took the stack of clothes from my hands and set it aside before placing his hands on either side of my shoulders. "He's not going to find you. Not only are we in a completely different country, but you dyed your hair.
"And if he is trying to find you by finding me, it's going to be hard because my first name isn't even Sebastian, and my last name isn't Almira."
"What? You're joking, right?"
He shook his head. "I'm one-hundred-percent serious. Sebastian is my middle name, and my dad isn't really my dad but my stepfather. My name is Patrick James Sebastian Terry."
"We are best friends. I'm sure I'd have known if your name wasn't Sebastian."
He took out his wallet, fished his driver’s license out of the little pocket and handed it to me. There, as clear as day, was his name as he said—Patrick James Sebastian Terry.
My mouth fell into an open grin. "Patrick? Your name is Patrick?" I laughed.
"And that is why I go by Sebastian. I'd rather be a snarky crab than a dumb starfish."
"Whatever you say, Patrick," I teased.
"Whatever is right. You need to relax. He is not going to find us because he wouldn’t even know where to begin. You and I are going to live here, happily, for a very long time. Eventually, you’ll find a gorgeous Australian man, marry him, have little kangaroo-chasing children and live happily ever after," he ended with a laugh.
And I could imagine it. Me, slightly older, with a husband and a few children. Even Bash would be there next to me, laughing, in the arms of another man.
"Yeah, you’re right. He won't find us."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Three months easily passed by and I couldn't have been any happier. Our business still flourished beautifully, and so did Bash's relationship with his boyfriend, Marcus—the guy he had met at the bar. I, on the other hand, was still working on allowing myself the peace of mind to move on and be happy.
Liam was understanding, though. We spent nearly all our free time together, just getting to know one another. He was such a sweet guy.
"You owe it to yourself to let this relationship happen," Bash said for the hundredth time this week. "Even if it doesn't work out, you still owe it to yourself."
Without glancing up from my laptop screen, I pursed my lips. "No. If I do and Theodore finds us, I don't know what will happen. I'm not going to risk it."
"Don't be ridiculous. It's been over three months. If he hasn't found you yet, he's obviously not looking for you."
"But still. I'm not going to risk it," I said as I clicked on one of our pictures, trying to decide if I wanted to edit it or can it.
Bash crossed the room and closed my laptop. "What are you going to do then, huh? Spend the rest of your life alone?"
I glanced up, looking him in the eye. "Bash, I'm not going to have this conversation." I reopened my laptop. "Anyways, Liam and I are friends. Just friends. And it is working very well for us."
He closed my laptop again, taking it from me this time. "Don't pretend like you’re doing this to protect him. You’re doing this because you are afraid to be happy. After all you’ve gone through in your life, you are afraid to be happy."
I bit my lip. I had no defensive response, because he was right. I had only ever allowed myself to be content, never happy. But, still. I had good reason for it.
"I can't do it. I'm sorry. Yes, I'm afraid. But it’s the fear that’s kept me going."
"The fear has kept you paralyzed. You can't live like this. Please, Emma. I'm your best friend; I know you better than anyone. If you don't change... If you don't allow yourself to feel something..." His voice trailed off and he walked out of the room, leaving me to myself.
I glanced at the laptop. I had so much work to get done by tomorrow, but I just didn't care. I pulled my legs up to my chest, wrapped my arms around them and rested my head on my knees just as a tear slid from my eye. Sebastian was right. There was no doubt about it. But how could I do something I had spent most of my life trying to avoid? It was instinct to me now.
I sat curled up for a while, not bothering to move. Around noon, Bash came into the living room to ask if I wanted to go out and have lunch with him and his boyfriend. I declined and with very few words, he left.
Now I was alone.
Did I want this? I looked around the apartment and saw exactly how my life would end up if I didn't allow anyone to get close to me. I could already picture it in my mind—me waking up in a big, cold bed. Me leaving my empty apartment to go to work, only to return to it, just as empty, when my work day ended.
I had no family, unless I counted Sebastian, but eventually he would find someone and they would move in together. Then it would just be me.
Did I want that?
Honestly, no. I knew without a doubt that I didn't want to end up like that. I had to change. I just had to.
I picked up my phone from the end table and called Liam, who answered after a few rings.
"Good afternoon, Miss Emmaline," he said in his Aussie accent.
"Hi. Um." I paused, trying to find the words I wanted to say. "Remember when we first met, you told me to let you know when my complicated status became uncomplicated?"
"Yes, I remember that."
"Well, I've decided to un-complicate it. I mean, if you’re still interested in that."
"Emmaline, I really enjoy being your friend."
"Oh, I understand." I felt myself sink a bit. It was too late. He had moved on, and now we would be nothing but friends.
He laughed a bit. "No, let me finish. I really enjoy being your friend, but I would very much love it if we could try at something more."
"Really?" I breathed, my heart speeding up a few paces.
"Yes. Emmaline, you are a brilliant, strong-willed, independent, stubborn woman. I like that and I like you."
I grinned. "When do you get off work?"
"We’re finishing up at the construction site, so I should be off by five; but I do have to stop in at the bar to make sure everything’s going smoothly before I go home and change. So I can probably make it around six-thirty."
"I’ll be waiting."
"Put on something nice. I’m going to take you on a date. See you soon."
Hanging up the phone, I quickly texted Bash. "Took your advice. Liam and I are going on a date tonight. See you tomorrow."
Within a minute, he had responded. "I'm always right. Have fun!"
By the time I had finished the rest of my day’s work it was a quarter till five. More than eager for my date with Liam, I started getting ready.
I put on a floral sun dress with wedged sandal heels, braided my hair in a fishtail and even wore a bit of lip gloss. I had just sprayed on a bit of perfume when I heard a knock at the door.
Glancing at my alarm clock, I saw it was barely six. He was early. Grinning at myself in the mirror, I grabbed my phone and purse.
The large smile on my face fell away quickly when I opened the door. My throat grew tight and my mouth parched as I looked into the face of Theodore.
"Don't you look nice," he said to me, grinning in a sinister way.
I managed to uproot myself and move. As hard as I could, I tried to slam the door, but Theodore blocked it with his foot and pushed his way inside.
The only thing I could think of was finding Sebastian so we could leave, but the front door was blocked. Running to the balcony, I threw open the door and looked over the edge. It was a two-story drop. I quickly climbed over the ledge and just as I saw Theodore's face come into view, I let myself drop.
The wind in my face was quickly joined by pain in my ankle when I hit the ground. It
took all my strength and more to get to my feet and run.
"Emmaline!" Theodore yelled.
Turning to look over my shoulder, I saw him chasing after me. I continued to push myself as fast as I could go, but I knew I wouldn't make it to the next block. And then I felt his hand clasp my arm, and I knew it was over. He had found me. He had captured me.
A black SUV pulled up beside us and Theodore forced me inside, then sat to my right. The driver didn't even bother waiting for the door to close before he sped off.
"Where are we going?" I asked, watching him type something on his phone before bringing it up to meet his ear.
"Yes, I have found her. We are on our way to the airport now."
My heart felt like it had stopped. This was it—he was taking me back to Linacre and there was nothing I could do.
"How did you find me?" I asked once I’d managed to find my voice.
"I just waited for you to make a mistake." He pulled out a paper and handed it to me—right there was the picture of Sebastian and myself that the woman had taken for the article about the Pierce's photo session.
"This was taken almost three months ago. Why did you wait until now to get me?" I asked curiously.
He sighed. "Because I did not have diplomatic immunity. But I was there the entire time. That night at the bar when you flirted with that man. Every time you hung out with him. While you were walking half-naked on a beach… I was there."
Hearing his words made me sick. He had been watching me for months and I hadn’t known it.
"You have disgraced me and there will be consequences," he finished.
We went straight to a private airfield, where a solo jet sat on the tarmac. About forty yards from the jet stood a large building, and then there was nothing else—nothing but a thick forest on one side and a highway on the other.
The second the vehicle stopped, Theodore got out and made a phone call. I glanced over to the forest and thought about it. If I ran fast enough, I might be able to make it there and hide until I could find a way back to Bash.
I scooted across the seat to the other side of the SUV and tested the door handle. To my own surprise, it opened. The driver was standing on the tarmac talking to a man who looked to be a pilot, giving me the opportunity to exit the vehicle without anyone noticing—yet.
Applying weight to my ankle, I tested its strength. Some pain, but it wasn't too bad. Grasping my purse, I started running as fast as I could towards the lining of the trees. I quickly regretted my decision to wear wedged heels, as they made it easier to twist my ankle and made the bottom of my feet ache. I had about thirty yards to go when I heard Theodore shout my name.
Just as I crossed into the trees, I glanced over my shoulder to see him chasing after me. Hastily, I removed my wedges and tossed them aside. This made it easier to run, even though I was stepping on all sorts of debris. Twenty or so yards into the forest, I tripped and stumbled into a small trench. As quickly as I could, I lay down in it and pulled leaves over myself as camouflage in a last desperate attempt to stay hidden.
When I heard his hurried footsteps snapping twigs and branches, I held my breath, waiting, hoping to not be discovered. For what felt like hours, I lay there covered in leaves and brush. Once the rustling of leaves died down I figured it was safe enough to come out of my hiding spot.
Brushing myself off, I looked around. It was getting dark and it was quiet. Not even crickets were making any sound, which had me on edge. Searching the trench, I found my purse and quickly pulled out my cell phone. It was seven-thirty.
I had ten missed calls from Liam and nearly twenty from Bash. Tapping the call-back button, I brought my phone up to my ear and waited.
"Em! Where are you? Liam just called and—"
"I'm fine. Theodore found me but I escaped."
"Where are you? I'm coming to get you."
I glanced around as I heard something shuffle in the dark a few yards away.
"Theodore took me to some private airfield and I ran off into the trees. I don't know exactly where I am," I hurriedly whispered.
"I know exactly where she is!" I heard Liam call out. "Bandicoot Airfield. It's where all the private jets land and take off. It's rarely ever used now since Tasmanian Airfield opened up three years ago."
"How far is it from here?" I heard Sebastian ask as the sound of an engine started in the background.
"Forty-five minutes, give or take. It's okay, I drive fast."
A beep sounded in my ear and then the line went dead. Shit. My phone had just died. Now I not only had no means of communication, but I had no light source and it was getting darker by the second.
Having never been stranded in a place like this before, I had little to no survival knowledge. The one thing I did know, though, was that staying in one spot would increase my chances of being found. For me, that could be good or bad. I wanted to be found, but only by the right people.
I started off, looking for another place to lie low for the next half hour. I managed to find a decent spot forty yards to the left, and took a seat. I had counted to sixty twelve times when I heard a growl somewhere close by and my heart dropped into my butt. Then came sound of crunching twigs and leaves, growing nearer every second.
This was it—I was about to be eaten.
When I heard the growl again, I jumped up and took off running as fast as I could. About five steps in, I heard the unmistakable sound of something chasing me. Screaming loudly, I pushed myself as hard and fast as I could go. I knew there was little to no chance I could outrun whatever was chasing me, but I wasn't going to give up without a fight.
Suddenly my feet met nothing and the sensation of falling filled the pit of my stomach. Then I felt pain, and everything around me went black.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I came to several times. Each time, the sky grew lighter and lighter. The fifth time, I managed to open my eyes enough to be aware of my surroundings. As I looked up, I saw that I had fallen from a cliff—at least eight or nine feet was my best guess.
I turned my head to the left to see where I was lying and my heart dropped. If I had fallen ten more inches to the left I would've been dead, as it looked to drop at least forty feet.
Moving my arm in an attempt to sit up, I let out a yelp. My arm hurt terribly. And now that I was thinking about it, it hurt even worse. I had to have broken something from that fall, right?
But I knew I needed to get up. There was no way Bash would find me if I stayed here. With much difficulty, I got to my feet and started searching for a way to get back up on the ledge I had fallen from. Without anyone's help—or at least a rope or vine—it was close to impossible.
That didn't stop me from trying, though. Using what little strength I had, I attempted to scale the side of the cliff like I was climbing a rock wall. With only one good arm, I didn't even make it up three feet before I lost my hold and fell back down.
On my second attempt I made it all the way to the top, but I couldn't pull myself up and over. I had exerted what little energy I had and now I was clutching the edge of the cliff for dear life.
I could feel myself sliding back down the edge of the cliff, my nails scraping at the dirt as I tried to hold on tight.
Then I fell, and everything went black once more. I was briefly aware as I felt someone lifting me from the ground. Then there was pressure under my legs and arms, as if someone was carrying me. I opened my heavy eyes and saw the blurred figure of a man. The heaviness quickly took over and forced my eyes closed again.
"EMMALINE!" I turned and looked over my shoulder and saw Sebastian running towards me.
I grinned at him and held out my arms. For some reason, it felt like I hadn’t seen him in ages. The ache to have him in my arms was overwhelming.
Then he reached me, but his face had changed. Instead of Sebastian standing before me, it was Theodore.
Gasping, I opened my eyes. I was staring at the ceiling of some room I had never been in before. A little shudder let me
know we were moving—I was on an airplane.
"Thank goodness you are awake," I heard Theodore speak.
He was quickly at my side, pressing the back of his large hand to my face. I shrank away, my eyes not leaving his face. I needed to be able to tell what mood he was in. At the moment he seemed worried... or uncertain. It was a look I had never seen on his face before.
I found my voice. "How long have I been out?" I cleared my throat as my words came out all raspy.
"Almost a day and a half. I didn't want to risk taking off until I knew you were okay to be away from doctors for an extended period of time. We have been airborne for about twelve hours. Are you hungry or thirsty?" he asked me.
I slowly shook my head. Why was he being so nice, after all I had put him through—after everything I had done?
"You need to eat, Emmaline. Even if it is just a few bites and a small sip of water. Please." His voice sounded off. The tone was kind, which I wasn't used to.
Not wanting to anger him, I nodded my head and he left, only to return with some saltine crackers and a small glass of water. I quickly ate and drank, and then expressed my gratitude.
This left us with nothing more to say as we sat in each other’s company. I eventually fell back to sleep, only to be woken sometime in the night.
"Please, just let me be," I groaned as I opened one eye to look around.
"I brought you something to eat and a tonic for the pain." He set a tray on the small bedside table and helped me into a sitting position. "Take this first." He handed me the tonic and I drank it. It tasted like peppermint with a kick that reminded me of cilantro.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked him.
He stopped peeling the orange in his hands to glance up at me from under his furrowing brows.
"Doing what?" he asked, clearly confused.
"Being... nice," I stated. "What happened to the ‘I'm gonna punish you because you deserve to be punished’ Theodore?"
He finished peeling the orange, set it on a plate and handed it to me. Then he sat back in the chair, legs crossed, and ran his long fingers through his hair.