Masked Feelings

by Lechna Baram

  “What are you doing here?”

  “My sister will be coming in a few minutes, so you can let her in,” I told him.

  Liam nodded, then pulled out his phone from his pocket.

  “Did Mr. Spears inform you that he was going to be late?” he asked suddenly.

  I quickly shook my head.

  “He informed you?” I asked hopefully. He shook his head, making me sigh.

  “He'd usually call to tell us when he'd be late so we would reinforce security around the house,” Liam told me, making me even more anxious.

  “Is it normal that I'm having a bad feeling about this?” I asked, my voice quivering a little bit. He shrugged but then motioned for me to walk back in the house.

  “I'm sure everything is okay,” Liam said. “Now go back in. Mr. Spears is going to kill me if he finds you outside.” He tried to joke to ease the atmosphere.

  I gave him a forced smile then walked back in the house. I exhaled, trying to get that weight that I was feeling, off my shoulders. How am I supposed to know where Damian was? As I leaned against the door, trying to figure out whether I was overreacting or simply worried, an idea struck me. I quickly unlocked my phone then scrolled in my contact list until I found Kelsey's phone number. I was so dumb. I could have done that earlier. I dialed her number and waited for her to answer. The seconds before she picked up the call seemed to be so long.

  “Athena?” I heard Kelsey's voice.

  “Hey, where are you?” I asked, hoping she would still be at work by any chance. My eyes on the clock hanging on the wall.

  “Home. Why? Is something wrong?” she asked.

  It was already late. Of course, she'd be home.

  “Was Damian still at work when you left?” I asked, making my way to the couch. Just as I sat down, the doorbell rang. The door opened and my sister walked in.

  “No, he left before us. He left earlier in fact. By six, I think,” Kelsey told me.

  I took a deep breath. I didn't know what to think about this situation. I didn't know how to act. When Alena saw me in the living room, she quickly walked to me. She sat on the couch facing mine.

  “Is there a problem, Athena?” Kelsey asked with concern.

  “No. I'll call you later.” I didn't wait for her response and ended the call.

  “So?” Alena inquired, looking at me with curiosity.

  “Damian left work at six and he's not home yet,” I told her. “I'm so freaking worried.” I sighed as I ran my hands over my face.

  “Maybe you're overthinking,” Alena said. “Maybe he had an urgent thing to do.” She tried to reassure.

  “He would always inform if he was going to be late,” I told her. “Where's Dean?” I asked, noticing that my sister came alone.

  “He is at his parent’s. He and Jeff had some stuff to discuss. And No, Damian is not there. I already called to ask,” she told me grimly. “Once he gets home, you need to kick his ass, putting you through such a worry,” she mumbled. Yeah, I needed to kick his ass.

  “I'm so worried,” I mumbled.

  “Athena, you need sleep,” my sister said softly.

  “I'll sleep when he gets home,” I told her as I stood up and made my way to our bedroom. How was I supposed to sleep knowing that my boyfriend was nowhere to be found and he was a real dumbass for not informing me about his whereabouts. I felt like screaming to get all the frustration out.

  Keep calm, Athena.

  Maybe I was overreacting. Alena followed me to my room, then lay on the bed with a sigh. I tried calling again as I sat next to her. My sister rubbed my back soothingly then shook her head, telling me not to worry about him and that he was most probably fine. I couldn't help but worry about him.

  Where the hell was Damian Fucking Spears?

  I felt someone move next to me. Oh shit. I fell asleep. Was Damian home yet? I quickly opened my eyes, not caring that the light was going to be irritating. My eyes searched the entire room until it stopped on someone. Alena. She was staring at me, a frown on her face. Something was wrong. I quickly sat up, then rubbed my eyes.

  “Is he home?” I asked. I looked for my phone and noticed that it was by the pillow. I quickly took it, then unlocked it. It was six in the morning. The frown on my sister's face proved that something was wrong. It was disturbing. She slowly shook her head.

  “He's not home,” Alena told me as she looked for something in the pocket of her jeans. She looked disturbed as well. This has taken a more serious turn. I quickly took my phone and called Damian again. But again, he didn't answer. What if he was getting annoyed with me and he needed some space? I blinked once, twice, and thrice. After a few minutes, I realized that maybe this was it. Maybe he was taking a breather.

  “I think he is avoiding our calls,” I suddenly said out loud as I stared at my hands.

  “What?” Alena asked. I raised my head to look at her. She looked confused.

  “What if he needs space? What if all this relationship and pregnancy stuff were too stressful for him?” Alena stared at me in disbelief.

  “Athena,” she started. “You know that Damian is not such an asshole to run away,” she told me as if I had lost my mind. “He freaking loves you.” He did?

  “He never actually said it back,” I mumbled, then watched as a tear fell on my hand.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Damian never actually told me that he loves me,” I told my sister, then wiped my tears away. I needed to stop crying.

  “He doesn't need to tell you that he loves you for you to know that he does,” Alena snapped, then rolled her eyes. “I'm actually quite pissed that you think so low of him,” she said, then took a deep breath. “Dean is waiting for us in the living room,” she simply said, then walked out of the room.

  I walked to the mirror. I stared at my reflection. My eyes slowly drifted to my belly.

  Where is your dad, little baby? I felt bad for thinking that Damian would actually leave me and our unborn baby. He was not that type of man. But somehow, the other supposition to why Damian was not back home, was even worst. I prefer thinking that he left in good health and safe rather than think that he was hurt and unable to join us. I closed my eyes and silently prayed that the man I love was good and safe. I opened my eyes and walked to the bathroom. I washed my face, then brushed my teeth before walking downstairs.

  “Something is wrong.” I heard Dean mumble to my sister. They were still unaware of my presence. “It's unlike Damian to just disappear like this,” he told her.

  “Did you try tracking his phone?” Alena asked. I saw Dean shaking his head from the couch.

  “I didn't know it was that serious,” he mumbled. He looked worried too. I walked to the living room, making sure that they could hear me coming. They quickly stopped talking, then turned to look at me. I was sure that my eyes were red and puffy. I walked to a couch, then sat down. I stared at my phone. I dialed Damian's number again, then put it on loud speaker as I rested my head on the small couch pillow.

  “Athena.” I heard someone say. It was from the phone. Damian answered my call. Dean and Alena quickly walked to me. I stared at my phone in disbelief.

  “Damian?” I inquired, relief washing over me as I sobbed.

  “Oh she's crying!” I heard someone joke. It was not Damian.

  Who was he?

  “Who is it?” Dean demanded as he took the phone from me.

  My heart was beating so fast. So who was that?

  “Give the phone back to Athena.” The man ordered.

  “Where is my brother and what are you doing with his phone?” Dean asked.

  I noticed that he was getting angrier. He was worried and frustrated.

  “Your brother is currently tied up to a chair with blood dripping from his forehead,” the man said. I could hear pride in his tone. “And if you don't want him to die, let me talk to Athena,” he said, now the dark playfulness gone. I quickly stood up then took my phone from Dean. Damian was in danger. Someone kidnapped
him. Realization was settling in.

  “What do you want?” I asked, trying to contain my emotions. If Damian was in danger today, that was because of me. That's what I wanted to avoid.

  “Don't cry, baby,” the man said softly as if he was hurt to hear me crying. “You know that I want you,” he said slowly. “But you want this asshole!” he suddenly exclaimed. Then I heard him kicking something, no. It was not something. The groan I heard was from someone. It was from Damian.

  “No!” I sobbed. “Please don't.” I begged. “Just tell me what you want.” I fell to the ground, the phone in my hand.

  “I want you! I freaking want you! From the day I saw you on that stage, I've been wanting you,” the man said as if it was totally normal to be such a creep. Alena stared at me in confusion. Yes, she still didn't know that I was a stripper. Dean was looking at me. He knew what was happening. A creep from the strip club kidnapped Damian and he seemed to know a lot.

  “What do you want me to do?” I asked.

  “I'll text you an address. I want you to come. Alone,” he said before ending the call.

  Chapter 63

  Warehouse

  “This is the address of a warehouse,” Dean said as he stared at the phone.

  A frown appeared on his face. I needed to go there. I needed to save him. I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me. I didn't want Damian to get hurt. He simply wanted to protect me and there he was, kidnapped by some creep. I quickly walked up the stairs. I didn't care about my sister and Dean right now.

  “Athena,” Alena called. I could hear them following me behind. I walked in my room, then put on a jacket and took my keys.

  “You're not going anywhere.”

  I turned to see Dean standing next to my sister.

  “I have to,” I snapped. I quickly walked to the door. Alena stood in front of me. “Let me go.” I begged. When she didn't move, I bypassed her, then ran down the stairs. Again, I heard them following.

  “If he's in danger today, that's because of me,” I said. “I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. Now just don't get involved in this.” I pleaded as I opened the door.

  “What are you going to do once you get there?” Dean asked, his jaw clenched. He seemed pissed. “Damian will be pissed if we let you go,” he said.

  “He will be pissed if he's still alive!” I spat then walked out. Before they could say more, I ran to my car. I motioned to Liam to let me out. He frowned but still opened the gate. I started the engine and drove out. In the rearview mirror, I noticed my sister and Dean standing on the porch. Dean had his phone by his ear. He was most probably trying to contact his father. I quickly drove out of the alley, then took the directions to the mysterious warehouse. My fingers tapped on the steering wheel nervously. I felt bad. I felt anxious. I felt guilty.

  “Fuck,” I swore as a tear rolled down my cheek as I drove. I increased the speed. I was angry. I was furious at myself. If I was in this situation today, it was because I somehow messed up. After a few minutes, I turned to the left and noticed that I was soon on the road of the warehouse. I stopped the car, then looked around. It was weird. It was deserted. I took a deep breath. When I exhaled, my breath was shaky. I closed eyes and faced the steering wheel, still gripping it.

  What am I supposed to do once I get in?

  Without thinking even more, I opened the door and got out of the car. I stepped out, then stared at the huge door. I held on my jacket, then again, inhaled in order to feel less anxious. I walked to the door and pushed it open. It was all dark inside. I was ready to do anything to save Damian. I simply walked in. It was dark inside. It smelled like dust and rust. I could notice a lot of metal things stuffed in the warehouse. I walked deeper, trying to look for Damian. No one. There was no one. Maybe I wasn't in the right place. I could feel a heavy weight in my chest.

  Calm down, Athena.

  “Damian,” I called. I noticed a room where I could see light coming from. I quickly ran to it. “Damian,” I called again. When I heard a groan, I froze. It was definitely Damian. I pushed open the door. A sob left my mouth when I saw Damian in the middle of the room. He was tied up to a chair. He had a piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth. I could see blood dripping all over his face. I looked around the room to see if there was any danger. When I realized there was nobody there, I ran to my boyfriend. “Damian.” I lifted his face to look at him. I looked at his bruises and sighed in relief when I realized that they were not serious. When his eyes met mine, they widened. I pulled out the piece of cloth from his mouth.

  “No. No. No,” he said when he was sure I was standing in front of him in this gross room. “Get out of here, Athena.”

  “I'm not going anywhere without you,” I said, looking at the knots that were done to tie his hands. They seemed difficult to untie. I looked around for a sharp object to cut it off with but I found none.

  “I want you safe. I want our baby safe. Please, for once, listen to me. Go.” He sounded helpless and in a lot of pain. I silently prayed that Dean and Alena had called the cops so that they could come here before the creep would.

  “I wouldn't be able to live, knowing that you were in freaking danger because of me. Or worse, that you died because of me,” I said as a tear rolled down my cheek. I proceeded in trying to untie his hands but I couldn't.

  “Athena.”

  I walked in front of him. I stared at him. His eyes seemed teary. I got on my knees in front of him as I held his face. I knew there wasn't time for this but I felt like he was slowly giving up.

  “We'll get out of this mess.” I tried to reassure him.

  Damian's eyes drifted to something behind me. No. It was someone. He looked alarmed.

  “You won't get out of anything, sweetheart.” I heard a familiar voice taunt. Before I could turn to look at the person, I felt something soft being placed on my nose. Damian was struggling on his chair as he looked at me.

  “Don't fucking touch her!” Damian spat to the man as he tried to get himself free. I tried to get out of his grip but I couldn't. Slowly, my eyes started to close.

  “Athena.” I heard someone call. I felt tired. Really tired. Slowly, I opened my eyes. I felt like my hands were behind me. I could feel the rope around my wrist. I noticed that we were now somewhere else. We were no longer in the gross warehouse. In front of me, Damian was seated on a chair. He was still tied up. He looked relieved that I was finally up.

  “I'm okay.” I looked around to see that we were now in a sort of basement. The light was dim. I stared at the stairs that led upstairs.

  “I told you to go away.” I heard Damian mumble. I turned my attention to him. It seemed like it was difficult for him to stay awake. The beatings and the loss of blood had made him weak. He slowly raised his head to look at me.

  “Would you leave me if I was in this situation?” I asked. He sighed. I knew that he wouldn't. I looked around the room, trying to find a way to escape. I needed to get out of here. I took a deep breath.

  “Athena.” I heard Damian say. I lifted my head again to look at him. “I'm sorry,” he said. I frowned. “I'm sorry that you and our baby are in this situation because of me.” I scoffed in disbelief.

  “Are you serious right now? You are in this goddamn situation because of me! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be tied up to a freaking chair! You wouldn't be bleeding!” I ended up sobbing. He blinked several times before taking a deep breath.

  “We need to get out of here.”

  He turned his head, wincing a little bit as he faced the stairs. As soon as he said that, I heard the door open. Damian and I stared at the stairs. Damian was already glaring in its direction.

  “Is my love up yet?” I heard that familiar voice ask. That voice. I didn't have to wait long to see the face of the person who kidnapped me and my boyfriend. When he was now standing in front of me, I froze.

  Holy hell.

  It was Jace.

  Jace stood in front of me with an unknown expression on his fa
ce.

  “J-Jace?” I stuttered in shock. He rolled his eyes, then pulled a chair to sit between Damian and me. He looked so different compared to the cool facade he had when he was with us.

  “Surprising, isn't it?” he asked with a grin on his face.

  “Why would you do this?” I asked. I was shocked. I never expected Jace to be the one behind all this. He was the one who got me attacked. He was the one who broke into the apartment. He was the person who broke into the guest room at Damian's. He was the freaking creep.

  “Don't look at me as if I were some sick monster,” Jace said as he stared at me. I could see a vulnerable Jace as he looked at me. He didn't want me to see him as a monster. “It's all your freaking fault,” he suddenly said. “All your fault!” he exclaimed then suddenly stood up.

  My breathing stopped as he was suddenly standing in front of me. He bent slowly slightly to look at me. I was scared to even breathe.

  “You're so alluring,” he said slowly as he brought his hand to my hair. “A real temptress. How was I supposed to stay away from you?” he asked, his eyes now on my neck. He clenched his jaw. He seemed angry. “But you wouldn't stay away from him!” he exclaimed as he turned to glare at Damian. He was about to walk to Damian. I knew he was going to beat him again.

  “You never told me!” I suddenly said, making him turn his attention back to me. His eyes softened as they settled on me. Damian was glaring at Jace. He was trying to get his hands freed.

  “Would it have been different if I told you?” he asked as he fell on his knees in front of me. He put his head on my lap. An idea struck my mind. There was only one way out of here. It was to play Jace. I needed to make him trust me. I made a sign at Damian. He stared at me and when he understood what I wanted to do, he nodded.

  “It would,” I whispered loud enough for Jace to hear. He quickly raised his head to look at me. Hope glimmered in his eyes.