Fragile Simplicity

by Tara Neideffer

  David nodded. He didn’t know what else to do. “Do you know anywhere else she might be?”

  Paige shook her head and then said, “Well, I doubt she’s there but we could always stop by Brad’s strip club and see if he’s there.”

  Tyler started the truck and David leaned back in his seat as his thoughts ran rampant. This evening seemed like a nightmare.

  Twenty minutes later, they were pulling into Strippin’ Pretty. The parking lot was full and more people were pulling in behind them. David looked up at the club, a feeling of unease settling in his stomach. He wasn’t sure how he’d react if he came face to face with Brad. After the stunt he pulled the other night, he knew it would be hard to keep his temper reigned in, but it wasn’t the right time to be going to jail for fighting. He needed to find Kyleigh.

  They all got out and headed towards the club. The line was short and the loud music was already getting on David’s nerves. After they paid their fee, they followed the line of people inside, and David squeezed in between everyone as he headed towards the bar.

  David caught the bartender’s eye and she hurried over to them, her bright smile a sharp contrast to his stern expression.

  “Hi, what can I get you to drink?” she asked in a high pitched voice. Her long brown hair fell across her shoulders, framing large breasts that were obviously fake; specks of glitter coated her cheeks.

  “I need to speak with the owner. Is Brad available?”

  Shaking her head, the brunette said, “No, sorry, I haven’t seen him all day. Would you like to talk to the manager working tonight?”

  “No, thanks,” David said.

  “How about a drink? You look like you could use one,” the brunette persisted, holding up an empty glass. “It’s on me.”

  Her smile widened and David narrowed his eyes at her. “No, thanks,” he repeated as he pushed away from the bar to face Paige and Tyler.

  “What now?” Paige asked.

  A tense breath of air slid past his lips as he thought about that. “I don’t know. I don’t know where else to go, but I know I’m ready to get out of here,” he said.

  As soon as he took one step out of Strippin’ Pretty, his phone went off. “Hello,” he said as he walked across the parking lot.

  “David.” The choked voice on the other end was barely audible over the traffic flying past the club.

  “Hello, who is this?” David asked again, cupping his free hand over his other ear.

  “David, it’s Roger. Something’s happened...”

  Sobs echoed through the phone, causing every muscle to stiffen in his body. Roger was crying? That wasn’t a good sign. He stopped in the middle of the parking lot and asked the dreaded question. “What happened, Roger?”

  He heard Roger suck in a long breath as he gathered his thoughts. After several long minutes, he finally spoke, his voice worn and ragged, and David wished he hadn’t. “Your mother passed away a little bit ago, David. Somehow she was able to get her hands on some kind of pills lying around and she took too much.” There was another long pause and more sobs.

  David fell to his knees beside Tyler’s truck, the phone forgotten as it slipped from his hands and dropped to the pavement. He couldn’t stop the tears if he tried. Every fiber in his body hurt. He felt hands squeeze his shoulder, voices murmuring in the background, but all he heard was his mother’s cries every time he had talked to her on the phone in the past six months.

  “David, what happened?”

  He heard Paige’s soft voice in his ear as she leaned down towards him, her hand urging him to stand up and talk to her. But he didn’t think he could stand.

  “David, is it about Kyleigh?” The panic in her voice brought him out of his grief-stricken thoughts. Of course she would think it was about Kyleigh.

  Finding strength somewhere inside him, he lifted himself upright on shaky legs. Wiping the tears from his cheeks, he said, “No, it was about my mother.”

  Paige’s hand flew to her mouth and her other hand reached out and grabbed his elbow. “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. What happened?” she asked as she pulled him into a hug.

  Sighing, he dragged a hand across his defeated face and said, “I don’t know all the details yet.”

  Squeezing his shoulder, Paige said, “Tell me what we can do.”

  Gripping the door handle, he said, “Take me to my car. I have to figure out what I should do now.” He took a couple of steps and then said, “I don’t know what to do about Kyleigh. I don’t know where else to look.” His voice sounded nothing like his own and he felt himself on the verge of a panic attack. Seven months ago, he’d say he’d never in his life know that feeling, but now he felt the weight of it threatening to pull him under. Too much had happened this year. He had dealt with too much heartache.

  He drew in a long breath and got in the truck, silencing the liveliness of the club and shutting himself into the darkness of despair.

  Chapter 26

  Held Hostage

  The wind howled outside and Kyleigh could feel the air slip through the old windows of the house. Sweat began to trickle down her forehead as the stale, humid heat in the house clung to her skin. Rain was coming down hard, drowning out any other noise in the house. Thunder roared in the distance and lightning lit up the small room every so often. She hated storms. Nothing good ever happened in their presence.

  She pulled on the ropes again, now feeling a little give in the space between her wrists. She didn’t know where Brad was or how long she’d been here; she only prayed he stayed gone longer. She wasn’t ready to deal with whatever he had planned for her.

  As she sat down on the rusted twin sized bed, the mattress dipped down, causing the box springs to squeak and protest against her weight. She felt the bottom of the bed collide with something and she leaned down and peered under the bed. The shadow of a box revealed itself as a flash of lightning lit up the room and she sat down on the dusty hardwood floor, pushing one foot under the bed. Hooking the box with her foot, she scooped it towards her and her eyes lit up when she saw several different items thrown in it. But there was only one thing that caught her attention. An old rusted saw was crammed against the side of the box, its prongs rusted, but she knew it had to do the job.

  Bending down, she bit down on the blade. Cold metal clanged against her teeth and the taste of rust coated her tongue. She quickly pulled, forcing the saw out and onto the floor. She shoved the box back under the bed and leaned down and gathered the saw into her mouth again. The rusted metal was crude against her taste buds, but that was the least of her problems tonight. At a slow pace, she finally got the saw crammed under the mattress, mostly hidden except for the prongs peeking out. It was just enough that she should be able to slide her wrists back and forth until she was free.

  Not wanting to waste any time, she quickly angled herself into the uncomfortable position and began running her wrists along the saw blade. As her muscles began to burn and a feeling of defeat began to cross her mind, she felt the smallest give in the rope. It seemed impossible, but the blade was slowly cutting. Even though her body screamed to stop, she kept going, not knowing how much time she had before Brad came in.

  Even with the noise of rain pounding against the roof, she heard a faint creak outside her door. Her hands began to shake, and she quickly jumped up, kicking the bedspread over the saw. She knew she had to make it out of here alive. She wasn’t ready to die yet and her thoughts went to David. She wondered if he had been trying to call her. She knew he would be worried by now, but there was no way he would know where to look.

  The door opened and her eyes flew up. Brad stood in the dark doorway, his hat sitting low and his head and cocked to the side as he stared at her. She had never felt so helpless her whole life. Even through the abuse she’d suffered as a child, she was never tied up and held hostage. Being slapped around and neglected seemed like a piece of cake compared to what she was dealing with now.

  His hand reached up and scratched his beard a
s he said, “I’m sure you’re wondering ‘why, after all we’ve been through.’ Well, you know I always get what I want, Kyleigh. And what I want is you. I’ve never been denied anything and you’re not going to be the first person to deny me what I want. If I want something, I get it one way or the other. Which is why we’re now here.” He splayed his hands out in front of him, palms up to emphasize what he’d just explained.

  Her eyes widened in fear as he descended her way. Horrible scenarios reeled through her mind of how her night was going to end. This wasn’t the Brad she knew. Nothing about him resembled the person she’d dated. Sure, he could be a jerk at times, slapped her around here and there, but she never would have thought he’d have this in him. She yanked at the rope around her wrists, needing some luck to get her free, but nothing budged. She was trapped.

  His hand reached out and caressed her jaw as his eyes fastened on hers. She tried to pull away but he held strong, pulling her face upward. With her heart pounding, she thought about kneeing him in the balls, but with her hands tied, there was no way she’d be able to do much after that and she didn’t want to make things worse for herself.

  “Don’t even think about it, Kyleigh. You won’t be able to handle the repercussions if you try anything stupid,” Brad said.

  Staring at her, he laughed and then drew his hand back and slapped her across the face. Her body was flung to the side, and she almost went down, but she somehow managed to stay on her feet. With tears stinging her eyes, she looked up at him, fighting back the urge to spit in his face. Through gritted teeth, she said, “I’ve had that done so many times while growing up that it doesn’t even faze me anymore.” She felt blood trickle down her lip, but she didn’t try to wipe it away.

  Licking his lips, he said, “Well, we’ll see if I can’t make something else faze you. It was your stupid mistake going to the police station that got you here.” He began pacing the small room as he continued to talk. “And then you tell me you have someone else. Wrong move, Kyleigh.” He gripped the bottom of her chin and yanked her head up, causing pain to fire in her neck.

  “Brad, let’s just work this out,” she pleaded. “You don’t have to let things end up badly. Maybe we can work on our relationship. I’ve always cared for you, you know that.” Even though it disgusted her to say this as she stared into his eyes, she did so anyway, hoping her words would strike a chord with him.

  “I’m not ignorant, Kyleigh. You have no interest in working anything out,” he said as both hands collided into her chest. She slammed backwards, falling against the bed. The hidden saw came to mind, and she prayed it was still concealed. Jerking her head, she tossed her hair out of her eyes as she coughed and tried to catch her breath. The impact was hard and she lay there for a moment, trying to contemplate her next move.

  Suddenly, Brad’s weight was on top of her, and her lungs burned even more. She needed air. Gasping, she felt his hand latch around her neck. Panic wanted to consume her, but she needed to stay sane, she needed to find an escape. She couldn’t let fear make her blind.

  His finger traced the outline of her jaw and she bit the inside of her cheek as his finger trailed down to her cleavage. “Don’t fucking touch me, Brad.” If her words were actually laced with the venom they seemed to contain, he’d already be poisoned and she’d be on her way out the door.

  “I like it when you’re feisty, Kyleigh,” he said in a low voice. His hand cupped her cheek and his breath was hot against her face, smelling like his favorite cigars. She felt his hardness against her leg and bile began to rise in her throat. She swallowed it down and grimaced as a sickening feeling came over her. It was all too much and she bucked beneath him, hating the feeling of him on top of her.

  “Now, now, there’s no need to get violent,” he joked. A sardonic smile began to creep onto his face as one hand went to control her legs and the other latched loosely around her neck. “It only takes a few measly minutes to stop everything, you know that, right? I’m in complete control, Kyleigh, you cannot do anything to stop me.”

  She felt his hand inch tighter around her neck as he waited for her to answer. As her windpipe began to slowly close, and each precious breath became even shallower than the last, she finally nodded her head in agreement.

  As his grip loosened, she began coughing, inhaling as much air as she could until she was finally able to breathe normally. He nodded his head and hoisted himself up off her. “This will be fun,” he said as he headed towards the door. “I’ll be back, I have to get a few things from the other room, be a good girl, okay?”

  Kyleigh watched the door close shut and waited until she heard him turn the lock before she got up and resumed her escape. This time she pushed herself harder than before because she knew this was her last chance to get free. He had plans for the next time he came in and she knew it didn’t include her being let go alive.

  Chapter 27

  Willpower

  David sat in his truck outside Kyleigh’s apartment. He had his head leaning back against the headrest as he stared at her dark window, willing her to magically appear. Paige had almost refused to leave, and Brooke was waiting here for them when they got back, both women frantic about the situation. But after a good amount of coaxing, he and Tyler finally talked them both into going home. There was nothing left here and they had called everyone they knew of, with no luck. David still planned to drive through town, just to see if he saw anything. He doubted he would, but he couldn’t give up.

  After calming down enough to call Roger back, he was able to get more details on his mother’s death. Evidently it only took a careless nurse leaving pills out and a woman intent on dying to create the perfect scenario. The perfect scenario for his mom that is. No one had even noticed the pills were missing until it was too late. His heart dropped as he realized his mother had already taken the pills when he had visited her earlier. And he hadn’t even noticed.

  A cloud of anger sat just below the surface and he felt the need to grab a whole bottle of anything and end the night beating the shit out of someone, preferably Brad. But he couldn’t. He had promised Kyleigh and he wasn’t about to back out of that promise when she needed him the most. His willpower was going to have to be strong to keep him in line until he found her, because right now, he felt as if he’d just lost everyone in his life. He was alone. Every person he cared the most about was gone right now. But he was damned if he was going to lose Kyleigh, too. He would find her. He didn’t know how, but somehow he would. Backing out of the parking spot, he gave Kyleigh’s dark, empty apartment one last look before heading towards town.

  The drive through town seemed meaningless. His fingers drummed the steering wheel in an irritated beat. He knew she wasn’t hanging around town, but he had to do something. Every bar he passed and every liquor store that caught his eye was more than a temptation. His addiction was calling his name. It was telling him all his problems would go away with each sip he took. And he knew that was somewhat true. It would drown out some of the pain for the time being, but he knew they would come back full force once the alcohol left him.

  As the time headed towards midnight, he decided to head home before he got into something he shouldn’t. Fifteen minutes later, he was sitting at his kitchen table, head hung low as he looked at a picture of him and Kyleigh. A few tears made their way down his cheeks, and he slid the picture across the table, a sour feeling settling in his stomach.

  Pushing the chair back, he stood and began pacing the kitchen, his feet repeatedly stopping at the oak cabinet that held his liquor. Why he never poured it all down the drain, he didn’t know. But now the bottles were here, begging to be opened. He continued past the cabinet, on towards his bedroom, and then abruptly turned back towards the kitchen. Standing in front of the cabinet, he drew in a long breath, hoping to draw in courage to do what he needed to do.

  Opening the cabinet, the countless bottles of alcohol stood staring back at him. Did he have the willpower to pour them out at a time when he neede
d them the most?

  He stood there for a moment, his thoughts heavy with contradiction. A part of him said one drink, just to ease his heartache. But the other part told him one drink would lead to another, and then he’d be passed out drunk on the floor. And to top that off, Kyleigh would call, needing him to come save her, and he’d be too drunk to help her. He wondered where she was. If she was okay. And then he pictured himself selfishly drinking away his problems when Kyleigh could be fighting for her life. He hoped not. What if she showed up hurt and needed him and he was wasted? He couldn’t let himself go there. Not again.

  The weight of the full bottle held promises of a worry free night, and he ran a finger around the rim as indecision filled him. As he unscrewed the lid, the smell of the alcohol filtered out and teased his senses. He lifted the bottle to his nose and took in the smell of aged whiskey. This bottle had been a gift from his brother when David had graduated high school. They had kept it stashed, saying it needed a little more time to age, and when it was ready, they’d enjoy it together. Now, he was gone and David was standing here alone.

  As he slid the bottle out of the brown, cloth bag that held it, a picture coasted out and landed at his feet. David reached down and picked it up, seeing a picture of Randy on his white Harley, a smug smile on his face. Flipping the picture over, David’s lungs seized as he read the words Keep Riding scrawled on back. The words stung his heart.

  Running a finger across the words, all the times he and Randy had told each other that shot through his mind. It was their mantra for when things got bad. It reminded them to always keep moving forward and not let whatever was happening at the moment stop them. It was a sign from his brother telling him to keep pushing forward through all this grief and guilt.

  Holding the picture in his hand, he tilted the bottle to the side, a small smile forming as the liquid began swirling down the kitchen drain. A sense of relief came over him. If he could turn down alcohol at a time like this, when he felt like he needed it more than anything, it told him he was on his way to staying sober.