Where I Found You (Heart's Compass Book 1)

by Brooke O'Brien

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Wes and Kinsley have been together for a while. Like any couple, they go through their ups and downs. Something about the way Kinsley said it has me worried there is more going on.

  “Yes, just not right now,” she says, looking up at me putting on the brave face, trying to reassure me. It’s the same look she gave me earlier, but for the first time since I’ve met Kinsley, I noticed there’s a hint of worry buried underneath it.

  Respecting her wishes, I nod my head and steer the conversation back to safe territory.

  “What’d you bring there?” I ask, picking up the stack of mail from the counter, taking a minute to shuffle through the pile of envelopes and papers. Most of it is junk, credit card offers, flyers trying to convince me to get cable TV. Flipping over an envelope, I stop when I see my name printed on it,

  On the front in perfect print is my name, Ellie Hayes. A feeling of panic sets in as my heart starts to pick up its pace.

  Hayes.

  My heart clenches as I reflect on the name. Ellie Hayes is who I am at the core of my being. The name holds so much meaning, my first name after my Grandma Ellen, and the last name given by my father. She’s also the girl I said goodbye to when I left Garwood.

  Uneasiness fills my stomach because it’s the name no one in Arbor Creek knows me by, except for Hudson and Kinsley. Even then, he didn’t know anything beyond my need to keep it private.

  This was supposed to be my fresh start.

  “Ellie, are you even listening to me?” I hear, breaking through my daze. Raising my head, I see Kinsley looking at me with concern etching her face. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” I say, looking back down at the envelope. There is no stamp or return address. I feel the bile rise in my throat. “Just not sure who this is from,” I say, turning over the envelope and running my finger under the seal, opening it.

  Pulling out the contents, my heart stops when I see an old worn photograph of me from Christmas 2007. I remember the day it was taken. It is one that has been forever ingrained into my memory. It was the last one I spent at home with my mom and Royal before I finally came clean to my Grams.

  The way my eyes are sunken in and the forced smile on my face has me aching for the young girl in that picture. This is the Ellie Hayes I remember, the one I’ve worked so hard to forget.

  Turning it over, I recognize the print as being the one on the front of the envelope. The words written once again confirm all my fears.

  I can keep running, but not even the edge of this earth could take me far enough away from him.

  These bars will only protect you for so long, Ellie.

  After the letter showed up in my mailbox, I knew I needed to find a way to explain it to Callum. I was starting to feel like I was keeping things from him. He still doesn’t know the truth about me and why I’ve kept him at arm’s length.

  Hearing him talk about the stresses of his job and the impending conversation with his father, I knew I couldn’t tell him while he was out of town. He likely would be upset and would jump in his truck, heading back to Arbor Creek. He had too much going on right now, and I didn’t want to be one more thing to add to the list. Royal is in jail for another two years, so what’s the point when I could wait a little bit longer.

  I managed to get a little bit of sleep last night, even with the anxiousness of Callum’s return looming. I spent most of this morning and early afternoon out on the front porch reading. The sounds of birds chirping and the soft wind blowing helped relax my racing mind.

  Once it was time for me to start getting ready, I drew a warm bath filled with lavender oils. It was so calming, I nearly fell asleep in the tub. I spent extra time lathering my legs and arms up with lotion. Kinsley had insisted I wear my hair down, so I left it curled in soft waves down my back.

  Walking into my bedroom, I slide the closet door open and grab my dress, laying it across the bottom of my bed. Unzipping the bodice, I step into it and pull the straps over my shoulders before zipping it up on the side. The top of the dress is fitted, leaving everything from the waist down flowing. The front is detailed with beautiful rosette flowers and plunges deep showing off more cleavage than I normally care to show. I feel confident and beautiful.

  Settling on minimal make-up, I opt for the natural look with a hint of lavender eye shadow and a nude lip gloss. Once finished, I take my necklace from the medicine cabinet and arrange the pendant across my chest. Just as I’m spraying a light scent of perfume, I hear a knocking sound rap against the screen door.

  Stepping out of the bathroom, I shout a quick “come in” down the hallway before walking into my bedroom to grab the heels I had chosen.

  “I’ll be right there,” I yell again.

  Sitting down on the end of the bed, I step one foot into the heel and buckle the strap around my ankle before doing the same to the other foot. Smiling to myself in the mirror, I give myself a once over before picking up my phone from the nightstand. Realizing I don’t have anything to store it in, I opt to carry it in my bra. I guess it’s a good thing the girls have plenty of room to share, I think, as I laugh to myself.

  “I didn’t even hear you pulling up,” I say, walking down the hall, the sound of my heels clicking against the hard wood of the floor. Walking into the kitchen, I grab the keys as I turn toward the entry way, looking for Callum.

  “Callum?” I call, looking down the hallway. For a minute, I consider that maybe he slipped into the bathroom. Noticing the light is off and the door is left cracked open, I turn to my left to see if he is in the living room and come up missing.

  “What the hell, Callum! Where’d you go?” I say. A feeling of uneasiness creeps over me, causing me to clutch my keys tighter in my hands. The feeling of metal cutting into my palm draws my attention away from the rapid beating of my heart.

  “Seriously! This isn’t funny, Callum. Where th-” A strong arm wraps around my midsection, drawing my body in close just before a firm hand clasps around my mouth, effectively stopping any words from coming out. I can feel my eyes bulge in my sudden panic.

  The stale smell of cigarette smoke hits me, and I know who it is before even seeing his face. Closing my eyes tightly, I send up a silent prayer for Callum to walk through that door. Tears threaten to escape and the words begging him to save me sound like a chant in my mind. I silently remind myself to breathe, remembering the same mantra that has helped me focus all those times before.

  Breathe in. Breathe out.

  “My sweet girl,” he moans, running his nose along the side of my head, inhaling deeply. “I missed you. I am sorry it took so long for me to find you.”

  Grunting back at him, I struggle in an attempt to fight him off but the hold he has on me is too strong. His arms are wrapped around mine like a vise, preventing me from moving. His strength is no match for me as I let out of a soft cry of defeat.

  “I’ve been waiting for you,” he moans in my ear, and the taste of bile threatens to fill my throat. “I knew I couldn’t come back until your little boyfriend was gone. I know I promised you I’d come back for you whenever I got out. I just never expected to find some fucking pussy to be here when I showed up,” he spits out harshly.

  What does he mean he couldn’t come back until he was gone? How does he know who Callum is?

  My thoughts race, replaying the last few weeks since Callum started coming around. My heart thumping hard, I’m surprised it hasn’t found a way to pound itself out of my chest.

  “Now it’s time for you to come with me. C’mon,” he says, pulling me with him, keeping me trapped against his chest.

  Feeling unsteady on my feet, I strain to keep my balance as he drags me with him. I can feel the panic set in. My foot gets caught in the length of my dress, causing my ankle to roll. I wince as the pain shoots up my leg. His grip is tight around my mouth, forcing me to struggle for a breath as my jaw aches.

  I haven’t forgotten how angry he was after being arreste
d and subsequently convicted or the promise he made to me that day. I replay the words he had spoken back and the salacious smile that spread across his face.

  “Don’t worry, sweet girl. I will come back for you and we’ll be together. You’ll be punished for what you’ve done. I promise I’ll be seeing you very soon.”

  As soon as we are near the door, it hits me that if he manages to get me out, there’s a chance I may never make it back here alive. My body aches, feeling tireless against the strength of his arms. My hand shoots out from where it’s trapped against my side, reaching for the wood trim. I struggle against his grip, against his tight hold.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I focus on arranging the key in my hand so that the sharp end points away from me. Jerking my head forward suddenly, I slam it back against his face as I stab the metal key into his thigh.

  “You fucking bitch!” he yells in agony, removing the hand from around my waist to cover his bleeding. I faintly recognize the sound of the keys dropping to the floor. Wrapping my arm around my head, I hunch over in pain, trying to regain focus and blink away the spots filtering in and out.

  I struggle to take a step away from Royal, the twinge of discomfort in my ankle making it difficult to move. My heart is racing and pain slices through my head as I rub my hand against my forehead.

  “You’re going to regret that, you little bitch,” he spits.

  I’m trapped with nowhere to go, a strangled cry breaks free. Wrapping his left hand around my throat, I gasp for a breath as his fingers squeeze, blocking the airway. My eyes bulge, silently begging him to let me go, but I know it’s no use.

  “Like I said, I promised you I would be back for you and you’d be punished for what you’ve done. It seems you’ve forgotten so I’m here to remind you,” he says, drawing his right fist.

  The next thing I see is his frightening grin, blood streaming out his nose and down his chin, just before his hard fist slams into the side of my face.

  Waking up, the first thing I notice is the pounding in my skull, feeling like someone had taken a hammer to my head. With the sound of music blaring around me, I search around me for a clue of where I am. The last thing I remember is the steel-like fist that came directly for my face just before I passed out.

  Like a hammer.

  My body rolls to the side suddenly as I realize I’m moving. Darkness envelopes me as the smell of gasoline fills the small space. The scent is so potent, I fear that maybe I’ve been drenched in it.

  The volume of the music lowers just as the song changes. I can hear the faint sound of gravel crunching beneath tires. My legs are bound at my ankles with my hands braced together against my chest. Struggling to move, it strikes me that even if I could get loose, I may not be able to make it far.

  Closing my eyes again, I picture Callum in his suit as he shows up to pick me up for the wedding. I imagine the way his smirk would take over his face, the look of desire passing over him as he took in the deep V-neck on the front of my dress.

  Tears fill my eyes, streaming down my face. My damaged and tattered heart can’t bear the thought of never seeing him again. I never got the chance to tell him how I felt about him, what it meant to me to finally open up to someone about my past. I pray that if there is a God, he would find a way to lead Callum to me. He has already saved me once before; I just hope he can find a way to do it again.

  The car slows down and makes a turn, causing me to roll from my right side over to my back. My eyes are wide open in high alert, searching for any sounds that would help me clue into where we are. The feeling of vibration against my chest takes me by surprise and my heart jumps to my throat.

  My phone.

  Keeping my hands clutched together in front of me, I try to turn my hand bringing it closer to my chest. I’m not too far away from where it’s stuffed in my bra. I hold my breath as I push my left hand down, bending my right back as I move along my chest feeling the hard case. It’s dark but the continued vibration against my chest helps me move my hand along to pull it from the confines of my dress.

  As soon as my hand wraps around my phone, I let out a giant sigh of relief. My hands are shaking so hard as I struggle to hold it in my hand and focus on not dropping it. Holding my thumb down on the Home button, my phone unlocks and a pop-up appears before me displaying the missed text messages from Callum.

  Callum: Ells?

  Callum: Where are you?

  Callum: I have tried to call you five times and it keeps going to voice mail. The front door was unlocked, left wide open and I can’t find you.

  Callum: Text me, please.

  Swiping up. I click on the flashlight app and use it to quickly survey my surroundings. There is a blanket beneath me and a bottle of motor oil near my feet. I angle the light down toward my body and see silver duct tape is wrapped around my tightly thighs and ankles, making it difficult to move. The silver shines beneath the light where I see my wrists have been secured together as well.

  Clicking the button to turn it off, darkness surrounds me as my eyes readjust. The car comes to an abrupt stop, causing me to roll onto my side. Using my elbow, I brace for the movement trying to avoid rolling forward. The phone slides out of my hand, landing at the other end of the trunk. The light from the screen illuminates the small space.

  “No, no, no! Shit!” I whisper to myself with a huff. Moving my legs so they are curled against my chest, I use my elbow to push my body closer toward my phone. The feeling of the rough carpet rubbing against my skin burns. I can see the light dim as the screen locks, making it difficult to see in front of me. Pushing my feet into the side of the wall, I try to shuffle closer as the tears continue to stream down my face as I struggle to not break down completely.

  I can’t contain the sigh of relief when I feel the hard case against the tip of my fingers. The skin chafes as I use my chin to slide it closer, adjusting it in my grip. Hearing the car door open and slam shut has me frozen in fear, hearing Royal’s voice.

  “What the hell took you so long? I told you I didn’t want to wait all night on your bullshit. Here are the keys,” a man says, the sound of his voice muffled, mixed with the jingle of the keys. My mind searches through my memory, hoping to recognize the voice, but come up empty.

  “I told you I’d be here as soon as I could. I had shit to do so chill the fuck out,” Royal spits in frustration. “Have you heard from her yet?”

  My breath comes out heavily as my finger touches the screen. I send off a silent thank you. I can hear keys rustling, drawing my attention away, causing my hands to fumble.

  “Focus, Ellie,” I whisper to myself. I can feel my body tremble as I pull up the messages and shoot off a quick text to Callum before locking and releasing my phone, just as the key turns and the trunk pops in release.

  As soon as the hatch is open, I squeeze my eyes closed tight, fighting off the brightness as I slowly peek my eyes open. The sun has started to set as darkness approaches. Looking behind him, I find we are now alone which makes me wonder if whomever knew I was back here and if I missed an opportunity to get away.

  “There she is.” He smiles his sinister smile, causing my stomach to roll just seeing him again standing in front of me. “I’m sorry you had to ride back here but you are feistier than you used to be.”

  I want nothing more than to spit in his smug face.

  What he doesn’t know or realize is I have more to live for this time around. I’m not going to go down without a fight.

  Pulling my truck up Ellie’s drive, I briefly check the time on my phone before depositing it back in the center console. Turning the truck off, I leave the keys in the ignition, not wanting to waste another minute. I need Ellie. I need to feel her in my arms, her soft skin beneath my fingertips, and her lips pressed against mine. I physically need her.

  Climbing out of the cab of the pick-up, I check my tie as I run my hands across my chest smoothing out my dress shirt. Opting to leave the suit jacket in the backseat, I quickly jog over to the fron
t of Ellie’s house, taking the stairs two at a time.

  I instantly notice the front door is slightly open, which is unlike Ellie to do.

  “Ellie, you ready? Get out here right now and give me those sweet lips,” I yell, chuckling as I step into the entry way.

  Looking down at the floor, I notice the shoes and rug in a disarray. My brows pull together in confusion.

  “Ellie, sweetheart?” I say, leaning down to move the rug back into place. Something sparkling catches my eye. I bend down and use my finger to drag a metal chain toward me.

  I know immediately something is wrong when I see the compass pendant dragging along the ceramic tile. If I wasn’t looking closely, I would’ve missed it but there is no mistaking the drops of blood on the floor near the dark colored rug.

  Clutching the pendant in my hand, a feeling of unease settles into the pit of my stomach. I quickly run down the hallway toward Ellie’s room. Flipping the lights on, I look around for any sign of her but nothing appears out of order.

  Running my hand along my pocket, I realize I left my phone in the truck as I race down the hall and out the door. My hands fumble as I pull up Ellie’s number and click the call button. The phone rings and rings, going to her voice mail every time.

  My fear sets in as my anxiety escalates, realizing something is very wrong. Ellie and I have been texting throughout the day, sharing her excitement over the wedding, and my anxiousness to get back to her. Sweat drips down my brow as I pull up my messages app and shoot off several texts to her.

  I stare at my screen, praying I see the confirmation she has read the message and the bubble appearing to show she is responding back, but come up empty after what feels like an hour. I quickly shoot off a text to Kinsley, in hopes that she has seen or talked to Ellie recently.

  Not waiting for her reply, I call the only other person I can think of. When the line connects, the gruff voice that comes through fills me with relief before the reality of the situation hits me again.