My cheeks flushed, but my heart warmed. There was a family that wanted me at their holidays, and it felt really good. Spencer kissed my cheek and agreed with his father. “See, if Dad requested it, it needs to happen. Mark your calendar for Easter.”
Julia clapped her hands. “Yay! I’ll be home for Easter for a week, it’s the same week as spring break this year. You have to come earlier so we can hang out longer.”
I agreed. I liked his sisters, and I think they liked me too. Before too long, they stole me from Spencer and introduced me to other members of the family. My head was spinning with the amount of new names and faces I was trying to remember. I occasionally found Spencer in the chaos of the party and I would smile at him, acknowledging that I was ok. Katie took me out onto the patio, where there were more people sitting around tables. She punched a man in the arm whose back was to us. He turned around and I had to blink several times before I fully comprehend who was sitting in front of me. I’ve never been in such a state of disbelief.
“Kelsey, this is our cousin Marcus. Marcus this is Spencer’s girlfriend, Kelsey Franklin. Marcus is our family’s law enforcement, which is pretty scary considering his personality.” She joked.
Marcus Taylor was Spencer’s cousin?
He acted like he had no clue who I was. He extended his hand out and gave me a polite smile. “Nice to meet you Kelsey.”
So I didn’t seem rude to Katie, I accepted his hand. “You too.” I said quietly. Katie started speaking to the person next to Marcus. I glared at him, and he returned the look. I know he was telling me to keep my mouth shut. I felt my world crumbling around me. Did he send me to Vancouver to have Spencer keep an eye on me? Was Ryleigh in on this? Is Spencer just dating me out of sympathy? Does his family know too?
I needed to get away.
“Katie, is there a bathroom I can use? I’m not feeling so great.” I asked her.
Her face turned sympathetic. “Absolutely, come on. I’ll take you upstairs.”
I locked the door behind me and collapsed to the floor. My heart was pounding and I was sweating.
Spencer knew.
He had to have known. Have the past few months I’ve spent getting to know him and him pursuing me all been a lie to get me back to normal? I have no idea what is the truth right now.
“Kel, open up.” Spencer demanded on the other side.
I didn’t answer. He knew. He doesn’t really love me, he just feels sorry for me. All this talk about being with me, marrying me, wanting a family…it’s all been a lie.
“Kel, open this door. Marcus just told me you saw him.”
He sounds regretful and guilty. This entire time he’s been lying to me…he’s been LYING!
“Kel, come on! I can explain.”
Has this been a ploy all along? For Marcus to send me to Ryleigh, then for Spencer to give me a job and pretend to like me to get me back on my feet? Was he using me for his own personal entertainment?
“Kel, I’m not leaving until you open this damn door!”
Yes…he used me.
Look at the poor, beaten and damaged girl. She’s an easy target. She’s just looking for acceptance and love.
They all probably laughed at me.
I felt anxiety forming in my chest. Deep breaths, Kelsey.
I heard him slide down the door. “I’m sitting against the door, baby. Please let me in, I need to know what you’re thinking. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I know Marcus.”
I felt words bubbling up my throat. “You lied to me Spencer. This relationship has been a lie. You’ve known this entire time where I came from! You knew I was messed up and you pretended like you knew nothing! You don’t love me, you just feel sorry for me. I told you I didn’t want your pity!”
“Kelsey, its Marcus. Can you please come out so we can all talk?”
I hated them.
I hated both of them.
I should have stayed in Monroe and just let Wyatt keep beating me. It would be better than falling in love with someone who doesn’t really love you. It hurts a lot less.
I opened the door and Spencer scrambled to his feet, reaching out for me.
“Don’t touch me.” I said quietly.
He frowned. “Baby, please. I love you, let me explain.” He reached out again and I swatted his hand away.
“I SAID DON’T TOUCH ME!” I growled.
His eyes were filled with panic. “Let’s talk about this. I had no idea Marcus sent you until Ryleigh told me. She didn’t tell me until after I was an ass to you at the beginning, but Marcus and I have never talked about you to each other, not even once.”
“But you knew that he sent me and you never said a word!”
I don’t know if I can believe him. He’s known for weeks that Marcus sent me. He could have told me he was related to him. How much more has he been hiding from me?
Marcus put his hand on my shoulder. “He’s right Kelsey. I didn’t tell him anything at all, you know that I can’t tell anyone about cases. I haven’t seen or spoken to Spencer in months. Don’t let your insecurities get to you right now.”
I backed away from him.
“Are you kidding me? Don’t let my insecurities get to me? Seriously? How can I not feel that way right now? I feel betrayed! I’ve been lied to! So excuse me for feeling like I don’t know the truth from another lie!”
Spencer had his hands in his hair, pacing in front of me. “Kel, please…I’m not lying. I just didn’t tell you that Marcus is my cousin and I knew he sent you. That’s all I knew, Kelsey. You told me the rest, I swear.”
My vision was blurry through my tears. I bit my lip to keep it from quivering. “Was everything between us a lie Spence? Did you actually fall in love with me for me, or because you felt like you had to save me?”
Spencer stopped pacing. He walked up close to me, but didn’t touch me. “I love you with every single ounce of my soul. Of course I fell in love with you for who you are. I didn’t feel like I needed to save you Kelsey, you had already saved yourself.”
I want to believe him. I really wanted to believe him. Standing with him so close is making it hard to think…I need space. “I need to go. I need time alone to think.”
“What’s there to think about, baby? I told you the truth. We can leave and talk about it back at the hotel. Don’t shut me out Kelsey, we’ve both come so far.”
I shook my head. “I just need time by myself. I feel very overwhelmed right now.”
“Spencer, give her time. She needs it.” Marcus told him.
Spencer sighed, then gave a slight nod. “Take the car and go back to the hotel. I can stay here tonight to give you space. Will you call me in the morning?”
“Of course. What will you tell your parents?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I’ll just tell them you got sick and had to leave.”
“Thank you.” I said quietly.
“I’ll leave you two alone. Kelsey, don’t over think things. If you need me, shoot me an email.” Marcus gave a small smile, then walked out the door.
Neither Spencer nor I said anything for a few minutes. He extended his hand to me. I took a deep breath and put mine in his. His eyes finally found mine. “I love you Kelsey. So much.” He whispered.
Tears finally escaped my eyes and fell down my cheeks. “Promise?” I sobbed.
He pulled me into his arms and held me tight. “I’ve never meant anything so much in my life. I should have told you, but I was afraid of this. I knew it didn’t look good. I’ll explain things to you later, I promise. Just please know that I will do anything to get you to believe me, to believe the truth. I can’t lose you Kel, you’re my everything. You’re my forever.”
I cried harder at his words. I want to believe him. I think I believe him. It’s easier to believe him when he holds me. “I got to go.”
I felt him sigh against me. “I’ll take you downstairs to the car.”
Luckily he took me out through the backdoor and we bypassed his family
and the other guests. Neither of us said anything as we walked to the car, but he held my hand. He opened the door for me and I slid in. He bent down and looked at me. “Will you please keep your phone on so I can check on you later?”
“Yeah, I can do that. I’ll call you in the morning.” I started the ignition and tried to shut the door. He held it open with his hand. “Spence, I have to-“
“Kiss me. Please kiss me goodnight. Just let me know everything is going to be ok with us.” He pleaded.
I ran my hands through my hair. “I can’t Spencer. I can’t tell you something I don’t know yet.” I said quietly. A look of terror spread across his face. He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it.
“Goodnight baby. I love you.” He said before turning away and shutting the door. I drove away before changing my mind. I looked in the rear view mirror and found him with his hands in his hair, watching me drive away.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tonight the beatings have been relentless since he came home. His doctor is trying to wean him off of his pain medication, so in return, I'm feeling the repercussions. His withdrawals are terrible, making him angrier and more violent than I've ever seen him. It started with him walking in the door and shoving me against the stove while I was cooking. The pot boiling the spaghetti noodles splashed water over the rim and scolded my lower back. When I screamed, he punched me in the mouth hard, causing two of my bottom teeth to break off at the gums. I tried my best not to cry, it always made it worse. Blood was gushing from my mouth and lips, falling to the floor.
"Clean that shit up, it's disgusting. Let me know when dinner's ready." He walked into our bedroom and slammed the door shut. I crawled over to the cabinet and grabbed cleaning supplies to clean up the blood. I scrubbed the floor, trying not to let him hear my sobs. Apparently I didn't do that great of a job. The bedroom door creaked open and I heard his heavy footsteps approach me. His boots came into my view and I closed my eyes.
"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." I said quietly. I attempted to stand up, but he pushed me back on my hands and knees.
"Do you want something to cry about?" he asked darkly. Before I could answer, his boot connected with my rib cage. I heard several cracks and felt instant intense pain. "Answer me you dumb cunt! DO YOU WANT SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT!?" Another kick to the ribs sent me to the ground, making it hard to breathe. He grabbed a handful of hair, pulling me into our bedroom. I felt warmness running down my face after he yanked a handful of hair out and threw it onto the ground. "Here cry baby, you can stay in here until you get over your fit. I'm going out, fix yourself up by the time I get back, you ugly whore."
I laid face down on the floor, ignoring him. The sooner he was gone, the better. "Did you hear me? Acknowledge me when I talk to you!" I picked my head up enough to look at him. He was eventually going to kill me, he might as well do it now.
I said something I've never said in my life, but I meant it more than any other words I've ever spoken;
"Fuck you Wyatt."
I recall seeing his boot coming towards my face before blacking out.
It's really quiet. Everything is dark. My entire body hurts.
I can't be dead, can I? I think when you die all the pain goes away. If that's the case, I'm so not dead. My head is throbbing. It’s painful just to breath. I somehow crawled my way to the bed and pulled myself up to stand. I slowly opened the bedroom door and walked out into the kitchen. I could see his truck outside the window in the driveway beside my car.
He has to be in the living room.
I quietly walked to the other end of the kitchen to look out into the living room. He was passed out on the couch, snoring loudly.
This was it. I needed to get out, and now. If I wait any longer, he will kill me. I walked back into the bedroom and grabbed a small bag from the closet, shoving some clothes and my purse inside quickly. I picked up a frame that had a picture of me, Mama, Daddy and Pres and threw it in the bag also. I opened our bedroom window and tossed the bag outside, looking at our closed bedroom door. I took a deep breath and brought my leg over the window pane, wincing at the sharp pain from my ribs. I managed to get the other leg up and over the window seal and jumped to the ground. I landed on my feet, biting my lip to contain the groans from the sharp pains in my midsection. I shut the window and picked up my bag. I knew once he noticed I was gone he would come looking for me, so I opened the chest beside my flower garden and grabbed a pair of shears and punctured two holes in both of the front tires of his truck. I got into my car and started the engine, praying that he was in a deep enough sleep to not hear the vehicle. I was almost out of the driveway when the porch light flicked on and Wyatt ran out of the house. "GET BACK HERE!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. I froze; for a brief moment, I considered turning around and going back. Somehow a wave of courage came over me and I hit the gas as hard as I could and drove as fast as I could the entire way out of Monroe.
I had nowhere to go and no one to go to. He would go to Mama and Daddy's first, then probably to LSU to find Pres. I didn't want them involved and I didn't want him to track me, so I left my cell phone on the charger at home. Poor Mama and Daddy are going to be so upset, but I'll contact them once I'm safe.
I passed into Arkansas just after two in the morning and decided to find a rest stop to fill up my gas tank and clean up. I haven't looked in the mirror yet, I'm scared of what I'll find. I was two miles from a rest stop when I noticed police cars with their lights on in the middle of the road.
Sobriety checkpoint.
Crap, they can't see me! I'm sure Wyatt's put out a missing person's report and they'll send me back home! I quickly turned off onto a road off to the left before coming to the checkpoint. I was driving down a rural road for about a mile when I saw police car’s lights flicker on behind me.
No!
I felt bile rising in my throat as I pulled over to the side of the road. I put my window down and waited for him to take one look at me and send me back to Monroe.
A tall police officer came up to my window and bent down to my eye level. "Good evening, license, registration and proof of insurance please." I kept my head down and my hair in my face so he didn't see the cuts and blood. I opened the glove department and shakily handed him the necessary documents.
"Ma'am, are you ok?" He asked.
"Yes." I said quietly.
"Could you step out of the vehicle?"
This is it. They're going to send me back.
I opened the door and slowly got out of the car and leaned against the side. I finally looked up at his face to notice horror in his eyes.
"Ma'am, who did this to you?"
I sobbed and shook my head. "Nobody. I'm fine."
He grabbed my shoulders and made me look at him. "You are anything other than okay. You're coming with me." He started to lead me back to his vehicle and I stopped in my tracks.
"Please don't make me go back. He'll kill me, please don't make me!" I sobbed loudly.
He gave me an awkward hug. "You're never going back. I'll keep you safe." He leaned back and I looked up at him through tears. "My name is Detective Taylor. We're going to get you checked out at the hospital. I'm not leaving your side, ok? He won't get you."
I collapsed into his arms from pain, from exhaustion, from fear...from relief. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I woke up to my screams and sat straight up in bed. I reached out, feeling an empty space beside me.
Spencer’s at his parents.
I’m at a hotel.
I’m alone.
On Christmas.
I need to get out of here.
Three hours later, I found myself driving down the familiar stretch of Interstate 20 Eastbound. I took the same exit that I had taken for twenty-five years of my life. I drove past the high school I graduated from, feeling nothing.
Numb.
I stopped the vehicle a half mile away from the place I g
rew up. I walked across the street into the field where I used to escape to. My safe place. Although there aren’t any wildflowers in bloom right now, this still made me feel calm. I walked through the tall grass, letting the ends brush against my fingertips. The dawn was breaking, and I could start to see further into the horizon. I can see Mama and Daddy’s house. It made my heart hurt. They’re so close, but I can’t do anything about it. My foot caught on a very large rock and I tumbled to my knees, catching myself with my hands.
I don’t remember there being any rocks in this field. I turned back and looked into my own eyes.
“Becca?” Preston’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
Crap. I shouldn’t have come here. Preston knows it’s me. “Hey Pres.”
He reached out and touched my arm, almost as if to make sure I was real. “I knew it. I had a feeling you weren’t…Emma told me I was just mourning.”
He quickly sat up and hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. I wrapped my arms around him until it was hard to catch a breath. “Pres, I can’t breathe.”
He loosened his grip, but still held me close to him. “Sorry. How…I mean, where…Becca what happened?”
I looked back towards the house, which was now becoming clearer with the sunrise. “Do they know you’re down here?”
He shook his head. “Everyone was still sleeping but Dad will be out to feed the animals soon. He won’t come down this way.”
I sighed in relief. “I will tell you everything, but they can’t know that you saw me. I could get a lot of people in trouble. Do you understand?”
“It’s me, Becca. Of course.”
I laid back against the ground. This is familiar. Comfortable. My safe place. “Why are you down here anyways?”
He leaned back on his elbows, looking down at me. “When I come to visit, I come down here for me time. It makes me think of you.”
What have I done to him? To Mama and Daddy? “I’m so sorry Pres.”
“I think I understand why you ran. It was bad with him, wasn’t it?” he asked.
I nodded. “I took as much as I could, but he almost killed me. I was just going to run away and call you guys later, but I got pulled over by a cop car. It was a detective who used to work for the FBI. He had still had ties with the bureau, and they got me into protective custody. I got a full new identity and was relocated. He told me he I could never come back here. I’ve been in Vancouver for almost three months.”
Never Look Back (Counting Stars Book 1) Page 17
