Suddenly, he jerks his hand away. I suck in a deep breath, my lungs instantly relieved of their torture, but it burns my traumatized throat and sends me into a coughing fit. Amusement fills Jake’s evil eyes.
“No, I think I’ll wait. We have a lot in store for you and I’d hate for you to miss it.”
My vision slowly returns to normal, although it is obscured by the hazy sheen of tears filling my eyes and running down my heated face.
Jake grabs my face again, pinching my cheeks. He leans in close and presses his lips against mine, hard enough to bruise them. His kisses that I used to fantasize about and enjoy immensely now just fill me with disgust. Bile rises and settles in my throat, adding to the burning sensation. I struggle to swallow it down while simultaneously biting Jake’s bottom lip. He jerks away and brings his hand up, swinging it at me. Giving me no time to think or defend myself, he backhands me across the face. Pain shoots through my cheek and white hot flashes zing across my vision.
“You stupid bitch!” he screams, rummaging around for something to press against his bleeding lip.
The stinging on my cheek spreads, setting my face on fire. I want to rub it, offer it some relief, but I don’t want to give Jake the satisfaction of knowing how much that hurt, both physically and emotionally.
Without warning, Jake steps on the gas, causing me to lurch forward. My face smacks against the dash, an instant headache explodes through my skull. He snorts, as if my pain brings him great pleasure, and continues driving in silence until he pulls into a gas station a few blocks away. With a mighty jerk, he shifts into park, and immediately leans across me to dig through the glove box. He grins tauntingly at me and pulls out a roll of duct tape. I feel like my eyes are going to pop out of my head, imagining all the horrible things he plans to do to me. Jake lets out a cruel laugh when he sees the terrified expression on my face.
“Oh, relax, Alex. Nothing’s going to happen. Not yet, anyway.” He gives me that malicious grin again. I can’t let him do this. I have to do something. I have to get out of here. I reach for the handle, but Jake stops me before I have a chance to open the door. He snatches my arm away from the door, forcing it behind my back to join my other arm that he already has pinned there. Pain skyrockets through both of my shoulders. He wraps the duct tape around my wrists, binding them together behind me, and then he leans back to examine his handy work.
“You look good like this.” He trails his index finger down the side of my face. I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting the urge to lash out. Jake bends down and grabs my ankles, trying to force them together. I kick my legs out, but the dash stops me, and I bang my shin against it. I try to scoot away, but his hands latch painfully around my ankles. He slams them together and quickly binds them with the tape, wrapping them about five times then tossing the tape on the driver’s seat. From under my seat, he retrieves a coil of rope, which he lays across my lap. Jake looks up at me through his lashes, a devious smile spreading across his face.
“Jake, come on. I’m not going to do anything. I promise. You don’t have to do all this,” I plead with him, trying to sound strong, but my voice betrays me, sounding weak and childlike.
“Just shut up, Alex, I really don’t want to hear your shit right now.” He begins tying my legs to the seat adjusting bar near the floor, guaranteeing that I can’t get out of the truck.
“I’m going inside to grab a few things. I will be able to see you the whole time, and if you even attempt to get out, or if you draw any attention to yourself, I will fucking kill you, and Zack will just have to get over it. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I whimper.
He grabs the hair at the back of my head and pulls, forcing me to look up at him.
“I said, do you understand?” Spit flecks fly furiously out of his mouth, and I cringe when they splatter onto my face, the hot droplets searing my skin.
“Yes, I understand,” I say a little louder despite the raw pain in my throat. I have to do something. I can’t be stuck here like some prey just waiting to be devoured by the beast. “Wait, Jake,” I call as he starts to exit the truck. “What if someone sees me like this? Don’t you think it will look a little suspicious, me sitting here with my hands taped behind my back?”
He glances around the nearly empty lot. There’s one other person here, but he’s over by the gas pumps, so unless the guy decides to go inside the store he will not see me. I’m scared Jake’s going to leave me like this, tied up with no hope of escaping. I can see him wrestling with the decision. I know he doesn’t want to untie me, but he doesn’t want to risk getting caught either. Another car starts to pull into the lot, making his decision for him.
He jerks my body forward and rips the tape off my wrists, taking a few hairs out with it. “Keep your hands in your lap and don’t fucking move. You better not try anything.” Jake brings his hand up and squeezes my face tightly, my jaw to pops and pain radiates through my teeth. “I mean it, Alex. Don’t do anything.”
I nod my head in agreement.
Jake climbs out of the truck, locks the doors, and heads inside the store, glancing back at me several times. Okay, think, Alex. You’ve got to do something. My arms are free, but there’s no way I will have enough time to untie my legs before he gets back out here. I thrust my hands deep into my pockets like I tend to do when I’m stressed. My fingers graze something hard, something small and rectangular, and, immediately, an idea springs forth.
“The SIM card,” I say out loud, and instantly regret it when my throat spasms with pain. I slip it out of my pocket and clutch it in my hand, suddenly filled with some semblance of hope. While Jake is busy piling drinks in his arms, I grab my phone out of the glove box. I quickly snap off the back and insert the SIM card. Ignoring the chimes indicating that I have new text messages, I slip the back into place and dial Luke’s number. I start to bring the phone up to my ear then remember that Jake can see me. I sit it on the seat beside me and watch the display, hoping that soon it will let me know that the call was successful. I look up and see Jake paying for his items just as the call connects. I speak quickly and quietly, trying not to move my lips too much.
“Luke, it’s Alex. Jake has me tied up in his truck. I don’t know where we’re going but please stay on the phone and I’ll try to get him to tell me. We’re at the Gate Stop headed toward the interstate. Crap, he’s coming back. Please, you have to help me. Just stay on the phone.”
I slide the phone under my leg, careful not to cover the speaker. I pray Luke will be able to hear us, because right now he’s my only hope, my only chance at getting out of this alive.
Jake hoists himself into the truck, throwing the bag on the seat between us and takes off without saying a word and without untying my legs. I want to scream at him to untie me. He cannot leave me like this, but I can’t fixate on that. I need to focus on finding out where he is taking me.
“Jake, where are we going?” I ask as innocently as I can.
“Shut up,” he says, running his tongue across the red bite mark on his lip.
“Where’s Zack?” I ask, hoping Jake will reveal something, anything to let Luke and Jeffrey know where we might be headed.
“He’s waiting for us in New Hope. Now stop with all the questions before you piss me off.”
Okay, so we’re headed back to New Hope, but I need to narrow it down to more than just that. New Hope may be small, but it would still take days for them to track me down. “Are you taking me home?”
Jake snickers. “No, Zack has another place in mind,” he says a little too cheerfully. “Now, if you ask me one more question, I’m going to take that duct tape and put it over your mouth.”
Shit. Well, I’m obviously not going to get any useful information out of him.
AFTER DRIVING IN DEAD SILENCE for God only knows how long, the sudden sound of a phone ringing makes me jump and suck in a sharp breath. Jake opens the g
love box and pulls out the disposable phone. I hold my breath and let out a sigh of relief when it appears that he doesn’t notice my phone missing.
“Hello,” Jake says, his voice cracking slightly.
I strain my ears, trying to hear the person on the other end, but it’s impossible.
“Yeah, we should be there in about three hours.” Jake is silent for a moment while the person on the other end, which I’m assuming is Zack, speaks to him. “Yeah, the old library, right?”
The old library…that must be where we’re going. God, I hope Luke heard that.
“Okay, see you there.” Jake ends the call and tosses the phone on the seat beside him. He starts digging around in the bag of stuff he got at the store and pulls out a bottle of water. “Here, drink this,” he says, handing it to me.
I take the bottle from him and drain half of it in one long greedy swig. It’s lukewarm, but it helps to soothe my irritated throat. I take another, smaller swig, and swirl it around in my mouth, taking my time now that I’m not so parched. Jake smiles at me as I finish off the bottle, recap it, and toss it onto the floor of his truck. I look up and see that he is still smiling at me. I wonder why he’s being nice to me now? Has he changed his mind? A glimmer of hope blooms in my chest. I decide to give pleading with him one more try, but before I can say anything my mind fills with static. I can’t think straight and my eyes can’t focus due to the cyclone spiraling in my head, making me dizzy. What the hell is happening to me? My eyelids feel like they weigh a ton. I try to hold them open, but it’s like fighting against a magnetic field, they are just drawn downward. Something’s not right! I want to shout, but the fog is suffocating me, making speech impossible. Oh, my God, he drugged me, I think, just before I lose the battle and am swallowed up by darkness.
“JAKE, STOP IT,” I FORCE out between giggles as he tickles my ribs. I’m short of breath from laughing and feel like my bladder is going to explode if he doesn’t stop soon.
“Fine.” Jake pouts. He pokes out his full pink kissable lips and bats his eyes at me. I let out a laugh and push him down flat on the king-size bed.
We opted out of going to any of the Valentines dance after-parties that most of our friends were going to. Instead, Jake booked us a room at the Garden Suites. We’re in love and we decided a few days ago that we were ready to take our relationship to the next level. We want to be each other’s firsts, and hopefully each other’s last.
I straddle Jake’s legs and lean over his face, letting my lips graze his. I slide my hands down his sides, my fingertips barely grazing his skin, but he grabs my arms, stopping me, and twists us effortlessly until he’s on top, pinning me to the bed.
“Oh, no. It doesn’t work that way,” Jake says in a playful tone. My hands travel up his chiseled arms, pausing to squeeze his biceps. Jake’s eyes meet mine, a serious look washing over his face. “Are you sure about this, Alex?”
I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. I place my hand on his face, caressing his cheek. “Yes, Jake. I’m sure.”
He leans down, his warm breath sizzling on my skin, awakening every nerve in my body. He brushes his lips over mine and I pull him closer, our hot bodies pressed against one another. Our kiss starts out slow and soft, almost teasing, but then it intensifies, turning heated and more urgent. Jake gently eases my dress up, his hand resting on my thigh. My heart begins to beat in time with his. Our breaths come out in fast bursts, mingling with one another. This is it. I’m about to lose my virginity to the person I love most in this world. How did I ever get so lucky? I melt into his kiss and surrender myself to him.
Afterward, we lie in the massive bed, cuddled in each other’s arms. I lift my head off Jake’s chest and crane my neck to look up at him. His eyes are tiny slits, barely open, and his mouth is curved up in a satisfied smile. My heart swells with love. I lean up on my elbow and place a feather light kiss on his lips.
“What was that for?” Jake ask, his voice sounding sleepy.
“No reason. I love you,” I say softly.
“Mmmm.” That’s all he manages to get out before he drifts off to sleep. I remain awake, watching him sleep, amazed at the connection I feel with him. I lie back down on his chest, listening to his heart beat and am eventually lulled to sleep, wrapped in the warmth of his arms.
THE SOUND OF A DOOR slamming jolts me awake, obliterating the crystal-clear memory of our first time. I force one heavy-lidded eye open and see Jake standing outside of the truck on the phone. Where are we? Weren’t we just in the hotel room? When did we leave? I move to get out of the truck to join Jake but my legs won’t budge. My breath catches in my throat as panic sets in, but then my fuzzy brain recalls everything. I begin to hyperventilate. No, please, I want to go back to the dream. I want to go back and get my happily ever after. I don’t want this to be real.
I sit, paralyzed, my body numb and frazzled, perspiration lining my forehead. I force myself to focus on my breathing to calm myself. Shit, my phone, I think to myself. Good, it’s still nestled under my leg exactly where I left it. I carefully move my leg, which is stiff from being tied up for so long, and see the blank screen. My heart flutters in my chest. What am I going to do? Luke was my only hope, and there’s no telling how long my phone has been dead. He may not have heard anything. It’s fine. I will be fine. I can figure a way out of this. I’m smart, a lot smarter than Jake, anyway, I can do this.
I stare out the window, studying my surroundings, and I see that we are at the old library on Calton Street. The trees that line the parking lot slowly sway in the mid-summer breeze. The moon sits nestled snuggly amongst the mosaic of stars that fill and light up the night sky. When I was younger, I would imagine myself climbing up on the moon and plucking the stars out of the sky one by one and securing them in a jar to bring back home and place by my bed. I wish I could do that now, just take a flying leap up into the sky and leave all this behind. I force myself to get back to the here and now. This is not the time to be reminiscing.
I’m not a very religious person, but I seem to be praying a lot lately. Just in case He actually does hear me, I send up, yet another, silent prayer.
God, are you there? I need your help. Please help Luke find me. He’s my only way out of this. I’m not sure what else I can do.
A light flashing to my right catches my attention. I turn toward it. The light flashes three more times, pauses for a few seconds, then begins to flash again. It must be the air traffic towers, directing the planes carrying passengers to their destinations. They’re headed to tropical islands, or snowy mountains while I am here, minutes away from my death. I’m so engrossed in watching the flashing light that I didn’t even notice Jake had gotten back into the truck until he speaks.
“Let’s go inside. Zack’s waiting.”
I jump at the sound of his voice and quickly turn to face him. I try pleading with him one more time, hoping against all hope that I can get through to him. “Please, Jake. You don’t have to do this. You can just let me go. I promise I won’t say anything.” I begin to cry for about the millionth time in the span of two days. I thought that at some point I would run out of tears, but, somehow, they just keep coming.
“Well, what would be the fun in that? Aren’t you enjoying being with me? We just got back together and you want to end it already?” Jake taunts me, running a strand of my hair through his fingers.
My bottom lip is trembling uncontrollably and my eyes are burning with fresh tears. “What happened to you, Jake? I thought you loved me.”
“Love is overrated. But I do have to admit, we did have some good times together.” He trails his hand along the inside of my thigh, a sickening smile spreading across his face.
“Jake, please, stop,” I manage to get out over the tightness in my throat. I grab his hand and shove it away from my leg.
“Lighten up, Alex. You used to like it when I touched you. Don’t you
remember?”
His fingers reach under my shirt, trailing along the sensitive flesh on my stomach. I push hard against his chest with both hands, forcing him away from me. He grins at me, his teeth shining, then his hands fly up and wrap around my throat.
“Oh, come on, I’m just having a little fun. You were always such a tease.”
He removes his hands from my neck, runs them down each of my arms, then encircles my wrist. He leans over me. His hot breath on my neck makes me queasy. Every muscle in my body contracts. He inches closer, his chest grazing my breasts. I hold my breath as every nerve sizzles with fear. This is it. This is really happening, and there’s nothing I can do. I may be smarter than Jake, but I am not stronger. I can’t fight him.
I’m about to be raped by the person I used to love more than anything in this world. My heart beats wildly, a sledgehammer slamming painfully against my chest. I close my eyes, hold my breath, and prepare for the worst. I feel the wet warmth when Jake slides his tongue up the side of my face. Tears escape and run down my cheeks. I suck in a deep breath, mustering any ounce of courage I may have, anything to get me through this ordeal, then I feel Jake lean back. I open my eyes and see him reaching across my body. God, what is he going to do? I close my eyes again, not wanting to see what’s coming, but nothing happens. I lift my lids and see Jake climbing out of the truck, his shoulders shaking with laughter. I let out a quivering breath and unclench my fists as Jake walks around to my side of the truck. He opens my door and pulls a knife out of his pocket, the blade glinting in the moonlight. Before I even have time to think about what he’s going to do, he cuts through the rope and duct tape binding my legs. He grabs my arm, jerking me down out of the truck and forces my arms behind my back. My phone clatters to the ground, but, thankfully, he doesn’t notice. I see the flashing light once again as Jake pushes me across the parking lot toward the library, his fingers clamped around my wrists. I plant my feet, digging my heels into the ground, but he forces me forward with a quick kick to the back of my knee.
Grave Little Secrets Page 14
