Then she looked up and noticed the balcony.
It was already dark outside, but she could see the yard in the glow of the house lights. She caught sight of tall, sprawling trees meshed with others leaning over from bordering properties. A white vinyl fence surrounded the entire yard. There were lights on inside the surrounding homes.
She looked for stairs leading down from the balcony, but couldn’t see any. The only thing that appeared remotely promising was a nearby tree with thick, twisted branches close to the railing.
Walking to the doors, she reached for the handle.
She was barefoot.
“Naomi?”
She spun around. Jesse stood in the doorway, her pink sweatshirt tucked under his arm.
“What are you doing?”
“N-Nothing.”
His face was stern, but not upset. She expected him to yell at her or at least yank her away from the doors, but he just stood there, disappointment shadowing his eyes. She withered inside at that look.
“Let’s finish our game.” He walked to the pool table and carefully draped her sweatshirt over the edge. The room shrank. He was leaving it up to her what to do. She could turn and try to run or she could put on her sweatshirt and finish the game. The answer seemed obvious. If she ran, he would catch her and Eric would kill her. End of game. Now was not the time to escape. She was back to playing the lame coward card.
Relaxing as much as she could, she walked to the pool table and grabbed her sweatshirt. Jesse folded his arms and smiled. “I think it’s your turn.”
“No, it was yours.” She put her sweatshirt over her head, surprised to see him closer when she pulled it down.
“The hood’s all twisted.” Reaching around her, he pulled the heavy material straight. “There’s something about you,” he whispered, lowering his arms to her waist, squeezing her softly. “So innocent. I love that about you.”
He looked into her eyes, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth. She thought she might panic, but she was relaxed. He might mean freedom if she saw this through. She would use him to her own advantage if she could keep her courage long enough. Stay focused.
“Are you alright?” he asked, still pressing her to him. She could feel his heartbeat now. She remembered crying on his shoulder weeks ago, how her tears had soaked his shirt. There were no tears now.
“I’m okay,” she said, unable to tear her focus from him.
“Something’s different. Tell me.” The stern look came back into his eyes. His hold on her tightened.
“I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice like a foreign thing in her throat. “Every time you touch me it’s not as ... scary as before.”
His expression relaxed as he released her. Coldness enveloped her and she shivered.
“I’m a nice guy,” he said and chuckled. “Just like Eric— you should give me a chance.” He turned and picked up his cue stick. “Let’s finish.”
THAT NIGHT Naomi buried herself under the covers and thought about the balcony and the trees she might be able to climb to escape. She thought about Jesse’s arms around her and how guilty he had made her feel for looking outside. It didn’t seem fair how he pushed her emotions around like the balls on the pool table. At the same time it was a familiar situation, one she could sink into and forget everything else. She liked that feeling. It was what had made her cling so tightly to Brad, the reason she still ached for him when she was falling asleep. She always cried before sleep took over, but she did it quietly enough that nobody would hear. She didn’t want them to think she was too unhappy in case it might upset Eric and put him on edge.
Burying her face in her pillow, she let the tears come. Pathetic. Weak. It was what she was and she couldn’t back away from it no matter how hard she tried. Her eyes drooped, but just as she started to drift away, the locks on the door turned. Great. Evelyn was coming to look at her again.
She tried to relax, sinking as far under the covers as she could. Why did they have to do this? It was creepy. Evelyn saw her all the time now, so it didn’t make sense that she would sneak in at night anymore. This time something was off. The footsteps were different. Then she smelled him, that familiar, spicy scent of his cologne. Jesse.
She froze.
What was he doing here? For a moment she thought about sitting up to ask him, but before she could decide what to do, she felt his hand brush her wet cheek. She looked up and his eyes fastened on hers.
“Are you alright?”
Realizing she must have made more noise than she thought, she blushed and backed away. She didn’t know what to say. More tears came and she couldn’t stop them. She curled into a ball and turned on her side so her back was to him. She didn’t want him to see her like this. He had already seen her cry too much.
“Please go away,” she mumbled.
“No, I won’t do that.”
Before she could stop him, she felt his weight on the bed beside her. He stayed on top of the covers and wrapped an arm around her, pressing his chest to her back.
The world stood still. Her heart made a whooshing sound in her head as she waited for him to do something else—touch her wrong, put his lips to her neck, anything. He didn’t. Minutes ticked by. She relaxed as his warmth seeped through the blankets and slid around her. Her tears stopped.
“I’ll stay until you’re asleep,” he whispered, keeping his breath away from her skin, his arm around her only tense enough to make her feel secure. “Then I’ll leave. You don’t have to worry about anything. I just want to be here for you.”
Against a million warning bells going off in her head, she believed him.
X
May
NAOMI PULLED THE CURVED MASCARA wand through her eyelashes. She hated her eyelashes. They were thin and brittle, light brown and practically invisible. She had worn makeup since she was thirteen. Her last nanny, Patricia, had helped pick out her first makeup during a trip to the mall. She drove Naomi to the department store, showed her the most expensive name-brand makeup in the display, and sat her down on a tall stool where excited women in pressed white shirts and five-inch heels showed her how to apply the makeup to make herself look older.
It was all very glamorous and very stupid. She was excited to try to attract boys like the rest of the girls in school, but even with the makeup nobody looked twice at her. She was too shy and timid and soon gave up until Brad started talking to her in history class the day she turned fourteen.
Now she was eighteen. Today, the first day she had worn makeup in three months, was her birthday. She knew only because Evelyn had told her the makeup was a gift for turning eighteen today. She didn’t ask how they knew it was her birthday. It didn’t feel like her birthday. It didn’t feel like anything. She looked down at the beautiful case full of eye shadow, blush, and lip gloss. It was new. Everything they gave her was new.
A knock on the bathroom door made her jump.
“You in there, sweetheart?” Evelyn asked.
Nobody had ever called her sweetheart before. She wasn’t sure if she liked it or hated it. There wasn’t anything to hate about Evelyn, except that she was a freaking kidnapper. Still, she had never directly done anything to hurt Naomi. None of them had lately.
“Yes, I’m in here,” she said and cleared her throat. “I’m putting on the makeup you gave me.”
“That’s wonderful. Can I see?”
“Sure.”
She unlocked the door and turned the handle. Evelyn stepped in, smiling. She had a book tucked under her arm. It looked like a fantasy, but Naomi couldn’t see the title.
“You look perfect!”
Naomi pulled out an angled eye shadow brush. “I don’t know why you say that. I’m not going anywhere. Why did you even give me this?”
“I told you—for your birthday. That, and I know you want to look nice for tonight.”
“What’s so special about tonight? I’m not going anywhere.” She swept the brush across a shade of light brown and b
egan applying it to her eyelids. She looked at Evelyn. “Am I?”
Evelyn laughed. She was wearing a deep purple sweater. She looked good in purple. It made her skin luminous. “We’re letting you go out into the backyard,” she said with a sly smile. “I thought you’d want to look nice for Jesse. We know you have feelings for him.”
Naomi struggled to keep her lips from turning up into a smile. Her plan was working. Maybe she wasn’t so much of a coward after all. She remembered the night Jesse had held her while she fell asleep. He had told her she didn’t have to worry about anything, and he had been right. He had only wanted to comfort her. She finished her right eye and moved on to the left. “I think he’s nice,” she said, shrugging.
It was true. He was very nice, but it was more than that. She liked the crispness of his shirts over his muscled chest, the way he tied his shoes in perfect bows. He had the warmest smile of anyone she knew, and every minute she spent with him was beginning to feel more relaxed. Those things made it easier to pretend she was falling in love with him. She was sure it was what they wanted. She would twist their game to her own needs. She imagined Brad’s face. She could almost feel his arms around her again. He must be missing her like crazy. But in a way, that thought seemed shallow.
Then she realized what Evelyn had said. She dropped the makeup brush and it clattered across the counter. “Did you just say you’re going to let me into the backyard?”
“Yes, I did.” Evelyn laughed and set down her book to pick up the brush. She ran her finger across the bristles. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes!” Her heart beat so fast she thought it might burst. She would give anything to breathe fresh air. None of them ever opened any windows. They seemed nervous that she might start screaming for help in hopes someone would hear her. She just might.
“Calm down, sweetie.” Evelyn handed her the makeup brush and Naomi glanced at the book on the counter. It was something she didn’t recognize, but definitely fantasy. Why did Evelyn have to be so cool? Was cool the right word? It was just that she loved yoga and good food and reading. She was beautiful and nice. Why did she have to be a criminal?
“It’s only the backyard,” Evelyn said. “It’s entirely fenced in, and if you make any move to scream or run, Eric will—”
“I know.” She looked down. “I know.”
“Eric’s going to grill some steaks when he gets home. The weather is finally nice enough, and I know how much you’ve been dying to get outside. This is the closest we can give you. I hope you understand.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She reached up to sweep a lock of hair from Naomi’s forehead. “Are you alright?”
“What do you mean?” She held her breath and stared at Evelyn’s reflection in the mirror, at her perfect hair and clothes, at the scar beneath her makeup.
“It’s your birthday. Aren’t you upset at all? Memories and everything?”
Naomi tensed and took a step back, closing her eyes. Her life was this house now. She read books Jesse let her choose from the den. She slept and ate and pretended to know nothing about pool so Jesse could keep teaching her how to play. She stared out the window and watched the elderly neighbors take walks with their little white poodles. If the house was empty, she screamed at them, but no amount of noise ever made them look up.
“I’m fine,” she said as a lump formed in her throat. “I’m definitely fine. My mom and dad never did anything for me on my birthdays, and Brad—”
She lowered her eyes to the makeup palette. The colors blurred. Brad always gave her roses on her birthday. She had dried them all and kept them hanging upside down in her closet. Sometimes she found dusty petals on the floor.
“I’m fine,” she repeated as she straightened her shirt with trembling hands. “Really.”
“Uh-huh.” Evelyn folded her arms again. “I don’t believe you. There are always tear-stains on your pillow cases. You cry every night and don’t let us hear it. Why? Why are you hiding all your pain from us? We want to help you.”
What the hell? Were they completely stupid? They were kidnappers. She tensed the muscles in her arms and then relaxed them as she counted to twenty. She reminded herself that Evelyn wanted her here probably more than anyone.
“If you want to help me, then let me go.” She opened her eyes and glared at Evelyn. “I didn’t see anything in that parking lot. I don’t even know your last names. How can I lead the cops here? I’ll deny everything, I promise.” She took a deep, shaky breath. So much for building up trust. She was the completely stupid one.
Evelyn’s jaw tightened. She blinked fast and snatched her book from the counter. “I’ve got to go to the grocery store. Eric will come up to get you in a few hours.”
ERIC CAME home early. Naomi heard the garage door open and slid off the bed to see the black sedan pull into the garage. It was only three o’clock. He had never come home early before. She had tried to figure out what they did for work, but could only guess Evelyn was a hairstylist and Jesse was an architect who worked for Steve. The two were constantly talking at the dinner table about projects and companies who outbid them. That at least explained the shelf of architecture books in the den and the reason Jesse sometimes buried his nose in books with titles like, Architecture: Space, Form and Order, and Building Codes Illustrated.
Footsteps approached her door. She moved away from the window. Eric had never come into her bedroom before. He unfastened the locks and stepped inside, still wearing his suit and a chocolate-colored silk tie that made his eyes stand out. They were bright today. She backed up until she reached the bed.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, stopping halfway across the room. “Are you alright?”
“Sure.” An obvious lie since her mouth was dry and her hands were trembling. She didn’t know why.
He crossed the rest of the room and stopped in front of her. “You look like you think I’m going to hurt you. I thought we were past that stage.”
She stared at the floor. “I’m sorry.”
“Look at me.”
She obeyed. He must have nicked himself while shaving that morning. She stared at the tiny spot of dried blood on his jaw and wondered if he would notice it later and get angry that he had gone the whole day with it there. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out what she quickly recognized as her diamond earrings. Her heart skipped a beat.
“I know it’s your birthday today,” he said, looking down at the earrings. “These aren’t a gift or anything, but I thought you should have them back.” He reached out to take her hand. His touch was gentle as he tipped the earrings into her palm. “They must mean a lot to you.”
Her entire body ached when she looked at them sparkling against her skin. “I guess they should,” she said softly, and bit her lip against the tears stinging the corners of her eyes.
Eric let go of her hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you’d be happy to have them back. Evie told me you’ve been more concerned about your appearance lately. I thought—”
“No, no, it’s fine,” she stuttered, and turned away from him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but tell me why you’re upset.”
It was more of an order than a request. It reminded her of the time he had made her tell him she didn’t love Brad. She still didn’t know if she had lied about that. “My parents bought them for me.”
He folded his arms. “The earrings remind you of them? You miss them?”
She blinked in surprise. He didn’t get it. She couldn’t explain how she had felt that day in the jewelry store two days before Christmas. Her mother kept urging her to hurry up and choose something.
Squeezing the earrings even tighter in her hand, she focused on Eric. “I don’t think I miss them. These earrings, they remind me of—” She stopped and shook her head, unable to go on.
“How much they don’t love you?”
He waited for her to answer, but she had n
othing to say. How did he know that? She remembered choosing the earrings as fast as she could, and as soon as the jeweler put them in a box and handed her mother the receipt, it was over. Her parents were late for a company party. They asked if she could walk home since it was only a few blocks away. She nodded and left the store, the box clutched tightly in her hand.
“It must be true,” Eric said. “You have a right to be upset about a lot of things. But I think your parents ... I think when you feel that way, it’s ....”
She had never seen him so hesitant before, stammering his words. Finally, he looked her in the eyes and unfolded his arms. “Let’s just say I understand.”
She doubted he did, but nodded anyway.
“You don’t have to wear them,” he continued. “I thought you might want to, but that’s not the reason I’m giving them back. It was impossible to sell them with the rest of the jewelry that we—”
His eyes widened in surprise at the slip.
The pieces came together. The jewelry store. How had she not figured it out before? They had robbed the jewelry store! The very one where she had chosen the earrings now squeezed tightly in her hand. She always passed by it on her way home from Brad’s. It was part of a strip mall and the only business worth robbing in that area. Eric had mentioned something about gold in the motel room when she was drifting off. It was the only explanation.
She tried to hide the horror spreading across her face, but Eric didn’t miss a thing. He blinked away a surge of anger and stepped forward. “You honestly didn’t see anything that night, did you?”
She shook her head, no longer feeling the need to cry, but to scream. He had kidnapped her to keep her quiet about a bunch of jewelry? Could anything be more stupid? She lunged forward with a raised, clenched fist aimed at his chest. She wanted to pound him until he was nothing but a bloody pulp.
Her fist smashed against his hard chest and she raised it again for another blow, but he grabbed her wrist and yanked her close. His eyes were dark. His jaw clenched. For some reason all she could do was stare at that spot of dried blood on his jaw. He smelled like cologne and garlic. He always smelled like garlic.
The Breakaway Page 8
