Inhale, Exhale

by Sarah M. Ross

  As Grant wrapped his arms around me, I sighed contentedly. “Dream come true,” I whispered.

  “What’s that?”

  I shook my head and stepped out of his arms. “Nothing. Just thinking back.” The horn blasted again and I set the picture on the table. “C’mon, we should go.”

  After I locked the house behind me, we walked hand-in-hand down the stairs. The girls squee’d when they saw me. “Okay, tell us what was in the box. He’s been taunting us the whole car ride.”

  I looked up at Grant, smiling, and gave his hand a final squeeze before he slid into the driver’s seat and buckled in. “I’ll show you tomorrow.”

  Trish scoffed. “Well, at least tell us what it was!”

  “I’ll tell you this. It’s the best present I’ve ever received. Ever.”

  I left it at that, plugging in my iPod and tuning it to my favorite playlist, but Grant hit pause.

  “Hey, do you mind if someone else joins us tonight? It’s my friend JT. You probably remember him as the IT guy who drooled and probably tried to hit on you every time you saw him.”

  I laughed. “Of course he can come.”

  Grant turned away from my street and drove a few blocks, parking in front of a small green house with cream trim. As soon as the car stopped, the front door flew open, and JT stepped onto the porch.

  “Don’t wait up, Ma!” he yelled. “And I put my laundry by the washer for you. Don’t forget to iron my work shirts this time!”

  I rolled my eyes, but Ava and Trish couldn’t hold back their laughter.

  “Is this guy for real?”

  Grant sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. But he’s a great guy. Just has some growing up to do. Okay, a lot of growing up to do.”

  JT opened the back door and slid in, whistling as he looked at Trish and Ava. “Well, hello ladies! Aren’t you looking lovely tonight?” He threw an arm around Trish. “Lookin’ good enough to eat,” he teased, wagging his eyebrows at her.

  Trish laughed. “Wow, slow down, cowboy. Maybe you should start with introducing yourself before making sexual advances. Just a thought.”

  I turned to look at them in the backseat. To his credit, JT seemed to be blushing and embarrassed. “My sincerest apologies. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, beautiful lady. My name is JT, and I am a Pisces. I love daytime soap operas and chocolate truffles.”

  Trish stifled a giggle. “Well, JT, it’s fantastic to meet you. My name is Trish. I’m an Aries. I enjoy Texas Hold ‘Em, and peach pie.”

  She held out her hand, but instead of shaking it, he laid a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “See that, we’re practically besties. Now can I continue with the sexual advances?”

  He scooted another inch closer to Trish, who giggled, apparently enjoying his attentions. Grant rolled his eyes and began to open his mouth, but I stopped him with a hand on his knee.

  “Let him go,” I whispered. “Trust me, Trish will keep him in line. And she can give it as well as she can take it.”

  “Well, then,” JT chimed in. “I would love to see all this giving and taking later tonight.”

  Trish winked at him. “Let’s start with a drink first, okay, Pretty Boy?”

  Since Grant and JT were the only ones of age, we didn’t do much drinking, but we did dance the night away. We went to several different clubs that played everything from club mix to country and even one with reggae. I danced until I was sure I’d never walk again and my hair was plastered to me, soaked with sweat. My blisters even had blisters, but I was having so much fun, I didn’t want it to end.

  We finally made it home just after four in the morning. I was dead on my feet and ready to crash. I gave Grant a half-asleep kiss before crawling out of the car. Ava was snoring away in the backseat, and Trish was cuddled up with JT. They were a crazy duo, but somehow they were kinda perfect for each other.

  I put my head on Grant’s shoulder. “You sure you don’t wanna come in and sleep here? I promise to behave—just cuddling.”

  “Tempting, very tempting.” Grant whispered so he didn’t wake any of them. “But your parents are home, and I have to get these guys home.”

  “Eh, leave ‘em,” I teased. “Trust me, they’ve slept in worse. And Trish seems quite content right where she is.”

  “Good night, beautiful girl.”

  I gave him one final kiss. “Good night.”

  I stayed, watching him pull away before I headed inside my house, fighting off yet another yawn. I somehow had the sense to leave a note on the kitchen island letting my parents know I got in super late and to let me sleep in before making my way to my bedroom.

  I peeled out of my clothes, pulling on Grant’s crew T-shirt that I refused to give back before scrubbing off all my makeup with a warm washcloth. I finally climbed into bed, throwing the covers off my still-overheated body. I plugged my phone into the charger after I texted Grant to make sure he got home okay but never heard back.

  My eyelids were too heavy to keep open, and I drifted off to sleep.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Something cold and hard pressed against my cheek. My mattress dipped, as if someone had gotten in it with me. Was I dreaming? Fingers slowly danced up my spine, and panic swelled as whatever was pressed into my still-healing cheek began to dig in. This was no dream. My eyes popped open and I tried to sit up, but a firm hand on my back kept me down.

  “Guess it’s time to rise and shine, ain’t it, you stupid bitch?” The man’s voice was deep and raspy and full of hatred. I didn’t recognize it, and my head was shoved into the pillow so I couldn’t get a good look at him.

  I whimpered, paralyzed with fear. He only moved the object on my cheek further into my skin. It took me just a second to realize it was a gun. Someone was holding a gun to my face.

  My heartbeat quickened, and I began to shake. Where were my parents? Or Gamma?

  “Your boyfriend told us we’d find you here, and that you were the one who flushed my ten Gs down the toilet. Is that about right? But don’t worry, he won’t be tellin’ anyone much of anything from now on.”

  “I—I’m sorry,” I cried. “I panicked, and I’m so sorry.” Oh my God, he’s going to kill me. My pillow was wet with tears as I tried to think of a way out of this, but I couldn’t even move. Not with a gun pressed to my face.

  He yanked my head up by my hair and punched me in the face. Stars danced as my vision blurred, but he only laughed.

  “Well now, see, sorry ain’t gonna bring me back my money, is it? So now you and me got a problem.”

  I swallowed hard, but my lip wouldn’t stop quivering. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t kill me or rape me.”

  The man put more of his body weight on top of me, and I sucked in a breath. “I ain’t gonna kill you. How would I get my money back if I did that?” A large hand brushed aside the covers, running up my leg and grabbing my butt. “And trust me, as pretty as your little body is, anyone who would flush that much good weed and coke is probably such a tight ass that you’d be way too uptight for me in the sack. I like a woman who takes charge in the bedroom, and I’d have no fun if you just laid there like a preacher’s wife.”

  His hand let go of my butt, slapping it before he brushed my hair aside to whisper in my ear. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, afraid of what he might do next.

  “What I am gonna do is make sure I get my money back. And then some.”

  “I don’t have that much money.” I racked my brain, desperate to come up with a solution. My phone was too far away for me to reach. I had no idea what time it was, but the sun was out and no longer gleaming in my windows, so it had to be sometime after noon. My parents would be gone for hours still, and Gamma was out at her bridge club today. I knew Grant was supposed to come over at some point, but since we’d been out so late, I had no idea when.

  “Please, I have about four thousand dollars in a savings account. You can have it, all of it. And I’ll get you the rest, I swear. Just let me go. I won
’t tell anyone about this, honest.”

  “That just won’t do. I’m gonna need that money, and I’m gonna need it now.” He punched me again; this time it was a kidney shot. I howled in pain as tears poured out of my eyes, but he only punched me again. “And I’m pretty sure your mommy and daddy would pay a hefty price to get their youngest daughter back all in one piece.”

  He pushed off of me and moved the gun away. “Get up, you’re coming with me until your parents pay up. And I’m thinkin, they’ll need to pay for my pain and suffering too—with interest. Twenty-five grand oughta cover it.”

  I started to sit up like he told me to until the sound of the gun cocking stopped me in my tracks. “And face the wall. Don’t turn around or it’ll be the last thing you do, got it?”

  I nodded but stayed silent, turning my body toward the wall and crawling backward out of bed. My back howled in pain from his blows, but now was not the time to crumble. The best shot I had at surviving this was me. He’d already basically admitted he killed Christian, and I didn’t want to be next. I had to suck up the pain and come up with a plan, if not to escape, then at least to leave some clue for someone.

  I stood perfectly still and awaited further instructions, breathing in short, shallow breaths since it hurt too bad to take a deep one.

  He threw a pillow at me. “Take the case off and put it over your head.”

  This was my opportunity. If I could catch him off-guard and hit him with all my strength, I might be able to knock the gun out of his hand and get away. Mom and Dad’s room across the hall had a window that was right over the garage. If I could manage to get that far, I could jump down and run for help.

  It wasn’t a great plan, but it was the only one available. I remembered hearing the worst thing you could do was end up at a secondary location when you were kidnapped; your chances of survival dropped by like half if you did. I couldn’t let that happen. I saw no benefit of going calmly with this lunatic. My parents didn’t have twenty-five grand lying around, and if he couldn’t get his money back, he would have no use for me. I had to at least try this. It was my only option.

  I dug my fingers into the pillow he gave me for a better grip and turned my head slightly, just enough to get a glimpse of the vanity mirror in my peripheral vision. I could see the side profile of the man, in black jeans and a black hoodie pulled over his head, obscuring his face. A silver handgun was pointed at my back, making me shudder. I made no other movement and waited for my opportunity.

  “Um, can I have some pants?” I asked as innocently as I could. I still only wore the T-shirt I went to sleep in. “It might draw suspicion if someone were to see me wandering around without any bottoms.”

  He huffed. “Fine. But try anything, and I will shoot you.”

  I waited until he half turned, bending toward the pile of dirty clothes at the bottom of my closet. Now. I had to do this now. Using every ounce of my strength, I slammed the pillow down on his head, knocking him askew. He dropped the gun, trying to catch his balance with his hands. It went sliding beyond his reach or mine, but I knew it wasn’t good enough. I pulled my leg back and kicked him with the heel of my foot directly into his chest, knocking the wind out of him.

  I didn’t try for another blow. I needed to run. I pulled my bedroom door closed behind me as I sprinted for my parent’s room, thanking God above that the window was already open. I could hear heavy footsteps and knew I had only seconds before he caught me. I pushed the box fan out and ducked my body out of the window. I had one leg already out, ready to jump, when his thick hand grabbed my ankle. I screamed and tried to shake him off, but his grip was solid.

  “You cunt! You think you can steal from me and then get away with it? Bitch, you are gonna pay.”

  He tried to pull me back through the window, but he only had a grip with one hand. I tried to kick away, using my other foot to push off. But it slipped on a loose shingle, and my balance tottered. His nails dug into my skin, tearing it with deep gouges trying to hold on. I reached up, swiping at his arm and cheek, but gravity was stronger, and I went tumbling down.

  The right side of my body hit the garage roof hard, and I heard the distinct sound of ribs cracking. But my body didn’t stop there, and neither did the pain. I continued to roll until my body slid off of the roof and finally landed on the hard cement of the sidewalk. My leg landed first at an odd angle as white hot pain shot up my spine. My head hit next, bouncing with a hard thud. The last thing I remembered as I blacked out was the coppery taste of blood in my mouth and wondering how long it would take me to die.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  I awoke with a smile on my face, sun shining brightly through the blinds. I checked my phone but had no message from Jillian. She must still be sleeping, I thought. I yawned, stretching as I decided what I should do this morning. Since I didn’t get to bed until almost five, I didn’t feel guilty about sleeping in late and having a leisurely morning, going out for fresh bagels at my favorite little café a few blocks from my apartment. I took it and my coffee and decided to enjoy them on the roof deck of my apartment building. It was a perfect day out, and it seemed a shame to waste it indoors.

  I was spreading the veggie cream cheese on the last half of my poppy seed bagel when my cell phone rang.

  “Hello, is this Mr. Grant Hardwick?”

  I swallowed my bite and chugged a sip of coffee before answering. “Yes, this is he.”

  “Hello, Mr. Hardwick. This is Nikki Beck from Google, Inc. I’m calling in regard to the internship you applied for with our company.”

  I put the bagel down and sat up straight. Holy crap, I can’t believe this is happening. “Yes, I did apply several months ago. But they told me the internships were booked up for the next two years.”

  “Well, you’re in luck. We have an opening for the fall, and we’d like to fly you out here for an interview tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yes, we have a limited time frame for the interview process, and we would need to make a final decision no later than the end of the week. Is this a position you’d be interested in?”

  “Yes, absolutely.”

  “Wonderful. Mr. Hardwick, one thing we are concerned with is we see you currently reside in Georgia. You do understand this internship is in California and would require a year commitment. We have a partnership with Stanford, and with your GPA it shouldn’t be a problem transferring if you’re accepted for the internship.”

  I blew out a breath. I’d applied for the position back in March. I never thought they’d call me so soon. I thought I’d be on the waiting list for at least a year before getting an interview.

  Jillian’s face flashed through my mind. How was I going to break this to her? We were on the cusp of something amazing. What would happen if I got this position? But this was everything I’d always wanted. I had to at least try for it.

  “Mr. Hardwick? Are you still there?”

  “I’m here, sorry. I understand the requirements of the position. And yes, I very much look forward to the opportunity to interview with your company.”

  “Fantastic. I’ll set up your travel reservations and email you a confirmation. When you arrive, take a taxi from the airport to our headquarters and check in with Judy in reception. You’ll stay overnight and fly out the next morning.”

  “Great, I’ll see you then.”

  I hung up the phone and sat it back on the table next to my now-cold bagel. This was my dream interview at my dream company, so why wasn’t I as excited as I should be? I should be doing back flips, but instead my gut was twisting uncomfortably. It seemed like things were finally starting to work out between Jillian and me. Did I really want to give that up already?

  I was getting ahead of myself. I didn’t even have the position yet. I would go for the interview, and wait to see how it went. There was no use worrying about a future that wasn’t set. Surely Jillian would understand I had to go on the interview at least. I’d regret it forever if I didn’t.
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  I picked up my trash and headed back to my apartment to take a shower. Tonight I was going to have dinner with Jillian’s parents and grandmother for the first time, so before heading over to see her I needed to stop and get a haircut.

  I drove to the Super Cuts in the Target shopping plaza. There were only a few places to get a haircut in town: Super Cuts, Jimmy the Barber, the expensive salon over in the Brunswick Mall, or Ms. Patty’s Palace, where all the grandmothers from the Baptist church went to gossip all day.

  I chose the lesser of evils. The stylist, who I wasn’t even sure was out of high school yet, was in the middle of washing my hair when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I wasn’t in a position to answer, so I let it go to voicemail. Thirty second later, it buzzed again.

  “Hey, hold on a sec,” I told the girl, digging into my pocket for my phone, thinking it might be the girl from Google again. I slid the bar on the screen to answer without looking at the caller ID and put it to my ear, keeping my eyes closed so shampoo didn’t get in them.

  “Hey, I’m not really able to talk right now. Can I call you back in about a half hour or so?”

  “Grant? It’s Ava. You need to get to the hospital—now! There’s been some kind of accident.”

  I sat straight up, using the little towel tucked into the back of my neck to wipe my face. “What do you mean ‘some kind of accident?’ Where’s Jillian?”

  “Listen to me! That’s what I’m trying to tell you. A neighbor found her on the sidewalk. They think she fell off the roof, but I don’t know a lot of details yet.”

  I stood, peeling a few bills and throwing them at the stylist as I headed for my car. “What the hell happened?” I put the car in drive and flew through town, desperate to get to Jillian. “Why the hell would she be on the roof? It doesn’t make any sense!”

  I could hear Ava was crying, and then the phone was passed to someone else.