Manage Me: A Vagabond Romance

by J. D. Fox

  "Dakota! Stop, you crazy bitch!" he yelled as he chased me toward the woods.

  The last place I wanted to be running was the forest, but I knew the path, and I knew the way out to the lighthouse. I thought if I could get enough distance between Cody and me, then I'd be able to lose him.

  I was much faster than Cody was. I did cardio on a daily basis and he barely ever went to the gym. But Cody was much taller than I was, and he stayed close to me as I ran away.

  "Cody, just leave me alone! You're being insane!" I yelled and continued down the path.

  "Oh, I'm insane? Did you seriously just say that to me? I'll show you crazy, Dakota. There's no way you're getting away from me."

  I took the split in the trail and then dove behind a tree in an effort to throw Cody off. I tried to calm my breathing, sitting as quietly as possible so he would run past me but he stopped running and started walking around the area. He came up my path and then back down the other way. He never got far enough away from me for me to feel like I was safe, though. I could still see him.

  It was starting to get dark, though, and I thought if I could just sit still long enough that it was dark, then I could run back to the hotel. But then Cody went and stood by the cross section of the path. He stood there and looked diligently back and forth through the forest until I felt his eyes settle in on where I was.

  He had found me.

  I jumped up and started running through the woods toward the lighthouse. I didn't have a plan other than to get as far away from him as possible and hope that someone might be at the lighthouse so I wouldn't be alone.

  "Dakota, just stop so we can talk," Cody yelled, in a tone that told me talking was not what he wanted to do.

  There was no way I was stopping. Cody wasn't himself. I could feel myself bleeding from the marks he'd left on my wrist. Suddenly, I remembered something that I'd pushed so far back into my brain that I'd completely forgotten it. I remembered running into Cody's high school girlfriend while we were out at dinner one time. She'd been nice to me, putting on a smile and saying hello, but then she leaned in and told me I should leave him. She told me he was dangerous.

  I'd laughed off the whole thing as her just being a hurt ex-girlfriend. Cody made her out to be some sort of crazy girl who had been obsessed with him. But as I ran away from him, terrified of what he might do to me if he caught me, that girl's warning took on a whole new meaning.

  Somehow I had to get away from him. All I could think was that he might seriously hurt me. He had flipped. He was crazy. And now I was running in the woods so far away from anyone hearing me that Cody could kill me and I might never be found.

  Panic was a terrible thing. It made me unable to think of a clear plan or a way out of this mess. All I knew was that I couldn't get down to the lighthouse. I had to figure out a way to turn around and get back to the hotel.

  Cody was getting tired, though, and I felt myself pulling farther and farther away from him as I approached the coast. The wind was picking up, and the sky was getting darker. Then I came up with a plan. If I could get far enough away from Cody, I would kick in that lighthouse door and make him believe I'd gone inside. When he went into the lighthouse, I would have plenty of time to run back up the hill and toward the hotel.

  This had to work. It was the only way I could get back to the hotel and away from Cody. I looked behind me and saw him stop to rest for a minute. He yelled something toward me, but I just turned around and kept running. I was at least a hundred yards ahead of him, and this was it; this was my only chance.

  Chapter 26

  Ryan

  "Everything okay?" Wendy asked as I paced back and forth at the front desk.

  An hour earlier I'd watched Dakota go into the restaurant to meet up with Cody. The scum had just let her wait there for him, showing up ten minutes late. I tried to keep working, but every other minute I found myself looking at the restaurant and hoping that Dakota was going to leave.

  She had to still have feelings for him if she was still in there eating with him after all this time. "Just a lot to do before we close up tonight," I said, avoiding what she really wanted to ask about.

  "Do you want me to go and check on them?" Wendy asked.

  "No. You're supposed to be having a romantic dinner. It'll be weird."

  She looked into the restaurant. "Did he say anything else about them?"

  "He said their wedding was really soon, and that he was excited to get her back," I admitted.

  "But what did she say?"

  "She said she broke it off with him and didn't want anything to do with him. But I haven't talked to her about it since he showed up. I want to keep my distance while he's here, in case he's really unstable and flips out. Now I'm feeling weird and insecure."

  "Don't. If she said it's over, I'd believe her. She seemed pretty freaked out by his presence."

  "I know...I can't get past it. I'm worried."

  I wanted to believe what Wendy was saying, but I was getting itchier and itchier as the evening wore on.

  "I don't know Dakota, but I've known guys like him. He lost control when he lost her. And he's playing a game trying to make you think he's still got her. If she really wanted to be with him, she would have come out and said it when she saw him there. She was not happy."

  "Well, it doesn't matter right now. I'll let them have their dinner, and I'll talk to her when it's over. If she wants to talk to me."

  "Why don't you go check on them? You can make sure their dinner is going well. You're the hotel manager. If you had any other couple paying for a meal during a rebrand, you'd be making an effort. Wouldn't you?"

  I laughed at her idea. It was a good one, and if it were a different customer, I certainly would have gone in there. But considering it was Dakota, it would look crazy for me to look in on her and her ex. No, I couldn't do it.

  "I don't think it's a good idea."

  "Then I'm going," Wendy said and stormed off toward the restaurant.

  "Fine," I hollered after her.

  It was probably better that she go do it anyway. I continued to nervously pace the front counter as I waited for Wendy to come back. She was barely gone for a minute when she motioned for me to come over.

  She looked panicked, and I dropped what I was doing to run over and see what was going on. The table where they'd been sitting was empty, with the water glasses and chairs flipped over. There were people looking afraid and confused, and the hostess looked like she was about to pass out.

  "Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

  "Everything seemed fine until she stood up to leave. He tried to keep her from leaving and caused a scuffle, but she went to the back exit, and he followed her. I was about to come get you guys."

  "Do you know what path they took?" Wendy asked.

  I went to the door, looking out into the dark. Dakota had common sense. She'd head for familiar ground.

  "I'm going to head for the lighthouse," I started walking.

  "I'll come with you," Wendy added. "Call Marco and have him watch the front desk," she said to the hostess.

  "I don't like this," I said, more to myself than to Wendy as we went down the path. "Something happened. I don't feel right."

  "It'll be okay. We'll find them." She tried to sound reassuring, but it sounded flat.

  It was getting dark out, and I really hoped that Dakota didn't go with that guy out onto the trail. All I could think about was what she and I had done while out in the woods, and I almost threw up at the thought of her being treated like that.

  A sense of urgency took over the farther I got from the hotel. My gut was telling me that Dakota was in trouble. My whole body was in an urgent race to find her and get her away from this guy. It was no longer a matter of letting her figure out her own life. Now, it was a matter of keeping her safe.

  At the split in the path, I hesitated for just a moment and then went down toward the lighthouse. If Dakota was out on the trail, I knew she would go where she was
most familiar.

  All I could think was that she had to be okay. If she was okay, everything would be okay.

  As I came up over the hill and saw the water and lighthouse, I could hear Dakota screaming. She was on the ground with Cody on top of her, trying to push him away. I was still too far away to do anything as I watched him swing back and slap her in the face.

  My mind had never gone quite as blank as it had then. I flew at them and pulled him off of her, pushing him up against the wall of the lighthouse and knocking him out with a quick punch. I knelt down at Dakota's side.

  "Ryan," she said with a bloodied lip and bruised cheek. She was sobbing.

  "Shhh, I'm here. You're okay," I said and lifted her into my arms and started walking back to the hotel. She continued to cry, horrible racking sobs that reached into me.

  "Shhhh. Rest. You're okay," I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back a little as I held her.

  I'd never seen a woman hit before. I definitely hadn't seen a woman that I cared about to be hit before. All I could think was that I hoped my punch had killed Cody. A part of me genuinely hoped he was dead. It wasn't a good thought, but it kept me going as I carried Dakota through the woods and back to the hotel.

  Wendy met us about halfway up the path.

  "Is she okay? Where's Cody?"

  "Call the police. He's down by the lighthouse," I said. "Take them down there. I hit him, and I think he's just unconscious, but we should call a paramedic. I'll be in our room. Send them up to me when they want to interview me."

  "Okay," she replied as I continued walking.

  "Don't go down there alone. Wait for the police," I ordered. "He's dangerous."

  She did as I asked and turned around to walk back to the hotel with us. I heard her on the phone with the police, and by the time we reached the hotel, there was an ambulance and several police cars waiting for us.

  Chapter 27

  Ryan

  Wendy took the officers down to find Cody while I sat and watched the paramedics examine Dakota. She looked okay. I mean, she had a bloodied lip and bruises on her face, but she looked like she was going to be alright. At least physically; I wasn't sure what sort of psychological damage that maniac had done to her.

  "I'm okay," Dakota mumbled as the paramedic cleaned her wound.

  "I think we need to bring you in and stitch this up at the hospital. Might be a good idea to get an x-ray of that wrist too."

  "No, I'm fine. Really," she said, still slurring her words a little.

  "Did you hit your head?" The paramedic asked.

  "I'm not sure. He knocked me over..."

  "Okay, we are going in," he said and motioned to his partner that they would be leaving and heading to the hospital. "Are you coming?" he asked me.

  "Yes," I said and looked to Dakota for confirmation that she was okay with it.

  She nodded her head and motioned for me to come in. I reached out and held her hand as the paramedic continued to apply pressure to her lip, so it stopped bleeding. I felt like I should have protected her. The guilt was eating at me, and the only thing I could do was be there and strong for her at that moment.

  I was terrified as we drove to the hospital. Worry took over as I watched her. She closed her eyes, and the EMT shook her to keep her awake.

  "I need you to stay awake, Dakota," he said.

  "I'm just tired. Can I please take a nap?" she asked, with continued slurred words.

  "No, I can't have you sleeping," he said. "Sir, can you try talking to her and keep her awake? If she has a concussion, she can't be sleeping. I need her alert."

  "Dakota, can you tell him about that day we met on the beach?"

  "Yes," she said with her eyes still closed. "He was a jerk," she smiled and opened her eyes a little. "But a really cute jerk."

  "I remember you looked amazing in your green bathing suit. I was trying to talk to you, and you kept shutting me down. I was really frustrated. Do you remember how Lauren and my brother were?"

  "Yes, they were cute together."

  She closed her eyes again, and I squeezed her hand to wake her up. The paramedic opened her eyes and flashed a light at her pupils. He was checking her vitals and continuing to take care of her as I tried to talk to her.

  "You were so excited to go to the palace of fine arts."

  "I loved it there! Can we go back, Ryan?"

  "Sure, babe. Whenever you want."

  As we pulled into the hospital emergency area, the paramedic took over and sort of pushed me out of the way as he prepared to take her out of the ambulance. She looked okay, but I still felt so out of control.

  They pulled her out of the ambulance and didn't wait for me as they hurried her inside. They pushed through some double doors that locked quickly behind her, leaving me in the lobby.

  "Someone will be out to talk to you in a minute," the driver said as he opened the door for a minute and then let it close.

  It was much longer than a minute. I paced the waiting room for over an hour worrying about Dakota and how she was doing. When the registration clerk came up to me to try and get information about her, I barely had anything.

  This woman, who I clearly had feelings for, was in the hospital and I didn't remember her last name. I knew it. I'd said it before. I'd written it down at the hostel, but my mind was blank as the clerk looked at me.

  "Gleason. Her last name is Gleason," I finally muttered.

  "Her address? Her next of kin?"

  "Her friend Lauren is staying at my hotel, I can call her and get her mom's number. Her mom lives in Ann Arbor. I don't remember the home number," I said, pathetically.

  "Give me the number, I'll call her," the woman said with a mixture of judgment and sympathy in her eyes.

  A few moments later a nurse appeared at the white double doors. She stood there looking around for a moment and then came toward me. She looked so serious. Her expression was glum, and for a moment I considered that Dakota wasn't doing as well as I thought she had been.

  "Ryan?" The nurse asked.

  "Yes, how is she? Can I see her? Is she okay?"

  "She's doing fine. She has a concussion and a fractured wrist. A little rest and she should be just fine. The doctor does recommend that she see a counselor. A traumatic event like this can cause real mental health issues. And don't push her for information; she'll talk about things when she needs to."

  "Did something else happen to her?" I asked, thinking that Cody had tried to sexually assault her. I instantly wished I'd just killed him outright. It would have been chalked up to defense. I could have gotten away with it.

  "I think I'll let her talk to you more about what happened, but I think I know what you're trying to ask, and he didn't assault her sexually. She feared for her life, though and that can trigger a lot in a woman. Just listen to your heart, and you'll do fine."

  "Okay, thank you," I said relieved to hear a little of the details. "Can I see her now?"

  "Yes, she asked for you. The doctor doesn't want her sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time. You'll need to wake her up and make sure she's alert, but then she can go back to sleep. That will just be for the first day. Then watch for these warning signs and bring her in if you have any concerns." She handed me some paperwork.

  I nodded my head in agreement and followed the nurse down the hallway to Dakota's room. My heart sank when I saw her lying in the bed with a bandage on her lip and her wrist in a cast. She was the cutest mess I'd ever seen.

  "Hi," she said opening her eyes and giving me a slight smile before the stitch in her lip pulled and made her wince.

  "I'm so glad you're okay," I sat next to her good hand, pulling it up to my lips and kissing her gently.

  She didn't reply and closed her eyes again to rest. I looked nervously at the nurse as she wrote down what time it was in a chart and then wrote down another time on a piece of paper for me.

  "Thirty minutes, then wake her up, make sure she can answer a question and then she can g
o back to sleep."

  "Okay," I replied.

  We stayed at the hospital for another two hours before she was released. Wendy came to pick us up and brought us back to the hotel where we were greeted by a couple of police officers. One had been to the hospital earlier, I remembered seeing her go into the double white doors but likely had been unable to get much information from Dakota during that time.

  "I'd like to bring her up to the room. Can we do this up there?" I asked as they approached us when we got out of the car.

  "Of course," the female officer replied before flashing a smile at Dakota. "I know it doesn't feel like it, but you're a very lucky young lady."

  I laughed a little at her comment. How was this lucky? She had a concussion, her wrist in a cast and she could barely walk because of bruises and soreness throughout her body. I didn't think Dakota felt lucky at all.

  "I know, thank you," Dakota replied.

  The confusion on my face must have been obvious because the female officer looked at me and nodded her head in agreement.

  "Things can always turn out worse," she said.

  That's when I got it. That was when I realized the real serious nature of what had just happened. If I hadn't arrived out in the woods when I did, what would Cody have done? Would he have killed her? Raped her? Kidnapped her? I have no idea what his plan was, but the officer was right...Dakota was lucky.

  Suddenly I had the realization that I knew nothing. I was in a situation that I'd never been in before with no real ability to support Dakota in the way she needed to be supported. This new feeling of inadequacy was overwhelming to me.

  My chest felt tight as I helped Dakota get on the elevator and we walked to her room. Lauren was waiting and instantly took Dakota from me, holding her close as she cried. I was out of place. I wasn't what she needed.

  Lauren helped Dakota, and the female officer went in to be with her. They shut the door and talked with the officer while I sat down at the dining table to speak with the male officer.

  "I don't know much. I just saw that the table was a mess, and as soon as I'd heard that they'd gone outside.