Chasing Desire

by Jennifer Domenico

  She pulls my blindfold from my eyes. When I look up I can’t believe who I see.

  “You? Why?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  I wake with a start and sit straight up in bed. It’s dark outside. I look over at the clock and see that it’s only three am. I walk into the bathroom and splash my face with cold water. My phone rings.

  “Are you okay?” Theresa asks.

  “Yes. I just woke up. Have you heard anything?”

  “You would already know if I had.”

  “Right.”

  “I saw your light come on so I called.”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Alright. I’m right outside if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.”

  The only thing I need she can’t give me. I need my girl. Walking out to the living room, I sit on the couch and turn on the television, hoping for some momentary distraction. It doesn’t work. My thoughts are consumed with Kenzie.

  Is she okay? Have they hurt her? Is she scared? I would do anything to get her back. Anything. I would sell my soul if the devil asked. I would give up everything I have. My money and position, this condo, even that fucking car. I just want her.

  I finally give in and let the tears fall down my face. I spent my life chasing women who meant nothing to me and as soon as I fall in love she is taken from me. How fair is that? I slam my fist down on the coffee table in pure anger. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her. I can’t stand the thought. I grab a sweatshirt and throw on some tennis shoes. I need to get out of this apartment.

  I walk downstairs and over to a surprised Theresa. “I’m going to the beach.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes, now.” I decide to run, to get all this extra energy off of me. When I get there, I collapse in the sand and I’m brought back to the night of Macy’s wedding when I lay here, heartbroken with loss. Staring out into the darkness of the ocean, I cry, silently, praying that if there is a god, he brings her back to me, unharmed. We don’t deserve this. She definitely doesn’t.

  I hear footsteps behind me and quickly wipe my face. Looking back, I see Theresa and she doesn’t look good.

  “Brayden,” she says softly. “We found something.”

  “Is she okay?” I jump to my feet.

  “We don’t know. The police found torn clothes and some evidence that she may have been harmed.”

  I can’t hear anything. Theresa is still talking, but she sounds a million years away from here.

  “Wait!” I put my hand up to make her stop talking. “Is she alive?”

  “I don’t know, Brayden. They found-”

  “Where did they find this stuff?”

  “At a barn in a deserted orchard. Someone called the police when they saw activity there. There’s been a struggle and some torn clothing was found that matches what Mackenzie was last wearing. There is also some blood.”

  “Blood?”

  “Yes, not much, though, so it’s hard to say what happened.”

  “But she’s not there?”

  “No, police went to check it out, but no one was there. People have been living in it. They found…” she stops suddenly.

  “What? They found what?”

  “Rope and tape. Food left over.”

  “So they took her somewhere else?”

  “Yes.” She takes my hand. “They are following the tire marks that are on the property and asking all the nearby store owners and neighbors if they saw anything suspicious.”

  I yank my hand away and bury my face. “They took her! Now what?”

  “We keep looking. Try to text her. Maybe she got away.”

  I pull out the phone and text.

  Me: Is Kenzie okay?

  There is no response as we walk back to Theresa’s car.

  Me: Whatever you are trying to do, you’ve accomplished it. If you wanted to scare me, you did. If you wanted to hurt me, you have. If you want to break my heart, it’s done. Please don’t hurt her. Please give her back.

  “I want to go to the barn,” I say.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I want to go to the barn,” I repeat.

  “Okay. We’ll go.”

  Once inside the car, Theresa turns it around and starts to drive to a part of town I’ve never been to before. I recognize nothing and imagine Kenzie wouldn’t either. When we get to the location, there are several police cars around and floodlights set up.

  I rush to go inside, but an officer grabs me. “You can’t go in there, sir. It’s a crime scene.”

  My heart plunges in my chest. “They have my girlfriend.”

  “Oh,” he says. “I’m sorry, Mr. James. But we can’t let you contaminate the scene. We’re looking for any evidence we can find. We’ll find her.”

  “You don’t think they killed her?” I ask, even though the words pain me. I see the look exchanged between him and Theresa.

  “I don’t know what happened yet, sir. It’s still early.”

  Theresa pulls me away. “We should go. There is nothing we can do here.”

  I nod, my body numb from the pain of missing her. The worst part of it is that I feel it’s all my fault. If she dies, I’ll never forgive myself.

  “I don’t understand,” I say. “Why would you do this?”

  “I told you I didn’t mean to.”

  “Has it been you all along? With the fake texts and the pictures. Was it you?”

  She nods and wipes a tear away. Her face and arms are bruised in several places. “I just wanted attention. Brayden never pays attention to me.”

  “What do I have to do with this?”

  “I knew he loved you. I could tell. When I figured out the two of you were together, at first, I thought he was dating you and the blond girl at the same time. I wanted him to be caught. He’s such a player.”

  “And?”

  “I saw him at the bar with his friend. I was going to follow him home and try to talk to him, but the other girl showed up.”

  “Stacey.”

  “Yes, Stacey. He didn’t want her to come in, but she forced her way in. I planned to catch them in the morning so I could send you pictures. I thought for sure you would dump him, but you surprised all of us.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Then you guys broke up and it was awesome. He was so sad and pathetic, but he still didn’t notice me. He went right back to the blond.”

  “No, he didn’t,” I say.

  “Yeah, you’re right, but I did everything I could to make it look like he did. I thought you were broken up for sure until the earthquake.”

  “Did you call and save us?”

  She nods. “Yeah.”

  Thank you doesn’t seem the right thing to say.

  “I thought my chance was Macy’s wedding, but it was so fucking obvious he wanted you. I just wanted to scream.” She balls her fist and hits herself in the stomach several times. “I just couldn’t get his attention away from you. No one could.”

  “So you took the pictures of us at the wedding?”

  “Yes. I didn’t know what you said, but I knew it wasn’t good since you took off.” She stands and paces around me. “Still, all he did was fucking pine for you!”

  “Are you in love with him?”

  “No.”

  “You sound like you are.”

  “I’m not!”

  “Then why are you doing this to me?”

  “Because! Brayden is a user. That’s all he does. He just takes and takes and he never gives anything back.”

  “What did he take from you?”

  She sits down on a chair across from me. “Lots of stuff.”

  “Like?”

  “When I got the job at Capella, I knew he worked there. I knew I would see him. He didn’t even recognize me. He sat next to me for four years and didn’t even remember me!”

  “Sat next to you where?”

  “High school. Back then, Brayden was exactly like he is now. A la
dies man, charming, too handsome for his own good. He targeted me freshman year and spent the next four years batting his eyelashes at me to get me to do his papers for him or let him copy my homework. Do you think he ever asked me how I was? Do you think he ever asked me out on a date?”

  “I’m guessing no.”

  “No. He wanted the cheerleaders and every popular, beautiful girl in school. The smart girl wasn’t good enough for him. He only paid attention to me when he wanted something for school.”

  “So you’ve been harboring resentment since high school?”

  “Do you know that we went to a dance together once?” She swings around for a moment like she is dancing to the memory. “I was so excited he asked. I thought I finally mattered. When we got there, he talked to his friends all night and when Bethany came in, I knew I was just there to make her jealous. I ended the evening getting a ride home with one of his pals, while he and Bethany went and did it on the beach. It’s not fair, Mackenzie. I’m pretty, too.”

  Okay, she’s seriously delusional.

  “Then he picks you. You are the cheerleader, the popular girl, the most beautiful girl in the school. Everything about you is perfect. No one could possibly compete. Not even Stacey and she was pretty.”

  “I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt you in high school.”

  “No, he just doesn’t care. I don’t matter to him.”

  “He considered you a friend. He told me.”

  “You didn’t. You were a bitch to me. You treated me like I was a piece of shit.”

  “That is your perception. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “At the wedding, I just got so angry when he dumped me off on Tony. I didn’t want to dance with him. I went there with Brayden, but where was he? Off chasing you around like some stupid puppy dog. I was so humiliated.” She turns and glares at me. “Again.”

  “I’m sorry that happened.”

  She ignores my comment and continues. “I had to get his attention.” She wipes away a tear. “I’m so sick of everything just falling into place for him. I wanted his life to be hard.”

  “So how did we end up here?”

  “I wanted to embarrass him. It didn’t work trying to break you up so I exposed you and no one cared. No one gave a shit at all.”

  “No.”

  “I thought I would follow you home and scare you. I wasn’t expecting my boyfriend to ram your car. When you lost control, we panicked and took you to my grandpa’s old barn. I had no idea he would try to hurt you. You have to believe me.”

  “I do. You helped me.”

  “He’s going to find me and he’s going to be so mad.”

  “Does he beat you?”

  “He didn’t before. I mean, I guess he’s always been a little controlling, but…” she pauses. “His drinking is out of control right now.”

  “Who is it?”

  She shakes her head. “I can’t tell you that. I’m in enough trouble. He doesn’t know about this place, though. No way.”

  “Where are we?”

  “A beach house.”

  “Whose?”

  “Mine.”

  “How do you have a beach house?”

  “It belongs to my family, okay?” She is losing her patience. She paces in front of the window, periodically looking outside. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Let me go.”

  She turns back and looks at me and I can tell she is debating her options. My phone buzzes in her pocket and she pulls it out and reads it.

  “He wants to know you’re okay.”

  “Tell him I am. It will calm him down and give you time to think.”

  “Yes, that’s a good idea.” She sends off a text. “I have to do something with you.”

  “Just let me go. Please. I know you didn’t mean for all this to happen.”

  She walks over to me and starts to put the blindfold back on.

  “No, please, don’t,” I plead.

  I feel her lips on mine again. “I’m sorry, Mackenzie. This is going to be hard, but I have no choice.”

  I read the words across the screen of my phone and my heart skips a beat. Oh my god, Kenzie! I rush downstairs looking for Theresa just as the sun starts to come up. I see her walking down the sidewalk with a cup of coffee.

  “Brayden! What’s happening?”

  “She’s alive and I have her location.”

  “What? How?”

  “I got a text.” I hand her the phone. “It says we can find her on Pacific Coast Highway.”

  “Get in the car,” she says.

  “We don’t know if it’s north or south, though.”

  “No, but let’s head north. That would make more sense given the location of the barn.”

  “Okay.” We drive and I look everywhere for Kenzie. Where could she be? Is she walking? Is she hurt? We drive for miles, turning up nothing. Theresa has already been on the phone with the police and they are looking, too. We start to turn back and try the other direction when I spot something on the side of the road. “What is that over there, Theresa?”

  She pulls the car onto the side of the road and we both get out, carefully approaching the small wood shed. I see a woman’s foot and rush towards her, but I’m not prepared for what I see. Every emotion I could have is taken over by only one- fear. She’s sitting slumped over, her clothes torn and her beautiful face bruised. She isn’t moving at all and I fear the worse.

  “Kenzie?”

  She gasps and sits up suddenly. “Brayden!”

  She’s alive! I pull her into my arms and rip off the blindfold. “Oh, Kenzie,” I smother her face in kisses. “Oh, babe, I was so scared. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.” I hold her and rock her in my arms. “I’m so sorry.”

  Kenzie sobs in my arms and I realize her wrists are tied together. Theresa joins us after pulling a knife out of her car, freeing Kenzie from her restraints. As soon as her arms are free, she throws her arms around my neck.

  “I’ll call the police,” Theresa says, walking away.

  I gently touch her swollen face. “Who did this to you?”

  “Sydney.”

  “What?”

  “Sydney,” she cries. “And a man. They took me from you.”

  “Did he do this to your face?”

  She nods and I pull her closer. I don’t want to know what else he did to her, but I have to ask.

  “Did he touch you?”

  “No,” she shakes her head. “Sydney wouldn’t let him.”

  “He tried?”

  “Yes,” she whispers.

  “Motherfucker,” I mumble. “Who was it?”

  “I don’t know. Sydney got us away from him. She’s afraid of him. He hit her. A lot.”

  I hear police cars and an ambulance arriving. “I’m here now and I’m never going to let you go again.”

  When a paramedic approaches us, he tries to lift Kenzie up, but she won’t let go of me. Her blouse is torn and there is blood all over her face. I’m filled with so much rage I don’t even know what to do with myself.

  “Babe, let them help you. We need to get you to a doctor.”

  “Don’t leave me,” she says.

  “I won’t. I’m right here.”

  We walk over to the ambulance and I hold her hand while they start checking her out. A female officer hands Kenzie a blanket to cover up with. I simply stare at her, barely believing she is here and she’s not hurt. Not badly, at least.

  An officer approaches. “We need to get a full statement from you, Miss Reed. I know this is a difficult time, but the sooner we can get some information the sooner we can find who did this to you.”

  “I’m fine. I want to tell you everything. Sydney is in a lot of danger.”

  “Who is Sydney?”

  “She’s the woman who caused all of this to happen.” She looks at me. “If her boyfriend finds her, I think he’s going to kill her.”

  “Okay, Miss Reed. Start with everything you remember.”

  W
e sit together in the back of the ambulance for over an hour as Mackenzie retells how she has spent the last two days since she went missing. She tells us about last night, how Sydney intervened and they took off. She tells us everything Sydney said to her and how she knows she got in over her head because of the man she is with.

  “Whether she meant to or not, she abducted you, ma’am. She is an accomplice and she admitted to criminal stalking charges.”

  “I know, but I think she needs help. You won’t be able to prosecute her if she’s dead.”

  “What do you know about the man?” the officer asks.

  “Nothing. He has facial hair, rough hands. He seemed like he might be overweight. He always spoke in a hoarse whisper. Sydney wouldn’t tell me his name.”

  “Do you think you know him?”

  She shakes her head. “No. He seemed familiar at first, but I couldn’t tell for sure.”

  “I have to ask you, ma’am. Did he sexually assault you?”

  I squeeze her hand as she shakes her head. “No, he wasn’t successful.”

  “You’re sure? Would it be easier if you were alone?” the officer asks.

  She looks at me and her eyes fill with tears. “No. I would tell you even if I knew it would tear your heart out.” She leans close and kisses my cheek. “Because I know you love me no matter what.”

  “That’s right,” I say softly.

  “He tried to do some things to me,” she says turning back to the police officer. “He tore my blouse and groped me, but Sydney hit him with something before he could go any further.”

  Every word that comes out of her mouth right now causes me to flinch. I can’t believe she had to go through this.

  “Thank you, Miss Reed. We’ll do everything we can to find them.”

  “Officer?” she says. “Just before she brought me here she said she had no choice. I thought she was going to hurt me, but as we drove she said she was going to leave me on the side of the road and make sure her boyfriend couldn’t hurt anyone else.”

  “Thank you.” He walks away and I pull Kenzie into my arms again.

  “I can’t believe I’m holding you right now,” I whisper into her hair. “I missed you so much. I was so scared. Were you?”

  “Yes. Not when I was alone with Sydney. Only when the man was there. I thought he was going to hurt me.”