Fucking Tony. When will my family ever learn to stop meddling with my life?
“I’ll still do the counselling,” I say, but it comes out more like a plea. It was much safer when Daniel thought he had control over me. Now that he knows he doesn’t, I don’t know how he’ll try to regain that control. My stomach churns painfully at the possibilities that start playing through my mind like a horror movie.
“Now, now, Gianna. What did Ijustsay about lying?”
“I’m not lying,” I lie weakly. I’ll say anything to get Daniel out of my apartment. Agree to anything. “I’ll commit to the counselling, I promise.”
Daniel smiles, but it a twisted, mocking smile. When he lifts a hand to graze over my cheek, my body instinctivelyflexes away from him, the door handle digging painfully into my back as I strain to get away from his touch.
“You’re a fickle bitch, aren’t you, wife?” He says, grasping my chin. Having his hand so close to my throat makes my terror kick up infinitely. “I might have believed you, if you didn’t rush straight to your little boyfriends place after finding out the truth.”
He chuckles as his cold gaze sweeps over my shocked face. “What? You really think I wouldn’t be keeping an extra close eye on you since we made our arrangement?”
Of course he’s still having me followed, the asshole! It dawns on me that’s how he must have found me at the reunion, too. I was too swept up in thoughts of Zayn to realise.
“Now, here’s what’s going to happen,” he says, and I try to jerk my chin away, but he’s holding me too firmly. “You’re going to come home with me. I realise now I was too lenient letting you stay in the apartment. We no longer have need for counselling, I reckon we can hash out our issues ourselves, hm?”
His words are completely delusional, but he delivers them with a calm conviction that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“What are you going to do?” I retort, my voice straining with disbelief. “Lock me away in the house?”
Daniel doesn’t even hesitate. “If I have to. Until you realise that our home is where you belong.”
If I was scared before, the cold determination in Daniel’s voice now fills me with paralysing dread. He’s dead serious. He’s here to kidnap me.
“You can’t fucking do that!” I spit. My hands shake so hard I can barely make a fist. “I’ll call the police!” The words are out of my mouth before I can think them through, butfear starts to drive my every action. How long would it take for someone to realise I’m missing? A few days? A week?
My mum will think I’m going purposely AWOL again. Anna will think I’m having a shag-a-thon with Zayn after reuniting with him. Zayn thinks I fucking broke up with him.
What will Daniel do to me in that time?
“I don’t think you’ll be calling anyone, actually.” Daniel swipes my purse from under my arm, where my phone is tucked away inside. I have to swallow down the hysteria that climbs up my throat. “You’ll see eventually that this is for the best, Gia. Now let’s go.”
He releases my chin to grab a hold of my arm, and my body switches into fight-or-flight mode. I lift my knee and ram him as hard as I can between his legs, knowing I’ve got him good when he doubles over with a strangled groan, his face contorted with shock and pain as his hands fly to his groin. I freeze, but then knowing this is the only opportunity I’ll have to get away, I shove him back against wall then sprint for my bedroom door. I’m so fucking scared I can barely breathe. Adrenaline makes my legs move faster than my mind can process. I’m moving on instinct alone as I try to get as far from Daniel as possible, and I’m nearly past the threshold with no plan or idea what I’m going to do next when Daniel roars from behind me, “YOU FUCKING BITCH!”
Electricity skitters through my arms as I slam my bedroom door and turn the lock right before Daniel hurls into the other side.
I jump away from the door and wring my hands together so furiously my nails leave marks on my skin.What do I do? What the fuck do I do?
The lock won’t hold. Daniel can smash it open as easily as I can open a bottle. I start to whimper.
“Gia, open this fucking door now!”
The door handle rattles and my gaze darts around the dark room. There’s nowhere to go. If I hide, he’ll find me.
My eyes land on my chest of drawers and I waste no time rushing over and pulling on it, but it’s no use. It’s too heavy.
“Gia, if you don’t open this door right now I’m going to kick it down.”
My heart slams against my ribcage as I back up against my bed like a cornered animal.
“Daniel, please! Just leave me alone,” I cry at the door. Tears stream down my face and my vision blurs as mascara bleeds into my eyes. I try swiping the tears away with my fingers but they just keep coming.“Why are you doing this? Our marriage is over!”
“Open the door now.”
When I don’t, there’s a loud bang. He’s kicked the door. When the second kick comes, I run into the ensuite and lock that door as well.
He’ll get through them both. I’m only delaying the inevitable.
