I pull back, climbing off her body.
“What are you doing, Ben?” She pulls at the cuffs. “You said you wouldn’t leave me.”
“I lied,” I say softly, staring at her, willing my cock to go soft. Nothing about this is sexy, only the fact the girl I love is handcuffed to a bed… but the reasons aren’t desirable. “It tasted like poison. I’m sure I lied before, but it’s not in my nature to lie. I’m going to pay for it greatly, but the worst part is knowing you’ll never forgive me.” I grab my backpack. “Don’t worry. Youwon’t be trapped for long. Consider this the last few hours of being in a cage. Soon you’ll be free.”
“Ben. Don’t do this. Please,” she begs, pulling at the cuffs. “There has to be another way.”
“Maybe.” I shrug. “But not one I’m comfortable with.”
“I’ll never forgive you. Ever. You don’t get to trade your life for mine and then expect me to be grateful.”
“I don’t need your love, forgiveness, or your gratitude. Just knowing you’re safe will be enough for me.”
“I won’t be safe,” she snaps. “I’ll live dangerously and recklessly. I’ll drink and drive. Fuck everyone I meet. Shoot up heroin.”
I laugh, what a funny thought. “No, you won’t.”
“Yes. I will. Anything to make you pay.”
I shrug. “As long as you’re doing what you want for a change, I’ll be okay with it. Have fun,” I say, walking over and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I love you, Prue. You may never forgive me and that’s fine, but when I kill your ex, please take it as an act of love not abandonment.” I straighten up.
“Ben. Please.” She cries now. “Don’t do this. I’m begging you.”
I walk to the door. Knowing I have very little time to get to the airport if I don’t want to miss my flight back to LA.
“Now this is goodbye.” I open the door.
“Stop. Ben. Please,” she continues to beg. “I love you,” she blurts out, right before I’m about to step out.
I smile back at her.
“You’re way better at goodbyes.”
When the door shuts behind me, I stand frozen outside the room. My feet refuse to move. My heart is begging me to go back in there and beg for forgiveness in the form of countless orgasms and more self-mutilation.
But while I’ve spent most of my adult life being selfish, I’ve seemed to have adopted a hero complex since meeting Prue. Saving her is looking like a full-time job. The time clock will be the jail cell I’m going to be sentence to, but a job done well, is a job well done.
The flight back to LA takes less than two hours. So when I land, I know it’s just a matter of time before I’m putting a bullet in the head of Charles Davenport. If all goes well, that is.
There is a good chance he kills me first. I made sure to leave a small trail of breadcrumbs to let him know where he can find me. Laying out a trap, but I’m not entirely sure if he is getting caught or me.
I might have been making it seem like my plan is to kill him, and it is. But I failed to mention the part where my plan could cost me my life too.
Best case is I get to kill him. Worse case, he kills me and gets to rot behind bars instead of me. Either way works for me, so long as Prue gets to live a long and hopefully healthy life.
I have to admit her little threat to do more harm to herself than good almost had me, but I know her. She isn’t stupid. It was just her last attempt to get me to change my mind. Just like saying she loves me as I was leaving.
It was nice to hear it, but I don’t buy it for a second. She needs me, yes. At this time in her life, she needs someone to take her lashings and show her what freedom feels like. I’m verygrateful I got to be that person for her, but she was always going to out-grow me.
Lucky for us both, I’m sparing us that misery.
I know at this moment she is probably free of the shackles that trap her to the hotel bed and one step closer to whatever life she desires. She may pretend like that’s me, but it isn’t.
Wes meets me in the airport parking lot. He leans against his car, smoking a cigarette.
“I was half expecting Prue to be with you.”
“That wasn’t part of the plan.”
