I send him a text.
*I love you. I’m fixing to lie down, watch something and try to go to sleep. My stomach is hurting a bit.
That part isn’t a lie, but I know the reason as to why.
I wait around until he answers me back. Finally, my phone pings.
*I love you too, baby. Take your pills and get some rest. It could be all your nerves. I’ll message you later tomorrow. Be sure to lock the door.
I can’t help but roll my eyes. He knows that the doors stay locked.
*They are.
I turn onDo Not Disturb, hoping that if he happens to message me, he’ll think nothing of it.
Locking the door on the way out, I take one step at a time, taking in my surroundings and making sure the coast is clear before I head to the car.
I’m out of town faster than I thought possible, with a straight shot to the property. I keep the music loud and sing along, but when Taylor Swift’s Father Figure gets shuffled into the mix. My foot pushes the gas pedal harder and I’m screaming the words, driving without really thinking. My body on autopilot.
I don’t stop but drive straight to the house. My need to get the supplies and get back to the apartment makes my skin itch.
Pulling onto the dirt road, everything is dark. The only light is the headlights illuminating the dark night.
Slowly, I pass by the tree and send a kiss to Lauren. Turning off my headlights before I make it over the hill. The house is dark, and chills run over my body. I didn’t think this part through with having someone coming around and being out here, but I’m not turning back now.
“Fuck.” I know if I went through the doors, the alarms being disarmed, Luca could find out I was here. Hoping he doesn’t check the cameras for any reason, I keep my fingers crossed.
With the push of a button, the garage door opens, and I know my only option is sitting in the garage. It’ll have to make do.
Jumping out, not looking around, I run into the garage, pushing into a false section of the wall. Breathing a sigh of reliefwhen I see the two handguns on their mounts, bullets at the ready. “Thank you, Luca.” I grab both of them and the bullets before shutting it back, heading back out of the garage, but stop in my tracks when I spot the rope. An evil smile mars my face as I grab it.
Running to the car, I hop in and lock my doors before placing the guns, ammo, and rope on the seat, securing the garage door.
“Let’s hope I don’t get pulled over,” I murmur to the empty car, not having a way to explain this away. Because it’s a murder kit, plain and simple. Deciding to place the guns in the glove box, the ammo in the middle console, throwing the rope behind my seat. Turning the car around, I switch my headlights back on. Heading back out, my lights flash on something in the tree line. Hitting the brakes so hard that I bounce forward. My blood runs cold when I spot a person’s shape. I can’t see what they look like or hell if they're male or female, but we both watch the other. My hands squeeze the steering wheel before I punch the gas, hauling ass down the gravel driveway. The whole time, my eyes are jumping from the road to the woods, scared even though I’m in a moving car with it locked.
Skidding onto the paved highway, I speed as far away from the house as I can. My heart beats faster than it should be. Fright overtaking my bones. My eyes keep looking in the rearview mirror, making sure it’s still dark behind me, never taking my foot off the gas, and that’s when I notice it. The gas light is on.
“Not now,” I cry out, hitting the steering wheel. Knowing the next gas station is in about twelve miles and this stupid ass car is saying I only have ten miles left of gas.
I turn off the AC and roll the windows down. Does that even work on preserving gas? I don’t know, but the hell if I’m not going to do it. “Please, please. Please.” I repeat. As my finger tapsthe steering wheel, when all I want to do is pull my skin off of them.
After nine minutes, I finally see lights, and my stomach stops hurting. “Almost there, girl,” I coo to the car, needing her to still be good to me.
I haul ass into the gas station, stopping hard at the pump, jumping out, hurriedly filling the car up, all the while trying to calm my anxiety.
While I wait for the tank to fill up, I look to the open gas station, needing something to keep me up for the rest of the way back to the apartment, knowing the anxiety crash will be coming soon.
Topping off the tank, I replace the nozzle and return the gas cap before running into the station, grabbing an energy drink and Skittles. Impatient while the cashier takes his time ringing me up. Tapping my card on the card reader, I notice movement out of the corner of my eye outside. Looking, I see someone standing behind my car, their vehicle right behind mine.
“Ma’am? Ma’am.”
“Huh?” I mutter to the cashier.
“Do you want a…” I leave him speaking, grab my things, and walk outside, never taking my eyes off the man standing next to the car.
I maneuver my way so that the cashier can still see me, but when I glance back, his head is in his phone, not paying attention.
“It’s too late out here for you to be alone.” His voice is thick, as if he’s smoked his whole life.
