“I’m so sorry,” I heave, not far off collapsing. “I—”
“Where are you?” he asks, his voice weak, pure anguish tearing him apart. “Did Rhett see you?”
“No, I ran. Don’t worry about me. Get out—”
“Hold on, I’ll track your phone.”
“No! You need to run, he’ll kill you!”
I turn into a dark alleyway and hide behind an overflowing trash can. My connection to Alex clicks and crackles.
“Stay right where you are. I’m coming for you.”
“No! You—”
He cuts the call.
I redial immediately, but this time he doesn’t answer no matter how many times I try. And, even though it’s selfish, a small part of me cheers knowing he won’t leave me here alone. That he cares, even if only a little.
Cowering in the darkness, my chest hurts with the effort it took to flee. Tears no longer trail down my cheeks but fear lingers like something vile stuck to the back of my throat, complemented by the stench of trash, piss, and feces.
Deep breaths don’t calm me down. I freak out again every time I blink and see Aalyiah’s dead body on the stained floor.
Wind howls above, and every sound makes my skin break out in goosebumps, but I focus on the minutes moving forward in the right-hand corner of my cell screen until a car pulls up nearby. Doors open, close, and rushed footsteps beat closer.
“Hailey?” Alex stutters, his voice thick with tears.
All air leaves my lungs in a long gasp. I scramble off the ground, coming out from behind the trash can to find him a few steps away, his shoulders shaking, face wet.
“I’m so sorry,” I yelp, flinging myself into his arms. “I’m so sorry, Alex, I—”
“We don’t have time for this,” he snaps, shoving me away. “I’m taking you to your father.”
He drags me toward the car and almost throws me into the passenger seat. Once I’m secured in place, he slams the door and rounds the hood, his despair amplified when the headlights illuminate his face.
“Why are we going to see Dad? You need to run!” I shout once he’s in the driving seat.
“There’s nowhere I can hide from Rhett!” He bangs his hands against the steering wheel. “What the fuck were you doing at the warehouse?!” He shoves the car into gear, dropping the gas pedal all the way. “Why were you there?”
“Aalyiah told me to meet her there.”
He clamps his jaw shut, grinding his teeth, anger temporarily taking center stage and pushing his grief aside.
We’re flying at eighty miles an hour, the city a blur outside the windows. For the first time, I don’t mind the speed. I want to put as much distance between us and Rhett as quickly as possible.
“I was trying to protect you,” I whisper, yanking the seatbelt across my body. “You wouldn’t listen, so I stole Aalyiah’s number from your phone. I thought maybe you’d listen to her...”
“You told her about us?” He slams the brakes, slowing down for a traffic light. His head whips left and right quickly before he runs a red. “Did you say anything over the phone about me working for Vaughn?”
“N-no, I... I just told her you weren’t honest and asked if we could meet.”
He drags his hand down his face, swearing under his breath. “How the fuck did Rhett find out about me?”
“I don’t know... I peeked inside the warehouse to check the meeting wasn’t a trap and then Rhett’s car pulled up. I didn’t talk to Aalyiah. No one saw me. Rhett already knew about you when he arrived. He started screaming at Aalyiah.”
Did... did she suffer?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, fresh tears brimming in his eyes.
“No, she didn’t. It—” I blink my own tears away, twisting the seatbelt between my fingers. “It happened so fast...”
