Lee
Thank God. I have to run to the field for a bit, but I’ll be right back. Please don’t leave if I’m not here.
I had this poor man running scared. Mom was right; fleeing wasn’t the answer, and it wasn’t fair.
I may have shed more than my share of tears for Leeover the years, but he’d never meant to hurt me or even had the slightest inkling that he was doing it. What I’d done today was like punishing him for his past, a past that had punished him more than he’d ever deserved.
He loved me. A day ago, that had been plenty and, in the end, all that really mattered. Competitions fueled by fear wouldn’t do either of us any good, but a long, very overdue talk would.
Lee’s car was still gone when I pulled up to the house. Where would I even start when he got back?
Remember that second night of grief group, when I said something and made you laugh? Well, I fell in love with you at that exact moment and have handled it extremely poorly ever since.
I started up the stairs, rehearsing my speech as I searched for my keys. Right after the lock clicked, something pushed me from behind hard enough for me to fall inside on the wooden floor next to the front door.
I broke my fall on my hands but scraped my knee. I turned my head to see what had made me fall and found Zach locking the door behind us.
“Zach? What the hell are you doing here?”
“Stella, please. You have to help me.”
“Help you?” I stood from the floor, my legs shaking as my heart pounded in my ears. I’d never been afraid of Zach, even after he’d punched me. But I’d never seen him like this. He bounced back and forth on his feet, darting his eyes from me to the windows like a caged rat.
“How did you even find me?”
“Rodney did. He said he recognized you from the Brooklyn Bats’ page. Some party or whatever.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “He actually lives in New York. I told him you’d give me enough money to get me back in thegame. I recognized the guy in the pictures, your friend or boyfriend now, whatever.” He shrugged. “I got his last name and looked up his address, drove out here, and waited for you.”
My mind raced as I tried to take in all that was happening. That creepy guy lived in New York, had seen me with Lee, now Zach was here trying to get more money from me, and they all knew where we lived. I hadn’t heard from the detective, so I’d assumed Zach hadn’t made bail.
“You came for nothing because I’m not giving you anything.”
“Come on!” he yelled, slamming the wall. “I know about that big savings account. I just need fifty thousand.”
“Are you out of your mind?” I screeched, trying to think. I tasted bile in the back of my throat at the thought of bringing Lee and Bennie into this.
I pulled out my phone to dial 9-1-1, and he slapped it out of my hand, onto the floor. When I dropped my gaze, I noticed the dirty knife in his hand.
His eyes bulged out as the house alarm went off. I hadn’t shut it off like I usually did when I walked in, and I had been too far into shock to hear the faint beeping. Lights flashed in and outside the house as it blared.
“Shut it off,” he grunted, grabbing a fistful of my hair. I pressed the numbers slowly, trying to give it time to get the attention of someone passing by. Diane dropping off muffins would be perfect right now, although I’d be afraid he’d hurt her too.
“Don’t make me do this. Just wire me the money, and your friend and his kid won’t get hurt.”
“How did you make bail?” I kept my eyes on his while searching for something I could grab to hit him with.
“The guys from the game did me a favor since you ran,”he sneered. He looked like hell, dark circles under his eyes, greasy hair, wrinkled and disheveled clothes. The Zach I’d thought I’d known was about designer everything, never a hair out of place.
This one looked like he hadn’t slept or bathed in days and had driven here straight from Ohio with no stops.
“After you stole from me and almost broke my nose. What the hell happened to you?”
This was the price I had to pay for being half invested in my life. I had to have missed huge red flags because I hadn’t cared enough to pay attention.
“Look, I don’t care if you were fucking this guy the whole time. Just give me what I need.”
I’d thought that punch was his rock-bottom desperation, but I’d been wrong about that too.
“Stella, are you okay in there?”
