Chaos and Control(85)

I step back into my room and catch movement from the corner of my eye. Lightning flashes again, and the thunder a few seconds later rattles the walls. I turn toward the fluttering curtains and realize the window is open. I don’t remember leaving it open, but after the day I’ve had, I could have easily forgotten. Pushing the curtains apart, I gasp and stumble backward, tripping over my own feet and landing hard on my ass. There, on the windowsill, sits my broken snow globe from Niagara Falls.

“What the shit?” I say out loud. All the exhaustion is wiped away, and panic now seizes my body.

“Hey, baby. Miss me?”





Pushing boundaries takes everything Forcing my limits outside myself All in the name of seeing her Dirty stool, dirty bar

Fear shakes my hand in greeting And then, Wren is there

Soothing the mayhem

Stilling the impulses

A clean glass, a clean towel

A beer and a moment just for me Washed hands and secret smiles Attention to detail defines her love A kiss, a glance, a promise to stay Obsessed with the idea that I want her to - Preston





Chapter Twenty-Six


Codes and Keys


I turn to find Dylan leaned against my closed door. He looks rough. His blond hair is greasy and pushed back from his face. His clothes are dirty and wrinkled, like he’s been in them for days.

“No.” I scoot away from him, pressing myself to the wall. Dylan curls his fingers into fists and pushes off of the door.

“That’s a shame. I sure have missed you. You left without saying good-bye.”

He strolls across the room as I scramble to my feet. I hear music start up in Preston’s apartment—Death Cab for Cutie—and I glance at the wall dividing our rooms.

“I just needed to come home. I missed my sister,” I say, almost shouting so that Preston can hear me.

Dylan grabs my chin. His grimy fingers dig painfully into the flesh of my face.

“Lower your voice, or I’ll end you before your little boyfriend can even get here.”

Pulling my lips into my mouth, I bite down to keep from screaming. I deny my instinct to fight and keep quiet for now. I know that I can’t out muscle him, and I don’t want to endanger Bennie sleeping just down the hall. I’ll need to outsmart him.

“What do you want?” I ask, wrapping my hand around the flapping curtain, just to stay upright.

“Let’s start with the money you took,” he says, grunting when I pull my chin from his grasp.

“I have all your money. Plus more. Take it. It’s in an envelope in my bottom drawer.”

“Hmm.” Dylan leans in and places a kiss below my ear. He smells foul like sweat and cigarettes. “God, I miss you, baby. You taste so sweet. When I said you were mine, it wasn’t negotiable.”

He leans against me now, his weight pinning me to the wall.

“I just needed to come home, Dylan.” My voice wavers, but I try to stay strong.

“I saw you running around with that big guy. I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

“Dylan, please,” I whisper.

“Oh, there she is. There’s the little birdie I remember. You know I like it when you beg.”

Before I can turn away, he forces his lips against mine. His tongue darts out, parting my lips. I want to gag from the violation, but another part of me sees an opportunity. Without overthinking, I bite down on his invasive tongue as hard as I can. I taste blood, and he screams, pushing away from me, stumbling to the floor.

“You bitch!” he shouts.

I hear banging on Bennie’s apartment door. It must be Preston.

Dylan turns toward the sound, and I take advantage of the distraction. I throw one leg over the windowsill and climb through. I can hear his shouting following me, but don’t look back as I tiptoe to the edge of the roof. It looks like a long drop down to the sidewalk, but with Dylan coming through the window, I don’t have a choice. The sky lights up again, and I squeak out a surprised yelp.

I sit on the edge, flip onto my stomach and slide over, holding onto the ledge with my fingertips. When Dylan appears above me, all evil grin and bloody mouth, I let go. The drop is not as far as I thought, and I land on both feet, though something in my left ankle pops. It’s painful, but I push through it.

“Nowhere to hide in this town, Wren,” Dylan shouts. His voice is an eerie warning floating over me in the night sky.

I hobble as fast as possible away from the store, my boots coming in handy to help support my injured ankle. At this time of night, there is no one around, no porch lights on. I cut through yards and hurry down back alleys, zig-zagging through town. I keep moving, but constantly check behind me. I don’t see Dylan anywhere. The police station is on the other side town, and I don’t think I can outrun Dylan for that long. When my feet hit the grass of the park, I move faster toward the water tower. If I can get up there before he sees, he’ll never find me.

At the bottom of the ladder, the first drops of rain hit me. I pull myself up a couple of rungs, fighting through the throbbing pain. I’m halfway up when my foot slips. I hold in a scream as my hands grip the bar and my feet dangle below. I use all of my upper-body strength to hang on to that ladder and regain my footing.

I’m so close I can see the top now. I just have to make it to the platform, and then I’ll hide here until I can figure out what to do. The rain pings against the metal structure, and every time the thunder booms I feel it vibrate through my body.