30. Sparrow
It’s been a perfect day. The laughter coming from the kids has settled the part of me that has felt broken for a long time. Of course, they have laughed and had enjoyment before, but this is different. It’s almost like their childhood is just now starting and experiencing life’s little wonders.
All because of a small-town county fair.
We just got off the Ferris wheel, our last ride of the day, and I can tell that the kids are fading fast. They have never had this much excitement in such a short amount of time that I think we can convince them to eat and leave. River has looked like he is about to jump out of his skin since we got here, Ace looks like he might vomit, ever since he went on the tilt-a-whirl with Telle twice. And King looks like he wants to murder anyone who crosses his path all day.
King and Loch just went to stand in line for food, while River takes Telle to the bathroom. I’m thinking I should have gone with them, because I’m doing the potty dance from my spot on the picnic table.
“C’mon, I have to go too,” Skye says from her spot next to me. Looking around, I don’t see Ace or Cam. Ace stepped away when a barely dressed woman called out to him, Cam had to step away to make a phone call. Jack must have gotten lost in the beer tent because I haven’t seen him in a while.
Deciding that King can’t get mad for going off on my own because Skye is coming with me, I tell her, “Alright, let’s go.”
Skye didn’t want to wait for the port-a-potties, saying that she needs more room to do her business, so we go to the small restroom the fairgrounds have and wait in line. By the time we make it into the two-stall restroom, it’s a miracle I haven’t gone in my shorts yet.
“God, did you feel like all you did was piss when you were pregnant?” Skye asks from the next stall.
“Girl, I was pregnant with two. One of them was always on my bladder,” I reply as I flush the toilet.
Hearing the bathroom door open, I smooth out my tank top before exiting the stall. What greets me is my own personal boogie man— Chad stands at the entrance of the bathroom, gun in hand and a sneer on his face. When we dated, he was objectively good looking: right about six feet tall, sandy blond hair, hazel eyes. The man standing before me looks like he probably doesn’t know the last time he took a shower; greasy hair, acne breakouts all over his face and his cheeks are sunken in.
“It was just a matter of time before those guard dogs took their eyes off of you,” Chad growls as he takes a few steps in my direction.
I need to get him away from Skye, I’m silently praying that she stays put in her stall. “Well, you found me, now what, asshole?” Should I be taunting him? Absolutely not. But I would rather Chad direct his anger at me, not at my best friend.
“Hmm. There’s so much I want to do to you. But I’m assuming we don’t have much time before one of your thugs comes looking for you.” Chad starts tapping the gun on his thigh, making me nervous.
“What you are going to do is pull your phone out of your pocket and throw it in the garbage. We are going to walk out of the bathroom and straight to the parking lot. You aren’t going to scream; you aren’t going to cause a scene. If you do, I’ll come back and shoot your pretty friend that I know is in here with you.”
Looking over at the stall Skye is in, I weigh my options. Skye should have her phone on her and should have already texted Cam. He could already be waiting outside, ready to save my ass.
“I don’t know what you are thinking about, but your time is up. Either come with me willingly, or I pull your friend out of there,” he waves the gun in Skye’s direction, “and her man will be down a girlfriend and a baby.”
Skye is just starting to show, it took her awhile for her stomach to pop. How does he know Skye is pregnant?
Taking a few steps, I stop when I hear Skye sniffle. “Tell them I love them, Jelly. Be the best Mom, I love you.”
“That’s enough!” Chad reaches for my arm, yanking me towards him. He leans in and sniffs my hair. “You smell so good, love.” Reaching the door, I pray that the men are on the other side. If not, I don’t think I will see them again; Chad won’t let me live this time.
“Nice and normal, Sparrow. Don’t make me hurt her,” Chad growls into my ear.
With a shaky hand I pull open the door, stomach dropping when I don’t see any of the guys waiting for us. Chad’s grip on my arms tightens as we walk toward the exit. Without him noticing, I’m trying to look around for anyone that I recognize.
Chad leads me to a beat-up pickup truck, opens up the driver side door, and shoves me across the bench seat to the passenger side. He reaches down and pulls out rope. He quickly ties the rope around my wrists and moves to my ankles. Once he is satisfied that I'm not going anywhere, Chad gets situated behind the steering wheel, starts the truck, and peels out of his spot.
I knew this was always a possibility, but I hate that it happened today. This was the perfect day; the kids’ smiles never left their faces. But now their perfect day is ruined. I hope they know how much I love them because I don’t know how I’ll make it back to them.