23. One Day
Wire
Remmi Fontaine puts on a good front, but I can see the slight trembling of her hands as she climbs out of her car. She’s been sitting in her vehicle for the last fifteen minutes, watching every car and every person who gets in or out of them in the parking lot of Lil’ Bit Country Bar & Grill. When she sees a middle-aged couple get out of their car and head inside, Remmi gets out and goes in behind them.
Predators come in every size and color, and a middle-aged couple is no exception. Mind you, the couple walking arm in arm seems innocent enough, and I’m right here if anything goes awry, but Remmi doesn’t know that.
After I carried her out of the hangar that day, she’s become my obsession. I haven’t hidden myself from her and went to see her the day she decided to move back into her own place. She’s brave and left the safe haven of her parents’ house and a team of security guards to go home.
I parked at the edge of her property, and she was doing fine until the sun set, then suddenly, all the lights came on in her house and, from what I could see from her silhouette through the curtains, she was pacing back and forth.
That was when I made my first approach since that fateful day. I knocked loudly on the door and told her I was just outside. She yanked open the door and practically leapt into my arms. I held her until she fell asleep, then carried her back to her bed. I stayed until early morning, leaving her a note to tell her I was installing a security system for her peace of mind.
Remmi didn’t complain. I told her it was connected to the police station, and it is, but the first alert comes to me. Should anything go wrong, I’d make it to her faster than the cops. Even though the people responsible for her abduction are behind bars, the fear remains. I hate saying that this is normal, but unfortunately, it is.
Remmi and I talk every day. Today is no different, and when she told me she was going to her favorite haunt to rejoin the karaoke, I offered to go with her. She declined and said she had to do this on her own.
Obviously, I ignored her, so I’m here. After she goes inside, I find a seat in a dimly lit corner, away from her line of vision. Her friends are welcoming her back, but I see the hesitation in every move she makes. Remmi is constantly looking over her shoulder. I want to reassure her that she’s safe, but she needs to do this for herself.
She goes up on stage when her name is called. The entire place erupts with applause. She begins to sing Rain on Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, and the place goes quiet, the entire room focusing on her soulful chocolate-brown eyes. She’s beguiling. I’m clearly not the only one who thinks so. Nearby, a table of rowdy men are talking about my Remmi, and I’m not loving what they’re saying. Things are going to get ugly.
Songs, Artists
“Magic Man,” Stevie Nicks
“Creatures in Heaven,” Glass Animals
“Rain on Me,” Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
“Suddenly I See,” KT Tunstall
“Something Real,” Post Malone
“Falling Like the Stars,” James Arthur
“Bitter Sweet Love,” James Arthur
“Right from the Jump,” James Arthur and Kelly Clarkson
“I Had Some Help,” Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen
“Million Dollar Baby,” Tommy Richman
“Slow It Down,” Benson Boone
“Miles on It,” Kane Brown and Marshmello
“The Craving,” Twenty-One Pilots
“Feelslikeimfallinginlove,” Coldplay
“Belong Together,” Mark Ambor
“2 The Moon,” Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack
“I Am Not Okay,” Jelly Roll