30
“Wait, you met someone in Paris?” Kenzie’s mouth drops open as a beaming smile forms on her face.
“I didn’t just meet him Kenzie, we’re—old friends,” I smile back at her and she bites her bottom lip.
“When will you see him again?” she asks, pouring coffee into a small plastic cup.
“He’s flying out at the end of the week,” I swallow hard as she almost drops the coffee. I laugh as I take it from her and hand it to the customer who’s waiting at the counter. “Here you go,” I smile as they take the coffee and walk out of the coffeehouse. When I turn back round Kenzie is leaning up against the counter with her arms crossed, shaking her head.
“I’m not buying this. You run into an old friend in Paris and then you come back all—in love.” She bites her bottom lip to hold back a smirk.
“I guess.” I laugh, shrugging my shoulders and making my way to the back of the coffeehouse. I whip out my phone and grin from ear to ear as I see a text from Xavier.
Truth is I never wanted to be with someone as badly as I want to be with him. When he’s in my life my stomach doesn’t fill with random anxious thoughts, my heart rate doesn’t quicken for no apparent reason. As a matter of fact, it slows down because I know I’m safe. Calmness fills me now; it rushes through my veins. I reach for the lotus necklace and smile. After everything that we’ve been through he has been the one that has reminded me how to breathe when I forgot how.
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The next morning, I sit in my room reading a book that I grabbed from Xavier’s collection in Paris. Being back to this normal and uneventful life has me appreciative, but now it also has me longing for more. With him.
Paris was beautiful. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about moving there. Logan and Jess are doing their own thing and they should be, being a newly married couple and all.
I hear a faint knock on my door and I look up to see my mother peeking her head through the door. “Hey sweetie,” she says, making her way into my room. I bookmark my page as I sit up on the edge of my bed. She’s got something in her hand, but I can’t tell what it is.
“Honey—we received this from Grace’s parents shortly after you were taken.” She hands me a photograph of the three of us. It was that night; the night I was taken. My eyes instantly blur. I don’t remember this photo being taken of us.
After being back home I did more research on the type of drug I was poisoned with. Being that Xavier used what he thought was the same one, I don’t think it was because I remember clear-as-day Xavier and I’s last conversation that night, but I remember nothing from the entire night I was taken. I have yet to figure out why that is.
I look at the photo of Alex’s arms draped over Grace and me. Her smile looks so genuine which makes it all the worse. “I’m sorry honey.” I feel my mother’s hand on my shoulder. Tears stroll down my face as I stare at innocent Grace. “I’m sorry too,” I say, holding the photo to my chest. “I’ll let you get ready for work,” she says, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
As soon as the door shuts behind my mother I look at the photo again, however this time I scan the crowd of people that surround us in the photo. It feels like having dementia, seeing a photo of yourself but not remembering anything about it. My mouth drops open as I stare at a familiar man mixed in the crowd. Not just any man either.
It’s Declan.
He’s on the phone looking directly at the camera. His expression tells me he didn’t want his photo taken. Why didn’t he tell me he was at the club that night? My heart pounds hard against my chest as I remember the afternoon of that day. Logan was over-talking to my parents as the girls and I hung out upstairs. I remember him mentioning that he and Declan were going somewhere that day together, but I don’t remember where, honestly I didn’t care. I immediately grab my phone and dial Logan’s number.
“Hello,” he says out of breath.
“What are you doing?” I ask, hoping he doesn’t say anything inappropriate.
“Working out, what's up?” he says and I roll my eyes.
“The night I was taken, you told me earlier that day that you had plans. What were you doing?” I say, trying to not sound too suspicious.
“Oh yeah, uh—Declan and I were supposed to go fishing I think, but he canceled at the last minute. Said something came up,” he says and my heart races quicker.
“Why?” he asks curiously.
“Just still trying to remember everything I can from that day I guess.” I lie.
“Lina you need to stop, you’re safe—you’re home. You’ve got to move on.” He says trying to help, but all it does is just piss me off even more that he doesn’t know the truth.
“You’re right,” I grit my teeth.
“Tell Jess I say hi. I gotta get ready for work, I’m closing tonight.” I say standing up and making my way towards my closet.
“Alright, love ya.”
“Love you too,” I say, hanging up the phone.
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Work has been long and stressful. Who knew making coffee could be one of the most criticism-filled jobs? Kenzie is gone, she’s out on a date with Joel, but she did say if it ended early she would help me close tonight. I check my watch, one minute until close. I make my way towards the front and lock the door then plop myself onto the leather couch feeling defeated. I pull out my phone and instantly smile as I see a few texts from Xavier. I press his name and it rings once.
“Hey you,” he says and I swear I can hear him smiling through the phone.
“Hi,” I bite my bottom lip grinning.
“How was work?” he asks, and I can hear him shuffling papers in the background.
“Long and hard,” I sigh.
“Kinda like me right now,” he jokes, but I’m too tired to laugh. I’m mentally drained from today. Declan has been occupying my mind. I know if I tell Xavier about the photo right now, it’ll just stress him out. I contemplate as I lay there hearing him sift through papers on whether I want to say anything or not.
“Um—” I try to say, but I pause as I hear a knock coming from the back door. “Hang on one second, Xavier,” I say standing up and making my way towards the back of the store. “Okay,” he says, still rustling through papers. It’s probably Kenzie.
The lock to the steel door always has stuck, so I put my phone into my back pocket as I use both of my hands to pry the door open.
“Hi Lina,” Declan stands in the doorway with a small pistol pointed at me. His white Audi is parked in the empty alley behind him. “Get in the car,” he demands.
My heart pounds against my chest as I feel his pistol against my back ushering me towards his car. “Declan? What are you doing?” I ask calmly, making my way towards his car. Smack! I feel his bony knuckles slam across my face as he shoves me inside. My eyes fill with helpless tears as I sit there in the passenger seat, terrified to move. Terrified to even breathe.
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Xavier
I see red. I heard her say his name. Everything in my office becomes fuzzy. I need to call Carl, but I also need to stay on the phone with her. I grab my office phone and dial as quickly as my fingers will allow.
“Sir?” Carl says on the other line.
“Carl where the fuck are you?!” I say helplessly into the phone.
After everything we’ve been through it can’t end like this. If it does, I won’t ever be able to recover from losing her again. I might as well put the gun to my head and pull the trigger myself if anything happens to her. I sprint out of my office and past everyone who stares at their computers. I run and run as fast as I can, but being on the other side of the world makes me feel powerless and vulnerable.
I eventually make my way outside and the streets of Paris become a blur as my eyes fill with tears. I can’t lose her again.
I can’t.