Bonus Chapter
Bonus Chapter
ISABELLE
Ethan’s Birthday
I sang along to the music Ethan had blaring through the entire first floor of his house while I watched him and some of his football teammates set up a game of beer pong on his parents’ dining table. Ethan’s birthday party was in full swing. Laughter and loud voices filled the large room along with the music, and the smell of beer permeated the air. Most of the people who had shown up were students from our school, but some I didn’t recognize and assumed they either came with those invited or were crashing. Even though I had been to a few parties now, I still found the scene somewhat intimidating. I loved Ethan, but he was a popular social butterfly. Eyes were always watching him, or people seemed to gravitate toward him, even more so when his best friends, Colt and Creed, were with him. I wasn’t exactly a shy person. I just didn’t feel the need to know and socialize with everyone. Which was why I couldn’t wait until Colt and Creed’s girlfriend, Shiloh, got here. She was just like her nickname, Shi. She didn’t like the attention of strangers. Just those she was close to, and I was happy to be one of those people. So when our popular boyfriends wanted to mingle, she and I would go off and do our own thing.
Feeling impatient for my best friend’s arrival, I reached to tap Colt’s shoulder. He was standing next to me watching the game play out while talking to another one of Ethan’s teammates. His head turned toward me. Seeing that I wanted to say something, he leaned down a little to listen.
“Have you heard from Shi and Creed?” I had to raise my voice over the music and chatter.
Ethan let out a woot! that drew everyone’s attention; he’d tossed the small Ping-Pong ball into one of the opposing team’s cups. Seeing Ethan having a good time on his birthday made us both smile.
“Creed texted me a while ago that they’d be on their way soon,” Colt replied, raising his voice as well.
Just as he finished saying that, a look of surprise made his brows lift a little and his hand went to his back pocket. “Speaking of,” I thought I heard him say as he pulled out his phone. For only a second, I could see the screen was lit up with an incoming call from Creed, but before Colt could answer, the call ended. As he swiped and tapped on his phone, his expression turned into a frown. Then he walked away.
Ethan noticed his friend moving past him. “Hey, where are you going?”
“I missed a call from Creed,” Colt said loudly. “I’m going somewhere quiet to call him back.”
Ethan returned his attention to the game. “Tell him and Shi they’re late!”
Colt nodded and weaved around people, heading outside.
Not long after he left, the urge to pee hit me. I’d had only one beer since the party started, but before that, while decorating and getting everything ready with Colt and Ethan, I’d had a few sodas.
I went over to Ethan and touched his shoulder. Despite the heated game he was playing, he wrapped an arm around my waist and gave me his full attention. “What’s up, beautiful?”
I pushed up to my toes so I could bring my mouth to his ear. “I have to pee. I’ll be right back.”
He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “Go use one of the bathrooms upstairs. It’ll be more private, and you won’t have to stand in a line.”
I nodded.
His hand moved down to my butt as he kissed me again. It wasn’t quick that time and it was getting passionate enough to make our surroundings disappear.
“It’s your turn, Ethan,” said Daniel, Ethan’s beer pong partner, bringing me back to reality.
Ethan broke our kiss but didn’t release me. He stared down at me with heat in his eyes. “Maybe I should come upstairs with you.”
I smiled up at him and pushed lightly on his chest. “Get back to your game. Your friends are waiting.”
He released me. “Be my partner for the next one?”
“Okay. Be right back,” I said before turning and walking away.
Upstairs was a lot quieter. It also seemed to be empty of people, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case for long. I’d gotten a few curious looks as I’d made my way up.
Walking down the hall that led to Ethan’s room, I heard a feminine giggle as I passed one of the guest rooms. I supposed it wasn’t as empty upstairs as I had thought. The moan that followed the giggle made me pause.
Are they…?
Another loud moan sounded on the other side of the door, making me snort as I tried to hold back my laugh.
“What’s so funny?” a voice asked.
Startled, I spun around, finding a man standing behind me. The first thing I noticed about him was that he was wearing a Desert Stone hoodie with the hood covering the top of his head and most of his forehead. The next thing was his dark eyes. I couldn’t look away from them. Not because they were beautiful, but because of how he was staring at me. The hair on the back of my neck rose and without thought I took a step back.
“N-nothing,” I forced out.
I didn’t know this man. I’d never seen him. He had to be in his forties. Which was a little old to be hanging out at this type of party.
Loud laughter traveled up from downstairs, making the man glance over his shoulder. As I took another step back, I looked past him toward the stairs, hoping someone was coming up here.
No one did.
The man turned back to face me and reached into the front pocket of his hoodie. “You’re Isabelle.”
It wasn’t phrased like a question. He knew who I was. I knew in my gut I wasn’t safe, but there was still this feeling of disbelief battling what I knew to be true.
He pulled his hand back out of his hoodie, and with it, a large knife. The moment the silver blade glinted in the hall light, all doubt disappeared. My heart began pounding as I took another step backward. Then another.
He stepped toward me.
I put up my shaking hands in front of me. “I don’t know what you want, but I will scream if you come any closer.”
A terrifying smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. “No one will hear you.”
Just as those words left his mouth, he lunged for me. Screaming, I spun and ran, hoping to make it to Ethan’s room.
I didn’t make it five feet before I was grabbed by my hair and yanked backward. I let out a yelp, but was cut off when my back slammed against the hall wall. The man shoved his forearm over my neck, choking me and holding me in place. I was so panicked at being trapped and unable to breathe that it didn’t register what it meant when his other arm reared back.
The sharp pain that exploded in my stomach took me over completely. It broke my fear enough to allow me to think rationally. I remembered he had a knife and he had just stabbed me with it. Because of his arm crushing my neck, I couldn’t look down to see or scream out in pain.
He pulled the knife away again. For only a second, I saw blood coating the blade from tip to hilt before he stabbed me again and again.
He’s killing me.
Oh, God, he’s killing me.
Suddenly his arm yanked away from my neck. I could feel myself falling and it wasn’t until my chest slammed into the carpet that I remembered how to breathe again. I gasped in a painful breath. I couldn’t breathe in deeply like I desperately wanted. Just enough to give me hope. I stared at Ethan’s room, telling myself that if I made it there, I would be okay.
Weakly, I pushed up from the carpet and got to my feet. The moment I did, pain suddenly sliced up my back. Crying out, I stumbled and caught myself against the wall.
Don’t stop!
Keep going!
Keeping a hand on the wall, I pushed forward toward Ethan’s room. My abdomen hurt so much, all I could do was press my hand there, hoping that would lessen it. I walked as fast as I could, knowing he was right behind me, enjoying my weak attempt to get away. I refused to look back or stop. The moment I made it to Ethan’s door, hope grew inside me. I removed my hand from my stomach to grab the doorknob because I was afraid I'd fall over if I took my other hand off the wall. Pushing the door open seemed to boost my strength and I ran through Ethan’s dark bedroom to his en suite.
As soon as I got into the bathroom, I grabbed the door and went to close it. I didn’t even bother to turn on the light. There wasn’t any time. Just as I was about to slam the door, it was shoved toward me, so forcefully it made me stumble back until my lower back hit the bathroom counter. The pain made my legs give out. The next thing I knew, I was face down on the ground. I faintly heard the bathroom door close before the light was flicked on. My upper arm was grabbed and I was flipped over. Lying on my back, I stared up at the man who was going to kill me.
My eyes blurred with tears. “Please,” I begged.
He knelt, straddling my hips. I closed my eyes, praying to die quickly. Scared of what he was going to do. Scared of the pain.
As the tip of his knife gently ran down my cheek, I knew my prayers would not be answered.