Chapter 45
A Girls Day With Toby
Benji has been spotted, where is Dani? No one can find her! #NotAgain
I hook my arms through Sasha and Toby’s.
Today has been a much-needed besties day.
We made plans to go back to school shopping while the boys are at practice and Karen is working.
We've shopped until we've dropped, and now we need F-O-O-D!
Toby and Karen are a very hot item, still "unofficial," of course, as he’s scared to let go of his bad-boy image.
I roll my eyes. Why are boys like that?!
"Why are you rolling your eyes at me? It's too early for that, Dani."
"It's past noon! Please don't mess with me, Toby. I'm in period mode, and you're a douche."
Sasha laughs. "I don't know what you've done to get her riled up, but I agree. Yeah, you’re a total douche."
He dares to look affronted. I put my hand up. "Toby, you know I love you, but what's your deal? You need to seal the deal with Karen already."
Sasha squeals! "Yes! I ship you two so hard! Man up, Toby!"
He shakes his head. "It's complicated."
I look at Sasha and she looks at me. Both of us are waiting for him to explain the tea in further detail, but he shakes his head and says nothing else so I pinch his arm. "Can you be any vaguer, Dickwad?"
"Yes. Yes, I could, actually. Y'all stop being so nosey. If I need to talk about it, I will. I don't feel the need yet."
Sasha stomps her foot. "I am going to kick your ass! I'm not playing, Toby. Food court first. My treat. Then you spill."
He cocks an eyebrow. "And if I don't?"
She puts her hands on her hips, stomping her foot with every word she bellows, making me laugh. Though she be little, she be mighty. "You will take my bribery and give us what we want! Or you're out of the club."
Toby makes a face and then goes into detail about being jealous about some guy. I think he’s going to try and make it official with her though. I got to ask him a question about her when he picks up his phone. His smile turns into a grimace and he goes ghostly pale. "Dani, we've gotta go now."
My heart drops. My thoughts instantly go to Benji, then to Jake.
Has something happened to him? Sasha picks up her phone and gives me the same ghostly expression.
We all had our phones on silent. We didn't want to be "those" friends while eating.
Inhaling a deep breath, I give them one last look.
I gather all the courage I can muster and peer down at my phone.
I have 17 missed calls and double that in texts.
I don't have time to open any of them because Jake is calling again. "Hello?"
"Dani!! Oh, thank God! You're okay?"
I cringe. He's so worried. No telling what he's been going through. "I'm fine. What's happened?"
Silence..."Jake, please." More silence. “Jake!"
"Where are you?"
"I'm not telling you until you tell me what's wrong. I can't take the waiting."
He hesitates but knows I'm serious. "That's fair. It's Benji. The police came by looking for you. He's in town, at the college near your old dorm room to be exact. They came to warn you. He eluded them again. Now, where are you?"
I grip my stomach, a wave of nausea threatening to reveal the contents of my now full tummy.
The numbness is taking over and I can't think or feel.
Sasha grabs my phone, telling Jake exactly where we are.
Toby grabs my hand and we rush toward his truck.
Sasha keeps turning back, looking over her shoulder every few seconds.
She screams as someone grabs her from behind.
I turn around to help her, and instead, a familiar pair of cold dead eyes greet me.
I let out a scream of my own, but I can't hear it over the roaring in my ears.
I push Benji away from me and run over to where Sasha is fighting with a man I've never seen before. He’s in a business suit and looks like an Italian mobster.
Her tear-stained face now has a bruise forming under her eye.
The fear that has been building up within me loses its battle, with anger now boiling in its place.
He slaps me so hard that I taste blood in my mouth.
He rears back to hit me again, but I can't let that happen.
The slap renders me with blurry vision in my left eye.
I can't go back to the hospital. I won't, not this time.
I rear back and strike the man who attacked Sashe causing him to fall, knocking his head on the pavement.
I'm tired of running, of cowering away in fear.
I kick him hard twice in his ribs and he lets out a grunt as a reply.
As much as I love how much Jake loves me, I can't hide behind him anymore. I have to stand up for myself. Unless he is behind bars, Benji will always find me. This attack proves that. Seeing red, I turn back around and look for him. Our dance ends right now.
Toby has Benji in a headlock. He yells at me to call the cops, but I have no plans of doing that yet.
I'm going to hurt him, to put him in the hospital for as long as I had to stay there.
I hate him! I wish he would die. Why is he still making my life miserable?
I yank him out of Toby's grasp and start wailing on him like Jaxon taught me.
I kick him in the balls so hard I hope they rupture.
I'm tired of having to watch over my shoulder.
I feel Jake's arms around me, and I start sobbing.
Benji is on the ground, groaning in pain.
I hear sirens howling in the distance. I kick and scream when I see him trying to slip away into the shadows again.
How he managed to get up after what I did to him, I don't know, but Jake won't let me go.
Toby grabs Benji before he can run away and holds him down on the ground until the cops get there.
My heart hurts. I cry into Jake's chest. I can't believe Benji will finally get what’s coming to him.
I let out a cry of relief, of remorse for my actions, and tears because I know I'll never be the same sweet person I was before moving to Texas.
For the first time, I fear I haven't changed for the better.