Chapter 5
Chapter Five
ARIEL
As I’m standing here in this backroom with this man I don’t even know, all I can think about is what if Noah comes back here and sees me.
He’s going to think I’m cheating on him, even though I’m not.
All he does is jump to conclusions without ever letting me explain what’s going on.
Luckily, the man in front of me seems like he is willing to ensure that I’m safe.
At least that’s what he claims.
“Are you sure he can’t get me?” I say in a timid voice.
“Ariel, I’m sure.”
I glance up at him, confused about how he knows my name, but then I remember it was said earlier.
As I lock eyes with his beautiful brown ones, I can feel this sliver of hope within me.
I've always had a hard time letting my guard down and putting my trust into others, but it's coming easy in this moment.
This man's tone of voice is so comforting that I know I can be safe with him.
“Can I at least know your name if I should trust you?”
“The Reaper.”
That doesn’t sound too good.
Now I wonder if I will actually be okay with him with that type of name.
It seems like some badass or something. I wonder with a name like that, if he has a short circuit because the goal is to get away from the big bad energy that some men have.
With Noah, everything always seemed fine until I got closer to him.
He showed a whole new persona. It's almost like he hooked me in, and when I began to trust him more, he just turned off that good guy personality.
Some days, I ask how it took me so long to finally stand up to him and find a new path to go on. It's been a long time coming, but if The Reaper can really help me like he says he can, then I need to let him.
“So, what’s next?”
He looks at me as if he’s contemplating what he wants to say now. I feel like this should be routine to him because he seems like he knew exactly what to do when I asked for help. Instead of responding, he looks down at his phone and walks out of the room.
What the fuck.
I'm standing here alone, trying to figure out if I should just run off and hope that Noah won't be able to find me again, or if I should just wait it out.
I can feel my hands begin to clam up and my heart rate start beating faster with this unknown thought of what to do.
I feel like I'm going to die with the way I'm feeling right now.
I get ready to make my way out the back door to take my chances, but a familiar voice stops me in my tracks.
"Ariel, you're fine. Don't leave. I know The Reaper can seem a little intimidating, but he's here to help you. My name is Suzie, by the way."
I turn to see who's talking to me and lay eyes on the bartender.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working behind the bar right now? I don’t want to get you in trouble for being back here,” I say in a timid tone.
She laughs it off like what I just said doesn’t matter.
“Girl, there’s someone else behind the bar now. I was sent back here to check on you so we can talk about the next steps.”
Next steps? What the heck does that mean?
I feel like I should be set free at this point. If they have Noah, then I must be fine to go live my life the way I want to. I should’ve known it wasn’t going to be that easy. At this point, I shouldn’t have asked for help if everything is going to be this complex.
“I can see that you’re nervous, but trust me.
You’re going to be taken care of and be able to restart your life the way you want to.
That asshole of a man you were with will also be taken care of, so he won’t be able to hurt you again.
I want you to know that you can breathe again and not feel such a heavy weight on you.
The Reaper is going to make sure you’re set up with a good life where you don’t have to turn your head back in fear,” she says as she holds my hands.
She begins to lead me through some breathing exercises, and I start to feel better.
Part of me is still afraid to put my whole trust in people that I don't know, but at the same time, I'm starting to feel inside of me that this is the right thing.
If I hadn't asked for help, then I don't know what I would be doing next.
At some point, it's possible that Noah would've beaten me to death.
“Okay, I will let my guard down and trust what you’re saying. Where did he go, anyway?”
“He’s going to take care of some business, but he’ll be back.”
Mysterious much.