CAITLYN
“Make the call,” David demands, holding my phone out to me.
We’ve just gotten back to his place with all my stuff, and I’m still shaken up from having to end things with Josh. My heart feels as though it’s been shattered into a million pieces, but I know it’s the only way to keep the man I love safe.
My whole body shaking, I take the phone from David, and call Amber. I know if I don’t do as I’m told, Amber’s life could be in danger too.
“Hey, what’s up?” my best friend says cheerily, and my heart clenches knowing I’m about to shatter her good mood.
“I need to talk to you about something important,” I begin, my lips trembling. I can barely get the words out, but a sharp look from David forces me to go on. “I’m selling my share in the kennels, and I want you to have Bella.”
“Very funny, Cait. What’s really going on?”
“I’m serious Amber. Me and Josh have broken up, and I’ve gotten back with David.”
“What the fuck? I’m coming straight over,” Amber says, sounding panicked.
“Wait!” I say, before she can hang up and race over to my old apartment. “I’m not there, I'm at David’s. I’ve moved back in with him.”
“What’s he done to you, Caitlyn? Has he hurt you? Does Josh know?”
“I’ve told Josh. He came by earlier and I broke it off--” I take another deep breath, David’s eyes boring into mine, and I know what I have to do.
Even though I hate myself for doing it. It’s the only way to protect the people I care about.
“I realized leaving David was a mistake. He’s the one I really love. ”
“What about the--”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I cut Amber off before she could mention the pregnancy.
David never wanted children, and I know if he finds out I’m pregnant, he will try to force me to have an abortion.
My hope is I can buy myself some time by doing what David wants for now, so that I can find a way out of the situation before anyone finds out I’m pregnant.
A sharp glare from David lets me know his patience is wearing thin, and I need to hurry up. “David will be dropping Bella off soon. Please don’t contact me again.”
I end the call, and David nods approvingly. “Good girl. Start unpacking while I get rid of the dog. Feel free to move all your things back into our room.”
“Not a chance in hell. You might have forced me to move back in with you, but you will not force me to sleep with you. I’ll take the guest room.”
“For now,” David says ominously, before he grabs Bella roughly by the collar and drags her away.
My dog growls, and starts snapping at David, and I rush over to calm her, knowing if I don’t, David might hurt her.
“Bella, please. I’m sorry. I love you, but you need to go with David. Amber will look after you.”
The mention of Amber seems to calm my dog, and she allows David to lead her out of the house, as tears roll down my cheeks.
Even with David gone, I’m still a prisoner in his home.
He’s taken both mine and his cell phones with him, and you need a passcode to access the landline.
Worse still, all the doors are locked, so I can’t escape.
Not that I want to. I know if I even try, he will hurt Amber, Josh and the Braddock family.
My only hope is to find something I can use against David.
Some sort of evidence, or something that connects him to Lorenzo Esposito.
Anything that can help me out of this terrible situation.
But David isn’t stupid. There’s no paperwork here, or anything incriminating.
I imagine anything important is in his office at the club.
I wonder if I can sneak in there at some point.
Until then, my only choice is to unpack.
I don’t want to say or do anything that might make David doubt that I’m going to do what he says, so I unpack pretty much everything.
The only things I keep hidden away is a lockable jewelry box, in which I store some keepsakes from mine and Josh’s dates, as well as the folic acid the doctor prescribed me to take during the early stages of my pregnancy.
Even though I haven’t got even the slightest baby bump, I stroke my stomach lovingly and whisper to my child.
“It’s okay, Mamma will figure something out, I promise.”
The thought of my unborn child is the only thing that gives me some measure of hope. No matter what happens, I will always have some part of Joshua with me.
I almost jump out of my skin when David returns to the house, and I quickly plaster a smile on my face.
He comes into the guest room without even knocking. “I gave the dog to Amber and told her I will be in touch about the sale of your share of the kennels.”
I don’t make eye contact with him as I ask, “How did she take it?”
“She slapped me across the face and called me a cheating bastard.”
I have to suppress a smirk. That sounds just like Amber, and I’m grateful she’s still trying to look out for me.
“I allowed it this time, but if I ever see her again, I’ll be forced to take action,” David warns coldly, and a ball of ice settles at the pit of my stomach.
To protect Amber, I’ll have to do everything I can to convince her I’m okay, and that she needs to leave me alone.
“Will you join me for dinner?” David asks, his tone turning softer, almost friendly.
“Do I have any choice?” I ask bitterly.
“I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to,” David says, which is ridiculous. He’s forcing me to be here with him and give up everything I love. Compared to all that, what’s having one meal with him? “But I feel certain that given time, you’ll come around and we can be together properly.”
“Hell will freeze over before I ever get back with you. I’m only here because I have no other choice,” I grind out.
“We’ll see,” David says casually, like he isn’t blackmailing me with the threat of the life of the man I love. Like he thinks one day I’m just going to wake up, and forget he cheated, and decide I love him again.
David leaves the room, but even with him gone, his presence fills the house, and I can’t relax. Deciding it’s easier to play him at his own game, rather than mope or starve, I leave the guest room and head to the kitchen, where he’s cooking dinner.
“I’m making your favorite,” David says, gesturing to the venison he’s preparing.
Venison is David’s favorite, not mine, but he always insists I love it too.
I hate venison, and even if I didn’t, I'm not even sure it’s safe to eat while pregnant. I hope I can get rid of it somehow without making David suspicious. At least there will be potatoes and vegetables for me to eat though.
Not feeling like spending more time than I have to with David, I don’t offer to help him cook, and instead go through to the living room, where a large, black leather couch dominates the room.
Without my phone, the only thing I have to entertain myself with is the TV. Thankfully, David has a full cable package, and all the streaming services, so there’s no shortage of shows and movies to watch to keep my mind off everything.
Needing a fun, light distraction, I load up the Disney subscription service, and start watching the latest animated blockbuster.
When dinner is ready, David demands I join him in the dining room, where he’s laid the table and even gotten some candles out to make it more ‘romantic.’
Part of me bitterly wonders why he didn’t make this much effort when we were still together. It’s like he doesn’t really want to be with me, but he doesn’t want me to be happy with anyone else, either. I’m not really a person to him, just a possession.
I avoid the wine on the table, and do my best to hide the Venison, as I eat everything else on my plate.
“I was thinking you could come work with me at the club,” David says. What he really means is that he wants me with him every minute of the day.
“Do I have a choice?” I reply.
“Caitlyn, I want you to be happy here. I know given time we can get back to where we used to be.”
“Why? Why do you want us to get back together? I’ve had enough time to realize we weren’t happy together. We weren’t happy for months. If you were happy, you’d never have cheated.”
“That was a mistake … we hadn’t had sex for so long…”
“That wasn’t on me. That was on you. I still wanted to. I would have done anything for you.”
“That’s not true. You were too wrapped up in the kennels, and your friendship with Amber.”
I shake my head. There’s no point in arguing with him. He’s never going to admit fault or take responsibility for what he did.
I push my plate aside. “I’ve had enough. I’m going to bed.”
“Caitlyn, wait,” David calls out, but I ignore him.
I shut myself in the guest room, grateful there’s actually a lock, so that I can prevent David from following me.
He bangs on the door, demanding I speak to him, but when I don’t respond, he seems to get the hint and leaves me alone.
When I’m certain he won’t try to bother me again, I lock myself in the ensuite, and run a long, hot bath.
Alone in the bath, I finally allow the tears to fall.
I’m trapped with a man I despise, but if I don’t play along with David’s twisted game, he’s going to have Josh killed.
I have to do something. My only hope is the fact David wants me to come to the club with him. Hopefully there I can find some evidence that he’s connected to Lorenzo Esposito or involved in something else dodgy.
When I get out of the bath, I dress in cozy pajamas, and risk getting my jewelry box out.
I unlock it and take my folic acid. Then, I pick up the photo booth picture Josh and I had taken during one of our dates at the mall.
It was a silly little thing, something that reminded me of old movies, but Josh indulged me, and we posed for the four tiny pictures, each time in a different pose, with different expressions on our faces.
In the first, we’re sticking our tongues out at each other.
In the second, I’m trying to smile nicely, but Josh is doing ‘Bunny ears’ behind my head.
The third one shows me gently shoving him in revenge.
The final picture is of us with our arms around each other, Josh’s lips pressed to mine.
The happy memories from that day chase away the sorrow I’m feeling and fill my heart with hope.
I cradle the picture in my hand as I climb into bed, the other hand gently stroking my stomach.
“I’ll find a way to fix this,” I whisper into the darkness.
I don’t know how yet, but I promise myself, Josh, our baby, the universe, I’ll find a way out of this, and go back to the man I love.