THEO - EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD
“BAY!”I yell after him as he runs from me. “BAILEY!” My voice cracks, and I choke on my tears. He doesn’t look back once as he disappears down the street. I want to chase after him, but my feet are rooted to the ground, legs barely holding my weight.
What the fuck was that? Everything was good.Wewere good. I head back inside, slamming the front door shut, rushing up to my bedroom. The last five minutes play on repeat in my head.
He told me he loved me before I went to work this morning, to turn around and say he’d been lying—he couldn’t even look at me. I’d like to see him try that again. I’d make him look me in the eye and tell me I meant nothing to him.
I don’t believe him. The boy I’ve lived with for the past year would never have done that. And yet, it’s not the first time he’s run from me …
Jesus, my stomach hurts.I sit on my bed and pull out my phone, debating whether I should call him. I need more fromhim than the ‘not wanting to be with my first boyfriend forever’ bullshit.
I call him and it rings through to voicemail, so I try again. And again. Growling in frustration, I text him instead.
Me
We need to talk, you can’t just leave like that, Bay
Minutes go by, and the message sits unread.
Me
Where are you? I’m not angry, I just want to understand
I’m not sure how much time passes, but I’m lying on my bed, feeling numb, when my parents get home. My throat burns from holding back tears. I’m going to have to tell them that Bailey’s gone. I desperately try phoning him another three times, but all of them go through to voicemail.
Me
Let me see you one more time, please?
A knock on my bedroom door makes me jump.
“Boys, have you had dinner?” Ma shouts through.
“Yes,” I say weakly.
“Theo? Is everything okay?”
Sniffing and wiping away my tears, I choke out, “Yeah, everything’s fine, Ma. I’ll talk to you later.”
“You sure?”
“I said it’s fine, Ma!” I shout, frustrated that she won’t leave.
“Okay, honey. Come find me when you’ve calmed down.”
Great. Even without telling her anything, she probably knows what’s happened. Exhausted and emotionally drained, I close my eyes for just a minute.
Vibrations shock me out of my sleep. I sit bolt upright, hands seeking my phone. When I unlock it, there’s a text from Bay.
Bay
Meet me by the shed in the woods.
I follow the river,retracing my steps from a few months ago, until the shed comes into view. I try not to question why he wants to meet here when he had such a bad reaction to it last time. The sickly sweet smell is still thick in the air, getting stronger the closer I get. I can’t see him anywhere in the clearing, so I approach the shed slowly.
“Bay?” I whisper, pushing the door open slowly. It’s pitch black inside, other than the fading light of the setting sun slipping through the doorway. The smell is so much worse in here—cloying, hot, and thick, coating the back of my throat, making me retch. I scan the room, letting my eyes adjust, but the door snicks shut and I’m plunged into darkness. Something hits the back of my head, and I drop to the floor.
I try to stand up but my head swims. Hands grab my wrists, binding them, pulling tight. I kick out, desperate to break free of whoever the fuck is touching me. They squeeze my arm tight, and I feel something sharp pinch inside the crook of my elbow. “Bay!” I call out, hoping he’s somewhere in the clearing, closeenough to hear me. Everything feels warm and heavy. All the fight bleeds out of me until I can’t keep my eyes open.
