I run a hand through my hair, ripping at the strands.
Graham.
It’s all Graham.
"Fuck," I spit. "It’s my sister’s husband. It’s Graham."
"What the fuck?!" William screams back. "What do you mean he’s doing this?! Maya, what the hell is going on?"
"It’s a long story, William. A really sick, long story," I cry as I completely freak out. "I don’t have anywhere to go. I don’t know where the fuck I’m going to stay—"
William cuts me off instantly.
"What do you mean,where are you going to stay? Where the hell have you been staying this past week, Maya?"
I swallow hard, looking at the moldy ceiling.
"At some cheap motel downtown..."
"A motel?!" William roars. "Are you fucking insane? That’s it. I’m coming to get you right now. We’ve always had each other’s backs, Maya. Always. You are coming to stay with me."
"William, no, I don’t want to be a burden," I whisper, even though every fiber of my being is begging to be saved. "He’s dangerous. I don’t want to drag you into—"
"Shut the fuck up and send me your location right now," he hisses, leaving absolutely no room for argument.
For the first time in a long time, relief washes through my veins.
No.
Graham didn’t win.
He didn’t isolate me the way he wanted to.
I still have William.
I am not alone.
I just finish zipping my bag when a text flashes on my screen.
I’m downstairs.
I don’t waste a single second.
I grab my belongings and head down the stairs. The moment I step out into the humid air, I spot William standing by his car. I run straight into his arms and bury my face in his shoulder. I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting with everything I have left not to start crying all over again.
He holds me tight.
"I’ve got you," William mutters, pulling back to look at me before throwing my bag into the back seat. "Let’s get the fuck out of here."
We get into the car, and as he pulls away from the curb, the interrogation begins.
I start talking.
William’s jaw keeps dropping farther and farther open.
"Wait... stop," William says as he stops at a red light and turns to stare at me. "So... he threw your sister into a fucking mental institution just so you would be left completely isolated and vulnerable enough for him to trap you?"
I nod slowly, sniffing and wiping at a stray tear that slips down my cheek.
