Page 54 of Bittersweet Redemption

I attempt to move my hand to grab my phone, but something stops me. I try to move my other arm. It’s stuck.

Not stuck, but restricted. I finally crack one eye completely open to see what’s happening around me. I look down at my lap and see that I’m sitting in a chair with rope tied around my arms and ankles to keep me in place.

There are drops of blood on my jeans. Is it my blood?

What the hell happened? I try to rack my brain to remember where I was and how I got here.

Then I remember—the knock on the door, the brick to my head, and Jake.

Why would Jake tie me up like this? Is he doing it for Nick? None of this makes any sense. We’ve all been existing just fine over the past year. Why was I hit in the head, taken against my will, and tied to a freaking chair? Maybe I’m not thinking straight because of the throbbing in my head.

Squinting with my one open eye, I look around to see if I know where I am. There’s dirty gray carpet underneath me and soda cans scattered all around. Next to me is a desk with two blank computer monitors. The walls are mostly bare except for a very common poster of a red convertible car. On my other side is a rumpled, unmade bed. . . and Jake.

“Jake,” I say, but my voice is muffled and hoarse. He’s taped my mouth. I open my other eye fully to see him, even though it physically pains me to do so.

He stares at me before finally speaking. “I’ll take the tape off, but if you scream, I’ll have to knock you out again.”

Again. Why was I knocked out in the first place?

I nod. I won’t scream. Who’s going to help me? Nick? Not likely. And I can’t risk anything until I know if they’re working together.

Jake walks toward me, and I get a whiff of the stale beer scent coming off him. He leans over and gently pulls the tape off my mouth.

“Willa.” He says my name in a soft and gentle tone, like it’s no big deal that I’m tied to a chair in his room.

“Why am I here?” I ask, my voice cracking mid-question. I don’t want to cry, not here. But I don’t know where Roman is or where Kai is. Are they hurt? Did he take them like he took me? I have so many questions, but I’m scared to ask them.

I spent so much time with Jake when I was with Nick. The three of us did so much together. Jake was always quiet, kinda stand-offish. I took that to mean he was shy or liked to keep to himself. But now I’m wondering if it was something different. Was he quiet because he was plotting something or. . . was he watching me?

“You were always supposed to be here, Willa. Don’t you know that?” He says it so matter-of-factly.

“I. . . I don’t understand.” I swallow back my tears.

“It was always supposed to be you and me. But Nick got to you first, even after I told him I liked you.” I’d met them both at a party in high school. I remember meeting Nick that night, but Jake was never on my radar. I never once thought of Jake as more than just a friend. “Then you two broke up, and I thought it was finally my chance. I wanted to give you some time and space to get over him and realize you were always supposed to be with me.”

“Oh,” I say stupidly because I can’t think of anything else.

Jake starts pacing the room in front of me, becoming visibly more frustrated at my lack of response. He’s held onto this for over ten years? Ten freaking years.

“But then you met that neighbor. And you couldn’t help but open your legs like a little slut.” He spits the word.

“So it was you watching us?”

“I had to. I had to make sure you stopped fucking him. You were supposed to save yourself for me.”

“Jake. . . I had no idea you felt that way about me. You never said anything.”

He stops and looks at me. “How could I? You were head over heels for my brother even though he treated you like absolute shit. Do you know how many times I tried to leave clues that he was cheating on you? You were oblivious to all of them. Like a stupid whore, you just waited around for whatever attention he gave you when I was right there. I would’ve given you the world. I will give you the world.”

“If I’m such a stupid whore, why do you even want me?” With each word, my fear is slowly fading, and I’m starting to get angry.

“I can train you to be the perfect woman.” He can train me? I want to laugh because otherwise, I’ll cry, and I know laughing will only make this situation worse.

“Ok, Jake. We can talk more about this, but can you tell me where Roman is?”

He shrugs. “No idea. I got to you before he got home. Your neighbor probably has him. I’ll take us somewhere far from here where we can start over. Roman is young enough that he’ll adapt to being without you. Nick will let him live with our parents, I’m sure. He’ll be fine.”

The bile rises in my throat. The thought of never seeing my son again makes me want to claw this man’s eyes out. He must be an absolute idiot if he thinks I’ll willingly leave my son.