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She needs to be seen by someone. As soon as possible. I don’t know how these things work but I know that after something like what she’s been through, a follow-up visit must be important.
We pull up to her robin’s egg blue door. Matching planters sit on either side of the door, holding perfectly pruned topiaries. A cheerful wreath adorns her door. Picture perfect.
She’s anything but. Her face is pale, her eyes red, her spirit waning.
I can’t let her go in there alone. She shouldn’t be alone. She’s a strong woman but after what she’s been through… everything I put her through. I got her pregnant and caused her all of this suffering. It’s my responsibility to make sure she’s well.
“Driver. Take us to my house.”
Charlie gives me a curious look, opening her lips to protest.
“Now.”
7
Charlie
Where are we?We’ve been driving for hours. The lightless night sky is so dark you can actually see the stars out here. I’d say it’s beautiful but the further I get from civilization, alone with this man I barely know, the more eerie my surroundings feel.
The Suburban climbs the steep gravel road, winding through the dense forest of trees. My Vera Bradley blue paisley overnight bag sits between me and the Beast. After telling the driver to go to his house, I at least convinced him to let me pop into my house first. I texted the girls so they wouldn’t worry and changed into comfy yoga pants and Ugg boots, then he gave me a total of five minutes to pack. I threw my beauty care routine, a few other toiletries, and some comfy clothes in the bag, then nestled it between us as a safety measure.
I have no idea where we are going or how long he is keeping me. This is crazy… He’s basically kidnapping me.
And for what? To be sure I’m healthy afternothaving his baby that wasn’t even really a baby?
This is so messed up. I never, ever should have put my nose where it didn’t belong. I never should have gone down to the alleyway that night. My life has been an absolute disaster ever since. I’ve gone from facing bitter loneliness to now feeling utter and total devastation as well.
For the hundred-and-tenth time since we left my house, I say, “This really isn’t necessary.”
For the hundred-and-tenth time, he replies with a grunt-like sound, daring me to argue.
The Suburban pulls into a little grove of trees. I slide to the middle of the seat, peering out through the windshield. Water, black ripples of water, moonlight shining down, casting a glowing white light on their shimmering peaks. It must be a lake.
“Where are we going?” I ask again, knowing I won’t get the answer I’m looking for.
He simply grabs my bag and exits the car, holding the door open for me like a perfect gentleman.
He’s anything but.
The tenderness from the car ride has dissipated. I’m so confused by this transition to hardness after what felt like understanding. He goes back and forth with every breath I take, now holding out his hand. I take it, needing it to steady me as I hop down from the high car.
“Thank you.”
I get another grunt.
I stare out over the lake. It’s gorgeous. Vast and moonlit, surrounded by trees. In the middle of the lake there’s another landform, its surface covered in tall, thick evergreens. An island?
He walks ahead of me, his strides long, and I have to almost jog to keep up with him. My boots crunch over gravel as I speak. “Where are we going?”
He lifts a huge hand, pointing to the island. “There.”
“Well, I guessed as much, but whatisover there?” A cold breeze rustles my hair, leaving the tiny hairs on the back of my neck and my arms standing on end. Where is he taking me? What if he’s some kind of serial killer or something and what’s waiting for me out on that lake is a moldy dungeon…
“They call it Dark Island,” he says.
The trees are so thick, the landscape is almost black. “I can see why.”
“It’s my home, the island.”
