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The morbid thoughts hit me at my lowest points.
No messages from Liam. According to Victoria, he knows I’m here and could see me on the cameras. Does that mean he’s stopped caring? Is he not worried?
Did I really mean as much to him as he said?
Questions swarm my mind as my chest tightens with what she’s making him do for her. Imagining them together makes me sick.
I decide to respond to them in our sister group chat. Lying about my phone being dead or having to replace it feels cheap, especially because they’d know better. There are too many ways to stay in contact for them to believe I was unable to through social media or email. I have no other choice but to play the broken heart card.
Maddie: Sorry, I haven’t been in the mood to check my cell in a few days. I’m not skipping classes, I told my professors. Don’t worry about me. I told you before, I’m fine, and I just need some time and space.
Sophie: It’s about damn time, oh my God. Maddie! This is irresponsible and childish. Come back home! Liam isn’t even here!
Lennon: Soph, she’s not a kid. Let her cope on her own terms.
Sophie: She can do that here where I can watch her and help her through this!
Maddie: Guys! Stop fighting. I want to wallow alone, okay? I already told my professors I’d be out a few days and will make it up before the end of the semester.
Sophie: Mads, I love you. Just tell me where you are, please.
“Wrap it up,” Ty tells me softly. “I had to fight for you to have this chance.”
I nod, thankful he managed to even get me this time to give my sisters some kind of closure so they’d stop freaking out.
Maddie: I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’ll text you guys in a few days, okay? Love you both.
I hand Ty the phone and hold back my emotions that threaten to spill out. Lying to them sucks.
“Thank you again,” I say before numbly walking away and going to my room.
I collapse on my bed, and the tears fall.
They fall for the life I miss—school, my friends and sisters, normalcy.
They fall for Liam—terrified of what he’s going through and scared like hell I’ll lose him for good this time.
They fall because I feel so damn alone.
I don’t know how much time passes by the time I wake up and realize I’ve fallen asleep. When I make my way to the kitchen and check the clock, I see it’s three in the afternoon. My eyes are puffy and red, and I’m starting to feel at my breaking point.
“You missed lunch. I put a plate in the fridge for you,” Ty says from behind me. I quickly turn around and look at him cautiously and see concern written all over his face. I can’t ask him what’s wrong because I’ve already gotten him into trouble by getting too close. The fear of what’s going to happen once he leaves already haunts me. What will Victoria do to him? Me?
All of us?
“Thank you.” I smile sheepishly. “What’d you make?”
The corner of his lips tilts up slightly in amusement. “BLTs and fruit salad.” He takes the items out of the fridge and sets them on the counter.
“You know…” I linger, thinking twice about my words but say fuck it and continue anyway. “I’ve never been fed so well before. All these balanced meals, working out, and protein shakes. It’s like I’m being trained for some kind of fight club.”
Ty chuckles softly. “She knows what to do to get what she wants and not keeping you safe nor well-cared for would only backfire on her,” he explains, and while he doesn’t say her name, it’s obvious he’s talking about Victoria. I want to ask him what he knows and how kidnapping me adds to her overall goal of keeping Liam as hers.
Things could definitely be worse, but I’m isolated, and for someone who thrives on being around others, it’s torture.
“Here.” He slides the plate toward me with a glass of something. I don’t even bother asking what it is and take a seat. “You probably won’t be hungry in a couple of hours, so I’ll make a late dinner. Any requests?”
I take a large bite of my sandwich and chew. “Actually…” I swallow hard. “I’m craving Hawaiian pizza like a mo-fo. Any chance we get delivery out here in Bumfuck, Nowhere?”
Ty tenses and stands straighter, looking around me. I feel his presence before I even have to look, but glancing over my shoulder, I see Eric walk into the kitchen with his usual pissed-off expression. He looks as if he’s always constipated.
“No delivery,” Eric barks. “And if you can’t eat with us at normal times, you don’t eat until the next meal.”
