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LAUREL
Standing in Hudson’s office, making it clear to Lyla that Hudson comes home to me every night, makes me feel empowered. Uploading the video to her husband makes sure Hudson won’t lose his business. It’s a win-win situation for both of us until he fires me. Everyone knows she’s handsy, but I’m the only one to do anything about it.
I head over to my sister’s apartment. My anger over this situation is radiating to where my blood is boiling. The least he can do is pull me back into his office. No need to fire me in front of the whole staff. Lacey answers the door and invites me in.
“What’s up with you?” Lacey asks.
I know I shouldn’t be as mad, but I can’t help it. I just need some time to cool off. No big deal. So, I brush off her question and shift the subject.
“You ready for graduation?” I ask. Lacey has been studying hard, and as long as she passes all her classes this semester, then she’ll graduate in two weeks. I couldn’t be more proud.
“I’m ready to finally do something other than study and go to class. This has been a long four years. I hope it’s worth it,” she says, laughing.
“You’re going to do great things one day. Don’t you worry about that.”
I’ve been planning a graduation party for months. This is a big deal to our family. She will be the first to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
I think about how when we were younger, all she talked about was how I got all the attention, but I always felt like it was the other way around, with her being the youngest. Ever since we both moved to Dallas, we haven’t seen or talked to our parents much. They didn’t exactly call us every day either. However, I’m going to make sure they show up for her graduation.
I hear knocking down the hall, but not faintly. Our ears perk up, and we look at each other. Since we have both been in dangerous situations, we are quick to jump. I get up slowly, open the door quietly, and gasp loudly when I see him at my door.
The door slams and I lock it.
“What is it? What’s going on?” Lacey shrieks.
“N-N-Nothing… just stay back. Don’t answer the door!” I scream. Her eyes go wide, telling me I’ve scared her. Why is Shawn banging on my door? How did he get out of jail?
He must have seen me, because now he’s kicking on her door. We both know it is only a matter of time before he gains entry. I can’t think straight. My mind keeps going back to last night when he nearly choked me to death. The only thing that stopped him is Hudson, but he isn’t here. I turn on my phone and try to dial him, but before I can, the door is broken down.
“Hey, bitch, why are you hiding from me? I was only trying to give you what you deserved until your stupid boyfriend messed everything up.” He looks around the room. “Looks like he’s not here to save you this time.”
What the hell are we going to do? We run to the bedroom and lock the door behind us, even though we know it won’t take him long to get inside the room.
“What do we do? Let’s try to find something that we can defend ourselves with,” Lacey suggests, panicking. Her first instinct is to go to her closet and grab a stiletto heel. It might not seem like much, but getting stabbed with one of those will hurt like hell. Good choice.
After searching the bathroom, nothing is in there that can be deemed useful. The only other option I have is a heel. At least, it’s something.
Shawn has made little noise since we locked the door. That reminds me of scary movies when the victim thinks the killer left, but instead, he’s just waiting for her to come back out. I’m not that stupid. I won’t be leaving this room until I hear Hudson’s voice. It is only a matter of time before Hudson will be wondering where I am when he gets home.
“Shawn, what do you want?” I ask, but get no reply. Maybe I can talk him down like I did the first time. We have a history together, so there must be something I say to calm him down. “I know you feel like everyone has left you behind, but I’m still here. You still have me. You know that, right?”
I can hear heavy breathing outside the door, letting me know he is close. “Stop lying to me! You left me for some other man like I’m trash. Well, you are the trash, not me. No one will ever throw me away like that again!” Shawn yells, then kicks at the door.
Outside the bedroom door, we hear two men. “I’m coming for you, bitch!” a man yells, but I don’t recognize his voice. I turn around to find Lacey huddling up in the corner with her face in between her knees.
“Do you recognize the voice?”
“That’s Drew. He got out today.”
Both men storm inside, and suddenly, I can’t move. It’s happening. This is the end. I don’t want the last thing Hudson remembers about me to be me storming out of his office in tears. That will break him again. My fists clench and my self-defense training kicks in. I’m not going down without a fight. No way in hell. Shawn’s eyes travel from my feet to my eyes in a matter of milliseconds.
“Why are you doing this? You will end up in prison. Why are you throwing your life away?” Maybe if I stall him, maybe Hudson will show up. Instead of calming him down, his fist goes through the wall.
“Stop messing with my head. Your mind games will not help this time,” he says, salivating like a rabid dog. He punches the mirror, and it shatters, leaving his hand bloody. I inch away from him, cutting my feet on the glass.
Lacey is behind me, still in the corner, trying to talk Drew down. It pains me to hear her talk about how she’s worthless and only he can show her what being with a real man is like. Of course, I know it is all bullshit, but I still don’t like her saying those things. The sad thing is; he believes it.
My attention returns to Shawn, who is watching me like he is hunting prey. He licks his lips as he gauges his attack. I hide the heel behind my back, hoping he won’t notice it. My hands are shaking, which is making it harder to keep the shoe unnoticed by Drew, who is still yelling at my sister behind me. One precise hit to the throat, and he could be dead. But timing is going to be key. If only my sister and I could communicate, then this plan could work.
I don’t want to take my eyes off him because then he will attack, and I’m not ready. I can see blows beginning behind me while my sister begs him to stop. My turn next. Shawn’s eyebrow twitched, and then a smile formed. That is one of the last things I see before everything goes black.
