Page 19 of Save Me

A few moments later I’m placed gently on my bed.

“I’m sorry.” His voice is little more than a whisper in the dark room.

“You don’t have to pretend to care,” I say, my words slurring together. “It’s not like you’re my friend. I don’t even know your name.”

He doesn’t say anything, instead, draping the blanket over me as I close my eyes, my mind blissfully empty and my body blissfully numb.

I listen as his footsteps retreat from the room.

“My name’s Bryce,” he says quietly, before shutting the door behind him.

CHAPTER 10

‡

Four days later

The apartment doorshuts loudly and I step out of my room, expecting to find Bryce sitting on the couch and surprised to find the apartment empty of anyone except me. I rush to the door, hoping to find it unlocked. I reach for the handle, pulling it towards me, but it doesn’t budge, clearly secured from the outside once again. Despair hits me like a punch to the gut as I retreat back to my room slowly. The sound of my bedroom door clicking shut behind me causes me to flinch, the sound forever linked with the image of Tanner closing the door behind him that night. My stomach rolls and I swallow the bile that rises in my throat at the memory as I walk further into my room.

Myroom. When did I start calling it that?

I sit on the accent chair overlooking the lake until the sun starts to set, its vibrant color making the frost on the shoreline sparkle as it disappears on the horizon one inch at a time. I try to ignore the images that have plagued me for the past week, try to avoid the memories that haunt the room around me, but I can’t forget about what happened. I run my finger over my thumb absentmindedly as I close my eyes, wishing I could forget about him and erase everything he did to me. I ignore how my skin crawls at the thought of him and try to think about something else instead—of my family and how none of them would even know I’m missing, wouldn’t even care that I went out to work one night and never came back. My heart sinks at the realizationthat I might never have the chance to see my brother Garrett again, and tears well in my eyes as I think about Sam and the possibility of never seeing her again. I can’t help but wonder if she’s worried about me right now or if our friendship was still too rocky for her to reach out and notice that something is wrong.

Will anyone even know I’m missing?

I wipe my eyes as I continue to look out into the dusky sky, the sun now almost fully set in the distance, before hearing a group of loud footsteps making their way up the stairs. The front door bangs open loudly and I jump at the noise, moving quickly to my bedroom door that remains shut. I press my ear up against the wood, listening as best as I can as the sound of men talking fills the apartment, their voices loud and the clink of bottles audible. I recognize a few voices immediately—Tanner, Bryce, and Rhett—but I can’t make out the others, or even tell how many people there are in total. I hear the scrape of chairs against the floor and it sounds as though they’re moving them next to the couches, their voices easily heard despite the wall between us.

I’m barely moving, holding my breath as I stay frozen in place, trying to assess what’s going on out there. Unease flutters through my chest, unsure of why everyone is here. I listen silently as the guys interact, seemingly at home in each other’s presence, talking about nothing in particular as glass bottles clink against the table.

“Why’d you make us drive all the way out here for poker night, Rhett?” a voice I don’t recognize asks.

“Well, I couldn’t cancel two weeks in a row now could I?” Rhett laughs in response.

“But what are you doing all the way out here? I’ve never known you to come to the lake house this late in the year.”

It’s silent for a few seconds before Rhett’s voice sounds again. “Remember that chick I was fooling around with for a bit? She’s here,” he says casually.

Laughter fills the air as comments and questions are thrown in his direction.

“So, is she gonna come play with us?” another voice I don’t recognize asks as raucous laughter fills the room at the innuendo.

“Maybe later,” Rhett drawls. “Now someone hurry up and deal the cards.”

I still can’t bring myself to move, my feet frozen against the wooden floor, my body still pressed against the door, trying to hear what they’re saying.

Bottles are opened and the sound of drinks being poured quickly becomes a melody in the apartment as the group of them sounds like they’re making themselves comfortable. It’s not long before they’re all immersed in whatever they’re doing out there, talking shit to each other while the smell of cigar smoke quickly fills the air.

They’re just here to play cards, I remind myself silently as I walk to the window, watching the stars glimmer outside. I try to hold onto hope, to the idea of seeing Jax again one day. My heart pounds in my chest and my hands go clammy at the thought of seeing him… of having to tell him everything that happened here, trying to explain the shame and guilt that’s eating away at me day by day after giving up so quickly. Not that he’d care anyway, as he hasn’t been bothered enough to come save me.

I lose track of time as I stare out the window until the crash of bottles and a roar of laughter breaks me away from my thoughts, and I look to the bedroom door. The guys grow louder by the minute, the alcohol clearly kicking in, and I’m thankful I’m not amidst the chaos.

I pull my sweater up over my head, shivering against the cool air, before folding it neatly and placing it on the dresser. I’m left wearing a white tank top and shorts, both slightly oversized on me, courtesy of the spare clothes tucked away in the dresser. I open the dresser drawer in front of me, looking for something fresh to wear, and my thumb stings as it bends around the handle, still raw from my constant scratching, a physical reminder of how the events of the last several days are eating away at me.

I shuffle the clothes around, looking through the assortment of things that have been left here, trying to find something clean that is warm enough to ward off the cold. Suddenly my bedroom door is thrown open and I jump as Rhett stalks towards me, his eyes glossy. I back up quickly, but it doesn’t stop him from grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him. I wince as the smell of alcohol invades my nose.

“Rhett, stop,” I stammer, my feet desperately trying to gain some footing on the ground. “Stop it,” I hiss, but he doesn’t even acknowledge me.

He turns and walks back out of the room, pulling me after him as I use my free hand to try to pry him off my arm.

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