Page 140 of Don't Leave Me

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It was five days after Jack had taken me. I had proven to be trustworthy in public and with Emily two days prior, and Jack was becoming more lenient with me. He let me shower alone, make food for us, answer the door when we got food delivered. The previous day we took a stroll around the neighborhood, hand in hand, and I searched for Michael’s face in every person we saw. We weren’t that far from downtown where Michael was working.Could I somehow ditch Jack and run the way there?I fantasized about Michael spotting us: he would run up to Jack and punch him, and we would run away and call the police. I wondered, hundreds of times a day, what Michael was doing at that very moment.Did he really believe that e-mail? Did he really think I would leave him? Did he try looking for me? What was he texting me and saying in his voicemails that Jack wouldn’t let me read or hear?

Jack and I were laying in bed after our nightly ritual of him seducing me and it was right about the time where my guilt was consuming me. Jack’s cell phone began to buzz on the kitchen counter and he quickly got up to answer it.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jack answered, looking at the clock on the oven. It was 11:45 PM.

His eyes darted to me. His expression turned somber as he listened. “Mmhmm. Do you know if he reached out to anyone else?”

He paused again, a hand on his hip. “Well, I mean. I think you and Billie and John are the only people that know where I live. Besides Jess of course, but she wouldn’t tell him either.”

Were they talking about Michael?

“Alright, well thanks for the heads up, mate. See ya,” he said and set his phone down.

“What was that about?” I asked curiously, sitting up and covering my naked body with the comforter.

Jack sighed as he got back into bed with me.

“Your ex-fiance is trying to find out where I live,” he explained, his eyebrows raised.

My mind started to race. I began to feel a shred of hope again

“I don’t think Billie or John would tell them where you live. Billie hasn’t talked to me in over a month, so I doubt she’d talk to Michael,” I revealed, but I was hoping Billie would suspect something and tell him anyway.

Jack seemed to be deep in thought.

“In case he does find out where we are, I want to have a plan,” he murmured, then shot up out of bed.

He started to pace and I watched him carefully. He seemed nervous and agitated.

“If he shows up, I will answer the door. There’s plenty of ways to get in through downstairs, so I’ll just bypass that,” he explained quickly. “He will undoubtedly ask to see you. You will appear, and you’ll have to assure him that you want to be here. You will convince him you are done with him,” he instructed, waiting for me to react.

I nodded quickly. “Of course.” I didn’t have much faith in myself.

“What will you say?” he quizzed me, both hands on his hips as he stared down at me.

“I will say that I love you, and that you understand me more than anyone ever has. That I tried to make a life with him but I just couldn’t do it,” I remarked, already knowing Jack’s thoughts.

He nodded and smiled. “That was easy for you, Hana. Starting to realize it now, are you?” he accused, and I could see that I had just turned him on.

“Yes,” I agreed, my lies now instantaneous.

“Oh, my beautiful Hana,” he whispered, getting on his knees in front of me.

He took my legs and shifted them towards him. He took the comforter off of me and exposed my naked body. He took my knees and spread them apart, his eyes not leaving mine. Slowly, he grazed his hands from my knees to my upper thighs, squeezing them gently. I could see my nipples harden, my body getting goose bumps. I deserved this.I am disgusting.

33

Chapter 33

It was Saturday the next morning. Day six with Jack. I was already awake at 7 AM, as usual, after a nearly sleepless night. I jumped when I heard pounding on the door. Jack was startled awake, his face already angry.

“Who the fuck is that?” he spit out, then got up and shrugged a shirt on.

I watched him walk to the front door, my heart racing. Jack looked through the peephole and then turned to me with wide eyes.

“It’s him,” his said angrily through his teeth.

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