Page 90 of Loving Violet
His words send a chill down my spine.
It was John this whole time.
The realization hits me like a freight train, and I feel the air rush out of my lungs.
“Why, John? Why are you doing this?” I ask, my voice trembling.
John Baker has always been so nice to me. He comes to the coffee shop every morning even when he’s not working and helping out. I never saw anything suspicious about him.
“You wouldn’t understand, Violet,” he says softly. “But don’t worry. You’ll come to see things my way. In time.”
I feel panic rising again, threatening to overwhelm me. But I have to stay calm. I need to find a way out of here. “Please, John, let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
He shakes his head slowly. “I can’t do that, Violet. You’re safe here with me. Just relax and everything will be fine.”
“But what about Miriam and your kids? Please don’t do this.”
“It’s okay, my little flower. They are going to be okay. Just relax. Nothing’s going to happen to you while you are with me.”
I nod, pretending to agree, but my mind is racing.
John turns on a gas light in the corner, and I can finally see my surroundings. This is indeed a hunting cabin, and I am stuck with this delusional man. He looks crazy as he takes up the frame of the cabin door. His friendly demeanor is now gone, instead I see a different man.
I would have never suspected him. John and Miriam Baker come to the shop almost every day. Their daughter is on the soccer team with Adrian, and they are good friends.
Poor Miriam and their kids. John will be in so much trouble if he doesn’t stop this madness.
Wait, he is already in so much trouble.
I see John walking around the cabin, checking the area. “John, please let me go. Don’t do this to your family. Miriam and the kids will be devastated if they find out what you are doing. It’s not too late. I won’t say anything. Just take me back to town, and we can forget about this.” I try to use his family to make him see reason.
John turns to face me, his expression softening for a moment before hardening again. “Little flower, I have been watching you since you arrived in town. I’ve shown you how much I love you, but you have ignored every one of my presents. Then I tried talking to you, but you always dismissed me. Then you started seeing that idiot, Austin. I warned you that you had to choose me, but again, you ignored me.”
My heart races as I listen to him. This man is completely unhinged. “John, what you’re doing is not love. It's an obsession. You need help. Please, let me go and get the help you need.”
He shakes his head, a look of sadness crossing his face. “You don’t understand, Violet. I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I’m going to make sure you understand that.”
I swallow hard, trying to keep my composure. “John, this isn’t the way. You can’t force someone to love you. It’s not real. It’s not right.”
John walks over to me, his eyes filled with a mix of longing and determination. “You’ll see, Violet. In time, you’ll see.”
I take a deep breath, trying to think of a way to escape. I have to stay calm and keep my wits about me. There must be something I can use to my advantage.
“John, can we at least talk about this? Maybe if you tell me why you feel this way, I can understand better,” I say, trying to buy myself some time.
He seems to consider my words for a moment, then nods. “Alright, we can talk. But you’re not leaving here, Violet. Not until you understand how much I love you.” John crowds my space cornering me on the table. Giving me no choice but to sit as he leans over me.
As he starts to speak, I listen carefully, my mind racing.
“You must understand Violet, I love you. I want you, need you. The moment I first saw you, I realized that you are my air, my water, the blood in my body. I knew that it was wrong, and I tried. I really tried to stop thinking about you. But every morning that I got to see your beautiful face made me want you more.” John keeps talking nonsense as I keep thinking that I need to find a way out of this cabin. I need to stay strong and not let fear overwhelm me. I have to find a way to survive this.
Chapter 30
Austin
Violet has been missingfor half an hour and panic has started to creep into everyone’s faces. We have searched all of the nearby places: the parking lot, inside the school, every bathroom. She’s nowhere to be found.
I feel so useless.
