The Quiet Game (Pushed Aside Book 1) Page 10

  The next few weeks Jen and I are even more inseparable than we were before. I have been dreading telling her that I am planning on leaving after the school year is over. When Jaxon finally texts me that everything is set for me to move back once school is out, the nagging feeling turns into full-on guilt. A giant knot has formed deep in my stomach and I know the only way to get rid of it is to talk to Jen. Not telling her is eating me up inside; I need to let her know what’s going on. I hand her my phone so she can read the text Jaxson sent me.

  Her eyes go wide as soon as she read it. “You’re leaving me?” She looks at me with a mixture of anger and hurt, throwing the phone on my bed before she stomps to the bathroom. She takes a shower so long there is no way any hot water is left by the time she gets out. I wait patiently on my bed with my hands in my lap wishing Jaxon was here right now to talk to her for me.

  When she gets back she looks calm and composed. She takes a seat next to me.

  “I have decided that you and Jaxon will get married and adopt me, this is the only way I can go on living,” she says in a dramatic voice.

  I know she is joking but the thought of us three living together has now entered my mind. I can’t help but think of it as the perfect version of our lives. An alternative reality of sorts where everybody is happy and all problems are nonexistent.

  That night we are both relaxing in our room. I’m in my bed listening to music. Jen is lying in her own bed reading a book. I look at my phone every five minutes, but Jaxon still hasn’t sent me a text. I’m starting to get worried. He messages me multiple times a day and he especially never misses a good night text. Now he hasn’t texted since this morning, even though I messaged him five times already.

  “Maybe he is busy with work.” Jen tries to console me from her bed.

  She is probably right. I am overreacting. I am trying my hardest to concentrate on the music and not on the scenarios running through my head of Jaxon being in trouble.

  My phone buzzes and I grab for it so quickly that I accidentally knock it off my bed. I scramble to the floor to retrieve my phone and read the text.

  JAXON: SORRY I HAVE BEEN SUPER BUSY TODAY.

  ME: IT’S OK. I WAS JUST WORRIED ABOUT YOU.

  JAXON: I’M SORRY. I WILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU BUT I CANNOT TEXT ANYMORE THE REST OF THE NIGHT.

  ME: WHY?

  JAXON: I’M STAYING WITH THIS GIRL AND I DON’T WANT HER TO THINK I’M NOT PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO HER.

  What! He is staying with a girl? Why would he tell me this? Before I can respond to my phone buzzes once more.

  JAXON: THAT IS, IF THE GIRL OPENS HER WINDOW AND LETS ME IN.

  I want to smack him for scaring me like that but once he comes through the window of my room, all I want to do is hug and kiss him.

  Jen gets up from the bed, placing her hands on her hips and looking over Jaxon’s shoulder expectantly.

  “You couldn’t have brought a friend?” She asks him disapprovingly.

  “Sorry. Maybe next time,” he says apologetically.

  Jen rolls her eyes and lets herself fall back onto her bed. “Well at least be quiet while I’m trying to read.”

  Quiet? What does she think we are going to do here? Jaxon takes off his boots off and nudges me towards the bed. I get on one side of the mattress and Jaxon lays his, way too large for my bed, body next to mine. Just like last time, he doesn’t get under the blanket or takes any of his clothes off.

  At least there won't be a question on what we were doing in here if someone happens to come into our room. I’m not so worried about it though. No one ever really checks on us at night and even if they do, I think Sarah knows Jaxon well enough to let it slide.

  We cuddle up in my tiny bed just like we did in the hospital. My ribs, my hand, and my face are almost back to normal but we still chose that spooning position. Our backs are toward the room and we are facing the wall, making me feel like he is sheltering me from the world. His face is right next to my ear and his breath tickles me when he whispers, “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too,” I whisper back and smile to myself.

  I try to go to sleep, but then I let out the question I’ve been burning to ask. “Why do you never sleep under the blanket with me?”

  “I think you are perceptive enough to know why,” he chuckles.

  “You don’t want to have sex?” I ask, shaking my head slightly. I can’t believe I just said that.

  “The opposite actually, I do, and if I get under that blanket with you I won't be able to stop myself.” For a moment I forget how to breathe and I’m so glad he doesn’t see my face right now. I’m sure the mixture of embarrassment and anticipation I’m feeling is written all over it. I’m thinking about the first time he was lying in my bed and the passionate kiss we shared that time. I want that again…and more. Having him so close and then thinking about being with him without clothes and blankets in between us has my body humming.

  “I want you under my blanket,” I say, almost too quiet for him to hear.

  “Not today,” he whispers back, surprisingly he doesn’t seem uncomfortable to talk about this.

  “Why not?”

  My question makes him chuckle so hard, it makes the bed move. “Mostly because we promised your friend, who is sleeping a few feet away from us, to be quiet.”

  I can’t believe I forgot about Jen. As always when I’m close to Jaxon, I seem to forget my surroundings and only see him.

  “So, when I move back in two weeks…maybe I can stay with you that weekend and…”

  Now he is full on laughing. “Are you trying to schedule sex with me?”

  My face feels like it is about to set my pillow on fire.

  What am I thinking? Why did I say that?

  By the time I fall asleep, I’m still embarrassed about my shameless proposition, but still, I sleep better than I have in a long time, maybe ever.

  I wake up just when he tries to sneak out in the morning. I want to beg him not to go but I know he needs to and I also know that I will see him again soon. He kisses me one more time before leaving me in bed with an empty cold space next to me.

  The last day of school is finally over and I am packed and ready to go. Sarah is driving me back to my old foster home and she’s letting Jen tag along. I’m more than happy that Jen seems to be okay with me moving now. She made me promise to text every day, to come and visit her once a month and that she can come and visit me whenever she feels like it. I’m perfectly fine with those terms. We’re all cheery on our little road trip, listening to music and even singing along a bit. I’m excited to see Brad and Christine this afternoon, but I’m ecstatic to see Jaxon tonight. He promised he would come over as soon as he gets done with some super important appointment. Whatever that means.

  When we get to my old house I walk in without knocking as if I never left. Sarah and Jen are right behind me.

  “Hello?” I say loudly, but no one answers.

  That's odd. I keep walking through the house with Sarah and Jen following me step by step. I walk through the kitchen and a muffled sound leads me into the living room.

  I freeze in the doorway. I blink, unable to believe what I’m seeing. Christine and Brad are both lying on the floor, their hands are tied behind their backs, feet are tied together by their ankles and rags are covering their mouths so they can’t talk or scream. I'm so in shock I literally can’t move, or speak, or breathe. Sarah pushes past me and kneels next to Christine tugging on the gag in her mouth. Christine is shaking her head and looking towards the wall. We all follow her gaze and spot the person standing in the far corner holding a gun, pointed at us. More so, he is pointing it straight at me.

  “Hello little girl,” Colt greets me.

  His eyes are bloodshot and his pupils are so dilated that his eye color is not visible. He moves closer to me with jerky movements. His arms and shoulders are twitching unnaturally.

  “You caused me a lot of problems, you know that? Everything was
great before you came along.”

  I'm staring down the barrel of his gun as he walks closer to me still pointing it at my head. My lungs start burning and I’m forced to suck in a shaky breath. In my peripheral vision, I can see Jen standing a foot away from me. Not moving, probably in shock. I wish she wasn’t here right now. She has been through so much and now it's my fault she is here.

  “What do you want?” Sarah asks, her voice surprisingly strong.

  “I want a lot of things, starting with you tying up this chick,” Colt says pointing the gun briefly at Jen before pointing it back to my head.

  Sarah looks around and spots the rope on the table. She moves slowly like she is scared to make any sudden movements. Colt looks at Jen and jerks his head towards the floor. Jen kneels down next to Sarah and lets her tie her hands and feet together. Sarah can barely tie a knot because her hands are shaking so hard. When she is done he grabs the rope from her, keeping the gun on me the whole time.

  “Now get on your stomach so I can tie you up. Then Eliza and I are going to take a little road trip.”

  “No,” Sarah yells at him and gets up suddenly.

  “Don’t be stupid, Bitch,” Colt warns her. “Just do what I say and everybody will be fine.”

  “Take me instead, please, she is just a kid,” Sarah pleads, taking a step toward him.

  That’s when he swings the gun in her direction. “I don’t think I can get Jaxon to do what I want with you as my hostage, so don’t be stupid and sit your ass down.”

  Sarah ignores him taking another step. “I can’t let you take her.”

  “I’m not playing with you. Back on the floor.”

  Please, please, sit down Sarah, is all I can think, but she is determined. She takes another step raising both of her hands in front of her like she is trying to calm a wild animal. That is exactly what Colt looks like at this moment, more a wild animal than the young man that he is. He backs up from her, not wanting her to come closer, but she still keeps going.

  Then everything happens so fast. Sarah suddenly lunges at Colt, trying to grab the gun from him. Colt tries to push her off, while they both fight for the gun. I want to go and help her but fear has paralyzed me.

  I hear the loud sound of a gun going off and my heart stops beating. I hear the shot, but nothing else. I see her body fall to the ground, but I don’t hear the sound. I see Sarah’s mouth opening, as if she is trying to tell me something, but I can’t hear her voice.

  I look down at her hands. She is holding her stomach, covering her slender fingers with her other hand. Her white blouse is quickly turning bright red as the blood is seeping through the fabric. This is a dream…it must be a dream. My body suddenly snaps out of it and moves on its own, I'm trying to get to her, hold her. I want to tell her she is going to be fine but cruel hands grab me and start dragging me out of the room. The last thing I see is Sarah’s eyes vacantly staring back at me and I already know that this image will forever be etched into my mind.

  Colt pulls me out the back door. One hand is gripping my arm tightly, the other digging the gun into my ribs. The same gun he just shot Sarah with, the barrel is still warm. I look around, hoping to see somebody, anybody. The shot must have been loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Someone must already be on the phone with the cops. Colt drags me to the back of a car and opens the trunk. He pulls my cell phone out of my jeans pocket and shoves it in his own, then he shoves me in the trunk and closes it, confining me to the small, dark space.

  Darkness surrounds me while I’m trying to form a single thought. The car engine roars to life and we are starting to move. I need to find a way out of here, out of this situation. I'm trying to think of what to do, but the image of poor Sarah lying motionless on the floor is taking up all my thoughts. Sweet, innocent Sarah who wouldn't hurt a fly. She was so selfless and caring, with a heart of gold, why her? All she wanted to do was help. It just doesn't make any sense. She was there a minute ago, we were carefree and laughing in the car and now she is gone, just like that. The light that was in her eyes, that surrounded her, snuffed out in an instant. For what? What could Colt possibly want that was worth killing her for.

  After driving for a while the ride gets a lot bumpier, we must have turned on some kind of dirt road. When we finally stop I anticipate him opening the trunk and think that this might be my only chance. Maybe I can surprise him and push him over. I’m not strong but I can run fairly fast. I just need to get away so I can run. He doesn't open the trunk right away. I feel like the air in here is getting thinner and I’m lightheaded and disoriented by the time he finally opens the lid.

  My plan on running away dissipates. As soon as he opens the trunk he grabs my arms and pulls me out of the trunk.

  “This wasn’t supposed to happen this way…she wasn’t supposed to do that. Why would she do that?” Colt rambles on while he is walking me away from the car and I’m not sure if he is talking to me or to himself.

  Once I regain my bearings I look around and freeze. My legs stop moving suddenly, apparently aggravating Colt.

  .“Walk!” He barks at me and points me to the old run-down trailer. I look around, realizing we are out in the middle of nowhere. I don’t see a road or another house anywhere in sight, there is nothing but fields and trees in all directions. I walk like a baby deer, unsteady and wobbly on my feet. I stop in front of the door waiting for him to pass me but instead he walks off to the side, startling me when he kicks a bucket into the field.

  “I told you not to leave your shit laying around!” He yells to no one in particular.

  When he turns back to face me he looks at me confused like he doesn't know who I am or why I am here. Then he snaps out of whatever he was just experiencing and heads my way. He grabs me, opens the trailer door and pushes me in. Inside he makes me sit on a chair and uses a thick rope to tie my torso to the chair. When he is done, he walks around the doublewide trailer murmuring to himself. He stops at a cabinet and starts rifling through it. All of a sudden he screams into an empty corner of the trailer.

  “I told you to shut up. Just shut up!”

  I’m so scared, I’m shaking like a leaf. He must be hallucinating. He looks completely out of it and that is the scariest part of this situation. I don’t think he knows what he did or what he is doing. There is no reasoning with him.

  He stops searching for whatever he was looking for and sits down on a beat-up couch across from me. He looks at me but I’m not sure if he even sees me. Suddenly, he gets up and walks out of the trailer leaving me tied up and alone.

  I don’t know how long I try to wiggle out of the rope. The skin on my arms and wrists hurt and my muscles are sore. It’s dark outside now and Colt hasn’t come back in but I can occasionally hear him scream or break something outside. I'm so exhausted and hurt, I give up trying to get free and just sit there waiting. I’m unbelievably tired but for some reason, I don’t want to fall asleep. It doesn't really make sense, I’m helpless either way I think to myself. I keep dozing off but jerking back awake when my head falls to the side of me in this unnatural sleeping position. At some point, I must have lost the fight.

  I dream of Sarah lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. She is looking at me with her beautiful eyes. Her long lashes wet and not moving. Her mouth is open just a little and her lips are dry and cracked. Her skin looks so pale it is almost translucent. The blood expands around her, coming toward me. I look down to my feet and watch it flow over my shoes. When I look back to Sarah something has changed. The blood is gone and she is wearing a dress now, one that I never saw her wear before. When I step closer I realize it is not Sarah at all anymore. It’s someone else. A woman I don’t know. I study her long blond hair and her big blue eyes. Her slender face reminds me of what I see when I look in the mirror. She could be an older version of myself. Maybe it is me? Maybe I died instead of Sarah.

  19

  Jaxon

  I look at my phone and read the message for the hundredth time.

&n
bsp; COLT: SIGN THE CLUB OVER INTO MY NAME OR SHE DIES. CALL THE COPS AND SHE DIES.

  I’m clinging to my phone in one hand and holding the deed to the club in the other. I don’t care about the club or the money. He can have it all. I will give him whatever he wants. I just want her back. Why is he not answering his phone? How am I supposed to give him what he wants if he doesn’t call me back? I didn’t call the cops. Someone else did. Brad, Christine, and Jen are at the hospital getting checked out.

  One of their neighbors heard the gunshot and called the cops, but unfortunately it was too late for Sarah. By the time the paramedics got there, she was long gone. I still can’t comprehend what Colt did or what he is doing right now. I don’t want to imagine Eliza hurt, or worse. The thought of her suffering while I’m sitting here helplessly waiting is killing me.

  I’m pacing back and forth in my living room. Hunter is sitting on my couch staring at his phone. We’ve called and texted anybody we know who could possibly know where Colt is hiding. We came up with absolutely nothing. We are his closest friends, we should know where he could be, but we had no idea. He is usually at the club or at his apartment and he isn’t in either place.

  Hunter finally breaks the silence. “Maybe we should involve the cops.”

  “Jenna told me that he looked like, he was high on something. He was acting all out of it, twitching and shit. If he sees the cops now he is going to freak out and hurt her. We are the only two people who can calm him down.”

  Hunter nods in agreement. “You are probably right, but maybe they can track his phone or something. Give us a location or at least point us in the right direction.”

  That’s when it clicks in my head “I’m such an idiot.”