I hear a long sigh on the other end, and then another humorless laugh.
“So, funny story. Guess who’s holding a gun to my temple?”
“What?”
“Yeah. Turns out Carmelo’s kind of pissed about the fact that I helped you and Lia get away. So, uhm, anyway, he’s got a gun, and if I don’t tell him where Lia is… I’m dead.”
The world comes to a standstill. Ice rips through me, followed by bone-deep numbness. I sag to my knees on the soft ground.
“That’s right.” The voice of my best friend, the person I’ve worshiped all my life, the only person I’ve ever been able to count on, cuts me. “It’s a case of Lia or me. So tell me, Logan. Who’s it going to be?”
32
Lia
He’s lucky I’m in love with him, I think to myself for about the thousandth time in a row.
I’ve been kneeling naked on the forest ground for what feels like hours. It’s definitely been atleastan hour. I’ve had time to walk leisurely around, try out a number of different hiding spots, and finally, remove my dress and kneel on the ground, my fingers laced above my head in the position he prefers.
I’ve tried to think of some sob stories, but even the saddest thing to have happened to me isn’t enough to get me to cry right now. I’ve never been happier. If this continues, I won’t be able to cry at all anymore, and that’s too bad, because Logan wasn’t lying when he said my tears turned him on.
By the time I hear his footsteps approaching, my arms are numb from the way I’ve kept them above my head for such a long time. My knees are sore, and my tits ache with the memory of the slaps he gave them earlier, and the knowledge that more hard smacks are probably in my near future.
But one look at Logan, and I know something is wrong.
“What the fuck are you doing, Lia? Get up. Get dressed.”
“Uh…” Any anxiety I had at the sight of his unnaturally paleface melts under humiliated anger. “What iswrongwith you? I did this for you! Asshole!You’rethe one who wanted me to run out into the woods and—”
“Enough.” He claps a hand over my mouth, before reaching down, grabbing my dress and pushing it over my head, then tugging up my panties.
“Logan—”
“Where the fuck are your shoes? Put on your fucking shoes.”
I can only gape at him as he grabs my sandals before tying the buckles, as though I’m a helpless toddler.
“Logan, you’d better fucking tell me what’s going on, because I swear to god—”
My words are interrupted yet again, this time by him grabbing me and toppling me over his shoulder.
“What’s goingon, Lia, is that Carmelo knows where you are. So quiet down and let me figure it out.”
“Fuck!”
I don’t say another word while he walks hurriedly out of the forest, making a beeline straight for the car. It’s only when he tosses me into the front seat, buckling me in, that I clutch his wrist. “Aurora. Where’s Aurora? We need to get Aurora.”
He pulls his arm away from me roughly and slams the car door. I beat on the window, suddenly terrified.
What is he doing? Are we leaving? Isn’t he taking Aurora?
“My daughter,” I cry out when he gets behind the steering wheel. “Logan, you can’t leave without my daughter…”
I hunch over, clutching my stomach, feeling like I’m going to pass out. I feel his hand on the back of my shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay, baby. It’s going to be okay.”
“My Aurora… we need to… where is she…?”