Page 16 of Adam

I sneak out of the private bathroom and walk toward the exit. As I get to the doors, I hear a woman scream. She’s found his body, but it’s too late.

Security and employees are scrambling around. I duck into a crowd of people who are gossiping about what happened. “I heard it’s food poisoning!” I say, causing the overly expensive plastic surgery wife to gasp.

I break away from the group, climb into my rental car, and drive off. I drop the rental off and quickly leave.

Driving my car back to my secluded cabin, I drop the paperwork from the rental company into the metal bin and burn it. I brought Kevin and myself to this safe place yesterday, needing the space. From what I could tell, Kevin needed the space too.

Walking down to the basement where I keep my prisoner, I pull out the to-go bags and sit in front of Kevin. He is locked up against the wall but seems more content with the accommodations. A cot, one like we used in the military while on deployment, sits against the wall with a few blankets. A small bucket next to the cot has several uses. Right now, it is a table for eating. The dim lighting is just enough to keep him comfortable. Too much light or darkness hinders someone with excessive PTSD, like Kevin and I have.

“Are you allergic to anything?” I ask.

“No.” He stares, confused.

“Good. I’ve got a seafood platter or club sandwich,” I offer.

“Club sandwich.” He eyes the bins.

I hand him the sandwich and sit back in my chair. He devours it in no time. When I am gone for an extended period of time, Kevin may not eat.

“How do you like your new accommodations?” I look around the basement of the secluded cabin. This is my home.

“Cozy.” He shrugs his shoulders.

“Good. Do you want to call Reese?”

His eyes light up like a child’s. “Yes!”

I nod and take out a spare phone. You really can never have too many. I dial her number and before I press call, I eye him.

“You say nothing of where you are or what you are doing. This is a short and sweet conversation and that’s it!”

He nods in agreement and I hit call. It rings a few times before her sweet voice comes on the line. I can only imagine the sweet coffee breath that escapes from her perfect pink lips.

“Hello?” she answers.

“Hey,” he says between bites. “Had a lunch break and wanted to call. I’m sorry, Reese.”

“Kevin! You sack of shit! God, I’m so glad to hear your voice!” She laughs.

Kevin laughs along. “I’m sorry for the silence, just needed to get sorted.”

“Are you? Sorted?” she asks.

“Getting there.” He eyes me. I nod my head and he knows. “Need to go, but I promise to call soon.”

“Okay, I trust you. I love you,” she says.

“Love you too.”

He nods and I hang up the phone.

“Thank you, she needed that,” he tells me.

“You both did,” I say. Kevin still looks like he needs more reassurance. “I’m keeping my promise. The end of all this and I’ll let you go. You’ll never see me again.”

He stares me down and isn’t sure if he can trust me. I accept that.

I stand and walk back upstairs to the kitchen. I look out the window above the sink and see the lake that the cabin backs up to. It’s a little way out from the house, but the gentle waves have always soothed the rough waters in my head.

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