Page 164 of Hayden's Stalker

Sarah’s voice is muffled, but she says, “You did beautifully, sugar.”

There’s silence for a few moments, and I think it’s because I just can’t hear Daniel’s voice, but then he talks, and he’s out of breath, which makes me think she might have kissed him.

“Thanks, bunny.” He has a sickly sweet tone that I’ve never heard him use before. “I did it all for you.”

“Yes, you did. I love you so much. I’m proud of you.” There’s silence again before she says, “Come see me out.”

As she says it, her voice gets farther away, and their footsteps sound as their voices get completely muffled, and I can no longer hear anything. I start to yank on the ropes again, trying to work them loose, but they seem as tight as ever.

I relax against the bed, exhausted both physically and emotionally as it all hits me at once. I’m stuck here with these people until Tati finds me. I know she will. She has to. I need her to come and save me because I will not survive if she doesn’t.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that I would rather die than be with Sarah. That knowledge weighs heavy in the pit of my stomach as the sound of heavy footsteps coming closer to this room rings out from the hallway.

Fear

Def.

24

The Reason

Daniel doesn’t comeinto the room straight away, and I’m grateful. I don’t want to see his face. I don’t want to think about his betrayal. I listen to the shuffling noises he makes, and I think about Tati.

I’m only meant to worry about her at noon every day, but I can’t stop myself from worrying about her now. Did the drugs harm her? I need, more than anything, to know if she would be okay after them, and I think it’s better to ask Daniel this question than Sarah.

At the same time, I can’t bring myself to call out to him and ask him to come into the room. Being alone is a relief and a blessing, though, because it leaves me time to think, and I watch the clock as two, then three hours pass by.

I spend a good part of the first hour trying to quietly attempt to get myself out of the ropes, but I don’t make any progress. My arm strength is pretty good from drumming, but there’s a painful ache from being tied up for so long already. I want to move into a more comfortable position, but if I could manage that, I would run the fuck out of here in a heartbeat.

Daniel makes shuffling noises in the rest of the cabin, and my stomach rumbles as hunger starts to take hold. Once I give up on trying to get free, I have nothing to do but dwell on my situation. Tati has told me so many times that she doesn’t think my stalker wants to kill me, but that almost makes this situation worse. The thought of being made to fuck Sarah makes me want to kill myself, and that is terrifying.

I’ve never been suicidal, but the idea of being held here forever and forced to be in some kind of sick relationship with her is unbearable. I want Tati. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I don’t want Sarah. I never will.

I close my eyes and think about the woman I love. I summon a visualization of us in the tour bus this morning. In my mind, my arms and legs are free, and Tati is warm and safe against me. I smile as I hold her and kiss the top of her head. I can practically hear her soft breathing, and I relax in this beautiful moment.

“Wake the fuck up. Sarah says you need to be given food,” Daniel snarls, and I’m confused by the anger in his voice, followed immediately by pain in my arms and legs as I yank against the restraints holding me back.

I blink as I look around the room, and it all comes rushing back to me. Where I am and who I’m with. Nausea threatens to overwhelm me, but I fight it as I ask the question I need the answer to more than anything else.

“Will Tati be okay?”

Daniel’s nostrils flare, and he shrugs as he walks toward me with some pieces of toast on a plate. “Probably.”

“What did you give her?” I ask quickly.

“God, you’re such a fucking rock star. You’re not entitled to answers, asshole.”

It’s such a sharp departure from the friendly guy I’ve gotten to know over the course of the tour that I’m taken aback. None of this makes sense. I don’t understand any of it.

I stare up at him when he stops next to my bed. “Why are you doing this? This isn’t like you, Daniel.”

“You don’t even know me. I was never your friend. I know you thought I wanted your bitch, but I would never want anyone but Sarah.”

Just hearing her name brings the nausea rushing back, and I have to resist the urge to pull against the restraints again. I want out of here, but maybe if he loves her, then I can use that to convince him to let me go.

“So you’re doing this for her? Why?”

He narrows his eyes at me. “Because she loves me, and I’d do anything for the woman I love.” He pushes the toast into my mouth when I open it to ask him more. “Enough of the twenty questions.”

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