Page 44 of Ensnared By Silence
My heart raced and my mouth went dry as I felt a pounding behind my eyes. With the door cracked open, I stood in the middle of Hayden’s bedroom and felt my heart shatter into a million pieces.
“Have you been giving your dick warmer a workout?” Tucker’s voice filtered into the room and I slapped my hand over my mouth, fighting the vomit pressing up my throat.
Hayden laughed a cruel laugh, and I shook as he replied, “I’ve taken her for a ride a few times since I got back. I had a lot of frustration to work out on her cunt.”
Was he talking about me? He hadn’t touched me, so was there someone else? And why was he being so crude?
A round of raucous laughter filled the room and grabbed hold of the shame that reminded me I was a worthless piece of garbage that no one would ever love. I had forgotten for a while, but realizing the man I opened my heart to was a cohort of those three vile assholes, my resolve to leave was solidified.
“What are you doing here?” Hayden asked, and I swiped at the tears falling down my face.
“I had such a good time with you yesterday, I thought I would come hang out with you before I flew home on Sunday night. Hanging with my step-bro is better than having to deal with Agnes and my dad for the weekend.”
Yesterday, Hayden went home. Now, the pieces were clicking together. Agnes and Richard were Tucker and Wesley’s parents. Fuck, it all makes sense now. Hayden used me to protect his family and everything he told me made sense. He went home to ensure they were protected, and now, they were here to shut me up for good.Fuck! I had to get out of here without any of them seeing me. If I had a head start, I could be gone before anyone realized.
“That’s great, man, but I’m headed out of town this afternoon.”
“Then we’ll hang for a bit, shoot the shit, and have a few beers before you get on the road,” a second voice said. I ran to the bathroom and threw up the coffee I drank earlier.
Jared and Tucker were downstairs, and an irrational fear overtook me. Was this meant to be the end of me? Was Wesley coming? Were they going to take advantage of me again?
Was Hayden a part of this?
I watched as one of them clapped Hayden on the back and the three men walked out the back door, closing it behind them. I could see Hayden glance over his shoulder before moving away from the door, and I used their absence as my chance to escape.
I would not be a victim again, and as I sprinted as quietly down the stairs as possible, I vowed this was the last time I opened myself up to anyone. A life of solitude was better than a life filled with betrayal.
I slid my feet into my shoes as I slung my laptop bag over my shoulder with my eyes locked on the back door, fearful they were about to come back inside. I had to get away from them, and with one last glance over my shoulder, I opened the front door and quietly closed it behind me. The smell of weed wafted around the house and I tiptoed across the front porch and down the three stairs.
Gravel crunched under my feet and I was terrified they would hear me. Fumbling with my keys, I opened the car door, thankful I wasn’t driving the old beater car from high school. Tucker would have immediately known I was inside and my window to escape would have been closed. I pulled the door with a soft tug and clicked my seat belt in place.
Tears filled my eyes and I prayed they wouldn’t chase after me as I cranked the car and threw it into reverse. I backed up and quickly pulled away from Hayden’s house. The tree-covered driveway led to the main road in his small neighborhood, and as I exited onto it, I let the tears freely flow at his duplicity and the anguish my heart was enduring from the lies.
Grateful I never told Hayden how much I loved him, knowing they would all get a big laugh over my stupidity, I drove to my small rental house and sprinted inside. I had to disappear, and as I unlocked my door, I had the overwhelming fear I was being watched. Looking over my shoulder and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I quickly locked myself inside and ran into the bedroom.
The house was mostly furnished when I moved in, but I would have to leave my bed and dresser behind. The two suitcases I had would have to suffice as I crammed as much clothes as I could into them. Sweeping my bathroom items into a grocery bag, I placed the bags on the floor near the front door and grabbed the files James sent home with me last night.
I prayed I could work out something with the Callahan brothers regarding my job and working remotely from a new location. If not, I would return everything to them and hope to find something else to pay the bills. At this point, I couldn’t worry about what would happen tomorrow. I needed to focus on getting away before Hayden and those cruel assholes came looking for me.
The pain lanced through my chest and I caught myself on the small counter, my breaths stilted and my stomach rolling. I allowed myself one minute to cry, and my knees buckled under me, the cold linoleum seeping through my pants legs as I sobbed and shook from the heartache.
I grew to love my life over the past few months, and I would miss my friends immensely. Pulling myself up from the floor, I wiped my tear-stained cheeks and took food out of the cabinets, packing them into a box. Knowing I should let Mathias know I was leaving, I went to send him a quick text message when my phone rang.
I saw Hayden’s name flash on the screen and panic overtook me. I declined the call and rushed to shove as much non-perishable food into the box as I could carry. After two frantic trips to the car, I had all my portable possessions packed into the trunk and backseat. I made one last sweep of the house and let the tears fall as I walked away from my first home.
Mathias left late last night for training in California for the next few months, so I’d send him a text after I find some place to settle. Until then, I needed to forget about Pierce Bluff, Hayden Winchester, and all the friends I would leave behind.
I pulled out of the driveway, and when I got back on the main road, I debated which direction to go. West took me out of Tennessee within a few hours and east took me back toward Portstill. Portstill was my past, so I turned right and pointed my car to the west. The tears slowed as I drove, and just as I was reaching the end of the Pierce Bluff city limits, I wished I could have spent one more day sitting at the lake, listening to the lapping of the water on the shore as the sun shone down on my face.
I didn’t think I would ever feel the warmth of the sun again as a cold deadness washed over me. The tears slowed to a stop and my insides turned to stone as the miles ticked away. Pierce Bluff was now a part of my past, and by the time I entered Missouri, I felt nothing.
No pain, no sadness, no regrets.
There was a big, blank hole inside and nothing or no one would be able to get through all the protection I’d built around my heart ever again. Everything I experienced in my past disappeared into the darkness inside that was slowly eating away the light. My stomach growled, so I pulled my car into a truck stop. I grabbed a large coffee, food, some snacks for later, filled my car up, and pulled over to a shaded area in the side parking lot. As I ate the tasteless burger and soggy fries, I got the feeling again that I was being watched.
My eyes swung around, and it was then I saw the red pickup truck parked about a hundred yards from me. I looked behind the wheel and saw Skid sitting there, his eyes locked on me. I shook my head and exited the car. He pulled his big truck closer to me, and as he exited, I could see his reservations.
“Aubrey, are you okay?” he asked and took one step toward me.
