Page 39 of Quiet Rage
My legs stop moving, and my spine straightens as he approaches.
“Please just leave me alone,” I beg. “I’m tired, and I haven't eaten. Please… just let me go home.”
“I want you to come with me,” he announces, completely ignoring my plea.
I sigh in frustration. I’m so over being pushed around.
I cross my arms in front of my chest. Glancing around the street, I notice a couple walking across from us and a man sweeping the sidewalk a little further down from that. It’s still light outside, and we are not alone. What would Kellen do if I say no? Would he really drag me to the car if I were to fight him?
As if Kellen read my mind, he shakes his head, looking at me like he is disappointed I would even think about disobeying him.
“I’m not going with you,” I say, surprising myself how strong my voice comes out.
His gaze darkens at my rejection. “Get in the car.”
“No.” I take a step back, but he takes one long stride, eating up all the distance between us. He is so fast, I don’t have time to react. His arm wraps around my torso, and he pulls me flush into his side.
One arm. It only takes him one arm to subdue me. He guides me to his car, and fear sets in. I dig my heels into the ground, desperately trying to stop him from getting me inside his vehicle.
With an annoyed huff, he picks me up and carries me the rest of the way. He puts me down next to the car and opens the door for me.
“Get in,” he orders.
“Please just let me go,” I try again, but Kellen just shakes his head and places his hand on my shoulder.
I expect him to push me down and shove me into the car, but he just waits for me to get in myself.
“Nothing bad is going to happen,” he offers, but I don’t know if I can believe him.
“Where are you going to take me?”
“Dinner.”
“Dinner?” I ask, dumbfounded.
He nods his head. “You just said you haven’t eaten, so let’s go eat.”
I’m starving, but I'd rather go to bed hungry than to go to dinner with Kellen. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like he is giving me a choice. His body is caging me in and the only place for me to go is inside of his car.
I look around the street again. The couple is gone now and the man sweeping has his back turned to us. There is no one here to help me.
I let my head hang low with defeat as I climb into the car. Kellen waits for me to sit and get buckled before he shuts the door and walks around the car, watching me the entire time. He gets behind the wheel and starts the engine.
A knot forms in my stomach as he pulls out onto the street. He said nothing bad will happen. I probably should not believe him, but my anxious brain wants to really badly, so I give in to the thought. I convince myself that I’m really safe, and he is just going to take me to dinner.
It works for a bit, but doubt and worry creep their way back into my mind. Why would he want to take me out to eat? There has to be more to this. I just can never figure him out. Why is he doing all these things to me?
Kellen drives us out of town and gets onto the highway.
“Is this place you’re taking me far away?” I ask, when I can’t take not knowing anything any longer.
“No. We’re almost there.”
A few minutes later, he takes the exit. We drive for another mile or so before a small diner comes into view. A large neon sign, Ruby's Diner, sits on top of the building. Kellen pulls into the parking lot and finds an empty spot. I’m still nervous, but I’m not panicking anymore. So far, he is keeping his word.
I unbuckle and get out of the car. Kellen meets me in front of the hood and together we walk into the diner. The hostess gives us a warm smile as we step up to her table.
“Hi, welcome to Ruby’s Diner. Is it just the two of you today?” she asks in a friendly customer service voice.
