“I’m sorry.”
It’s the last thing I hear before nothingness overtakes me.
Chapter 83
Sawyer
Iwake up groggy, my limbs heavy. I glance around, trying to clear my vision. Grey walls. Low light.
Wait. Am I…in the cell?
I try to move, but I can’t. I glance down. I’m…tied to a chair?
Oh fuck. Ryder. Cali.
Adrenaline races through me. Cali. Where is Cali?
I shout for her, but I know this room is padded. Not much will get out, but I still try.
How long has it been? Fuck, fuck, fuck. If he kills her, I’ll never forgive him. Fuck! What if he kills her?
I rip at the zip ties so hard the chair falls over. I hit the ground with a thump, all the breath knocked out of me.
Jesus Christ, I feel like shit. My head pounds, and I feel like I’m going to throw up.
But that doesn’t matter. Nothing does. Cali is the only thing that matters anymore.
I struggle for a while, not getting anywhere. Ryder knows how to tie someone down and has multiple ties, and now I can see handcuffs around my ankles.
Helplessness washes over me. Oh my god, I’m going to lose her.
The last thing she’s going to feel for me is hate.
My chest hurts. Everything hurts. The bugs are back, skittering up and down my arms.
Fuck, I don’t want her to think that I hate her.
I jerk back and forth on the ground so hard that I throw up. There’s not much that comes up since I haven’t eaten much in the last few days. I’ve been worried about her. Trying to figure out how to fix what I fucked up.
“Cali!” I cough her name. “Please, Cali, come back.”
My throat tightens, and heat pricks at my eyes. I glare at the spot of bile. It’s a dark puddle compared to the pockmarked, stained gray floor.
I zone out, staring at it. I didn't realize how much it looks like my mom’s old carpet.
We never mop down here. Why don’t we ever mop down here?
Chapter 84
Cali
Halloweiner screamed for the first part of our drive. He’s finally quieted down, but I sit anxious, praying he doesn’t pee. He’s only in a cardboard box, and any little thing could set Ryder off.
Ryder looks calm. He hasn’t said a word to me, just drives in silence. It puts me on edge. He said he wouldn’t kill me, but does his word mean as much as Sawyer’s?
My heart squeezes. I’ve taken a step that I can’t come back from. I just threw away everything that I had with them, and my chest tightens. I can’t help but feel like I did something wrong.
This is wrong. So wrong. But I deserve my freedom. It’s what I wanted, right?