Page 68 of Wildest Desire

“Sir, I can’t. I’m sorry.” Pulling her arm out of my grip, she disappears through the door.

“Ethan, come sit down,” I hear my mom say from behind me.

“I’m fine where I am,” I tell her without taking my eyes away from the doors.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” I feel Travis’s hand on my back. “If Lexi sees you looking like this, she’s not going to be happy,” he says, stopping in front of me.

I look at him and think ‘how stupid can one person be? How totally self-absorbed I have been’ I stopped talking to my best friend because he was making my sister happy, because I was annoyed with him for crossing the line of friendship. Life is too fucking short to hold things against people, especially the ones you love.

“I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you,” I tell him. I need to put that behind me and start enjoying life. That's exactly what I plan on doing, just as soon as I get Lexi home.

“If you didn’t get pissed at me, then I would’ve worried more.” He smiles at me. “Now let's get you cleaned up.” Taking the bag from his hands, I look at the doors, hoping someone will come out. “We’re all here so someone will get you if there’s an update.” Travis pushes me toward the restroom. “So, Jackie just told us about Lexi’s real job. Four million dollars for a date? I hope you took her somewhere nice.” He’s trying to lighten the mood, and I love him for it.

“If she had taken the money, it would have been worth every damn dollar.” Stopping by the door, I turn back and look at Travis. “Will you stay by the door and wait for a doctor to come out?” I ask him. He doesn’t hesitate to reassure me.

Walking into the restroom, I start scrubbing my hands. I need to get Lexi's blood off me. The feeling of it is just a reminder of how close I am to losing her. Looking up in the mirror, I don’t even recognize the man staring back me. My eyes are wild with panic, yet look so lost. Who is this man? This isn’t who I am. I feel as lifeless as her body looked lying on that dirty warehouse floor.

After cleaning up and changing clothes, I walk back over to the door and see the detective talking to Tanya. They’re standing next to Travis, who looks over at me and shakes his head letting me know no one has come out.

“The police want your clothes,” Travis says as he comes to stand by me. Handing over the bag, he relays what he’s told the detective. “I told him about the needle in her arm and the phone call between Sam and you. They don’t need to talk to you, for now.” I turn to face him. “He got Tanya when she was on her way to work, tied her up, but never touched her after that. He wanted Lexi. Tanya said the only thing he kept saying was that Lexi was going to die today.” Putting my hands in my pockets, I bite down on my bottom lip to stop me from doing or saying anything else. I can’t think about it. I can’t let him win. I have to believe Lexi will pull through and will be fine. “Come and sit down.”

Walking over, I see Dan and Jon holding hands. Dan sees me and starts walking in my direction.

“I’m sorry. Sorry that I didn’t fulfill my promise to keep her safe. I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. Not only did I let you down, but I let her down.” I say as my eyes fill with tears. I try to blink them away, but one escapes and falls down my cheek.

"You think I've come to you to start a fight? There was only one reason Lexi wanted to run. She knew this day would happen if she stayed, but she stayed anyway because she loves you and would have done anything to keep you safe. Hell, to keep any one of us safe. She would have done anything, even if it meant dying. So, no, Ethan, I’m not here to fight with you because I know she would have done it either way. I’m standing here, in front of the man who loves my sister so much that no matter what I say, he'll still hold onto the guilt of her getting hurt. Guilt that he wasn't meant to take as his own. I’m standing in front of you to let you know we don’t blame you, and you shouldn’t blame yourself.” Dan pulls me in for a hug. “My sister is stronger than we give her credit for. Not only will she fight, she will win.”

Pulling away from me, he walks back over to Jon. I sit on the chair closest to the door, trying not to blink for fear I'll miss someone coming out to tell us something. I know it hasn't been an hour yet, but God it feels like weeks. Why won’t someone come out and tell me what the hell is happening? I just need someone to tell me something—anything.

Chapter 29

Lexi

“Hello?”I look around the room but don't see anyone.“Is anyone there?”Iask, walking further into the room.Istop asIlook at my body lying on the ground.Turning around,Isee Sam looking at me with a grin on his face.

“You know, Teresa, I always knew I would find you. I spent a lot of time planning what I would do when I did.” Sam lights a cigarette, walks over, and kneels next to me. “This is for leaving me when you know that you are my wife. You don’t get to leave me.” Sam lifts my shirt up and taps the cigarette so that the ashes drop onto my wound, and I scream out in pain.

“I…you never…loved me,” I watch myself tell him. I walk closer to my body in the corner and see I must be losing the fight because my blood covers the ground around me.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I love you so much that I don’t want anyone else to touch you. You are my wife, and I knew you would never come back to me, so I’m making sure that no one else can have you.” His finger moves around my wound, and all I can do is watch my body trembling on the floor.

“Sam, if you want to kill me, just kill me,” I tell him.

“I wantto watchyou die slowly.It’s much more fun for me that way.”Iwatch him walking back to his chair.

Hearing a noise from behind me, I walk out of the room, “Hello?Who’s there?”Ilook around then behind me, but the room is gone.I’m in my childhood home.

“Hey, princess.” I turn around to see my father standing there. Running over to him, I jump into his arms and hug him for all I'm worth.

“Am I dead?” I ask him.

“No.Well, not yet.It'll all depend on how much you want to fight to live.”Hecups myfacebetween his large, gentle hands and looks at me with such love on hisface.“You look just like your mother...So beautiful.”Takingmy hand, he leads me to the garden, and we sit on the benchswing.“So, Princess, do you want to live or die?”

Iturn to face my father.“Wouldn’t it be easier to die?Imean, Sam wouldn’t hurt anyone else thatIlove, and they could all live a life without worrying about him.”

“But is that what you want? Do you think everyone will be happier without you around? Before you answer, let me show you something.” Taking my hand, we walk back in through the front door, but we aren’t at home anymore. Looking around, I see we are standing in the hospital waiting room.

“Ethan,”I run over to him.

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