Page 57 of Always. Forever.

Cash:It’s urgent, I really need to speak to you. Pick up your phone.

What is that about? Sighing, I get up from where I am, heavier than before, due to how wet I am from the rain. I try dusting off the sand that has stuck to my clothes and skin as best as I can and then I walk back to the car. I’ll call Cash, hands-free, on the way home. I’m sure he can wait five minutes. The darkness has come quickly, leaving a chill in the air, which I feel more now that I’m wet. I need to go home and have a nice hot bubble bath and try to relax. I need to fix my head. I know people are worried about me, but it takes so much of my energy to be fake and put a smile on. I would rather be sad and people just leave me to being sad. I’m allowed to be sad; people seem to forget this.

As I get nearer to the parking lot, I stop and turn around, looking at the view. There’s lightning in the distance, flashing off the ripples of the water. To be honest, I picked this beach because I know few people come here, and I wanted to be completely on my own with my thoughts . . . and Jace.

As I approach my car, I jump out of my skin as I hear a loud bang. I spin around and see a bin laying on the ground, the wind picking up. Holding my chest, while my heart beats erratically, I take deep breaths to calm myself. I dig through my bag to get my keys out. It’s then I hear what sounds like heavy breathing.What the—

An arm comes from behind me, wrapping around my upper body, and they hold my back flush against their front. I freeze up and before I can scream, a cloth is placed over my nose and mouth, a little room is left for me to breathe but then my body gets weak. My vision blurs and my body goes numb, and as tears fall, I realize there is no way out of this, pins and needles fill my whole body as I become weaker and weaker. My head spins as someone lifts me, throwing me over their shoulder. I lift my head and the outline of my car gets farther and farther away.

“Help me,” I barely whisper as the darkness takes me under.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Iopenmyeyesslowly; my head is pounding and my whole body aches.What the hell happened? I lift my head, and a shooting pain that would put a migraine to shame courses through me. I wince, trying to look around the room, having to shut one eye. I drop my head back down, landing on soft pillows.My head hurts so much.I take a few deep breaths and try raising my head again. I open my eyes again, and I can see more clearly now. The pain is still destroying me, but I need to know what the fuck is going on, so I try and forget about the pain for a couple of minutes.

I look around, this place is massive.Where the hell am I?Panic settles in thick and fast, and it’s then I let out a gasp as everything hits me like a freight train. The beach, the parking lot, someone coming up from behind me. Oh my God. I bring my hands to my mouth, letting out a huge sob. I’m sick with fear, someone has kidnapped me.Who would want to do that?I haven’t done anything. I drop my head, sobbing and letting the pain from my head tear through me.What if they kill me?I close my eyes and think of Jace to calm me, he always calmed me, but it’s not Jace’s face I see, it’s Cash. Cash’s face makes me curl up in a ball and cry until it lulls me into the darkness again.

Opening my eyes, I get ready for the pain from earlier to assault my head, thankfully, it has settled. I don’t know how long I slept for, there are no windows in here, but there are lights that seem to have stayed on. I slowly sit up and take a good look around. I’m lying on a single bed with fluffy pillows and a big fluffy duvet. I’m so confused.What the fuck is going on right now?

I cast my eyes around the room again; I can only describe this as what used to be a barn but has been converted. The ceilings are extremely tall with wooden beams going all the way across. I follow the beams down the room, it feels like it goes on forever. There is not much in here, which makes it look even bigger. I slowly drop my feet off the bed, standing up, thinking maybe I can get out of here somehow. It’s then I notice there is a table at the end of the bed with a container and a bottle of water. Seeing the water makes me realize how thirsty I am, so I grab the water, which is sealed. If it hadn’t been, there is no way I would be drinking it. I take a few gulps, drinking half of the bottle. I place the bottle back down, eyeing up the black container. I open it up and am shocked to see a sandwich.What kind of kidnapper puts a sandwich in a black container?Even looking at it makes me feel sick. I close the lid.

Scanning the room again, and I spot a large wooden door at the end. Knowing this will be my way out, I rush toward it, filling myself with hope the nearer I get. I pull on the handle, but the door’s locked. Of course it is. I continue and see a door at the other end, so I rush toward it, I don’t know why I think they will be unlocked, but I have to try. It, of course, is also locked.

I sigh, peering around the room, there must be something. I pace up and down what feels like for hours but is probably no longer than five minutes. There is nothing, no windows, the doors are locked, and after banging on them for a while, there is no way I could break through them; they are solid. I drop to my knees, realizing there is no hope.How long will I be here for? What does this person want with me?Then I just lose it, I scream and scream at the top of my lungs.

“Help me, someone please help me, please,” I choke out on a sob. I don’t know what to do, I’m so scared. After everything that has happened to me, why this, why now? What even do they want with me?

A noise comes from behind me, and I tense up, but I’m too petrified to turn around. My whole body is shaking while I’m trying not to breathe, in the hopes that whoever it is will go away.

“No one is coming for you, Rylee.” Everything around me starts spinning. That voice. I know that voice, it takes me a minute to place it.It can’t be, please no.

I slowly turn on my hands and knees, staring down at the floor, unable to bring myself to look up.

“It’s been a long six years, and I have been patient enough, but you’re right where you belong now, with me. Like you always should have been.” The voice drips with venom.

Tears run down my face as I prepare for what is going to break me even more than I already am. Pain and confusion is all I feel right now.

I look up staring into those pitch-black eyes.

“Hi, Rylee.” He smugly smiles at me, leaning against the wooden door.

Gasping, my hand flies to my mouth, hoping that will keep the vomit at bay. This can’t be happening. Tears are streaming as I shake my head back and forth.

“No, No . . .”

Praying that my eyes are playing tricks on me, I wipe at them but he’s still there. Still watching me like he is eating away at my soul.

“James.”

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