A Little Lost (18 page)

              “So what are both doing today?” Kyle asks eyeing our position.

              “Staying in, I think” I answer him while brushing my foot across Travis crotch, I move my hand from his neck to massage his ear lobe.

              “It’s a lovely day, you should both go into town or something” he suggests.

              I frown at him “Since when is going into town better than staying in?”

              “Since the weathers nice” he glares at me.

              Travis reaches up to grab my hand from his ear and holds it against his stomach. I chuckle.

              “Not so fun when you’re the one being tortured is it?” I whisper in his ear biting it softly.

              “Get rid of them” he whispers back behind gritted teeth, he’s trying to smile but it just looks like he’s baring his teeth.

              “So ... What are you all doing today? Surely you have plans....” I try for casual but my intention for them to leave is obvious.

              “We’re going into town and I have a meeting soon” Amber answers.

              “We can stay for a bit” Kyle says at the same time.

              Travis turns to glare at him but Kyle just narrows his eyes in return.

              Anne looks between the two men confused but Mason watches the whole exchange looking a bit smug.

              “Oh well, I need to have a shower and get dressed” I try again.

              “That’s okay, we can
all
wait here” Kyle says dismissively but emphasizing the word all.

              I shift uncomfortably on the counter and squeeze Travis with my legs, I don’t know whether to be amused or annoyed at the fact that Kyle is cock blocking us, when Travis squeezes my hand in return I decide to go with annoyed. I haven’t had any sex since Chris months ago and he has a fiancé that he sleeps with every night.

              “I could go for a swim, you’re all welcome to join me” I offer.

              “Well actually we need to go. I have a meeting in an hour and I’d like to get something to eat first” Amber says unaware that she’s interrupting an argument.

              “Fine” Kyle sighs but then locks eyes with Travis “You should come, I need to speak to you”

              “I know I should come” he snaps.

              I have to bite my lip to hold back a laugh.

              I watch defeated as they all leave the house to head into town once Travis is dressed. So much for me relieving some tension. I roll my eyes at myself and set about having a more thorough exploration of my new home.

              A loud ringing wakes me up, I look around the dark room dazed, rubbing the sleep away from my eyes I recognize the noise as my cell phone, fumbling around in the darkness I flip it open.

              “Hello?” I clear my throat to get the crispiness out of it.

              “Louise” Mason calls relieved.

              “Yeah?”

              “Is Kyle with you?”

              “Mason it’s Three am, why would Kyle be with me?” I ask checking my alarm clock.

              “He and Amber had an argument, he stormed out about four hours ago and we can’t get hold of him. He was pretty upset, I’ve tried Travis and he hasn’t seen him either”

              “Did you check the beach?”

              “Yeah, he’s not there”

              “Did she tell him?”

              “No”

              I sigh loudly to make sure he knows I’m not comfortable with this “I might know where he is, I’ll send him home”

              “Thanks hon. I owe you”

              “Yeah” I agree and hang up.

              I push my way through the overgrown grass and trees heading to the rock pools praying that Kyle is there. This is where he used to go when he was upset so I’m hoping the habit stuck.

              When I come to the clearing I spot him sitting not too far away drinking from a bottle, it looks like vodka.

              “You lied to me” His voice carried through the night air to me. I freeze, looking around to see who he’s talking to because he has his back to me.

              “Come on Lou, you came this far, not going to turn around now are you?” There’s something in his voice that I’ve never heard before, frowning to myself I make my way over to him and take a seat on one of the rocks, not too close to him but not to far away.

              “Your dad called me” I tell him even though he didn’t ask.

              “I figured he would” he tips the bottle of vodka back and takes huge swallow.

              “You know there’s a thin line between love and hate” he says conversationally “I’m thinking that I’ve always had that line confused when it came to  you” he turns his head to look at me and I flinch at what I see in his eyes. “You ruined me. I was happy in New York, the happiest I have ever been in my life. Then we came back here, Amber wanted to meet my parents, I didn’t want to come back. Did you know that?”

              “No” I whisper and shake my head at him even though I don’t think he actually expected an answer.

              “Yeah, I wanted to stay away from here, I knew what you would do to me, how you would ruin my chance at a happy life”

              “What have I done?” I force myself to ask.

              He laughs but there’s no humor in it. “You’re you, that’s enough. Amber is pushing me to set a new date for the wedding, but I can’t. You can’t make me happy, Amber is supposed to make me happy, not you” I feel a tear fall down my face and he sends me a look of disgust “I watch you a lot, laughing with everyone, smiling as if you don’t have a care in the world. Everyone worships the ground you walk on, hell my dad
loves
you, everyone in this town loves you, they think you’re the golden girl. They don’t know you for what you are though. How can make a man fall in love with you and then just disregard him.”

              “Why are you saying this” I ask not bothered that my voice cracks.

              “Because someone needs to set you straight. You are not a good person Louise. If your dad could see you he would be disgusted with you. Ashamed of what you’ve become” He finishes off what left in the bottle and stands before he turns back to me.

              “Stay away from me and my family. You’re not wanted in our lives anymore. All you are is an inconvenience to us” He sends me one more look of hatred and walks away as I silently cry while heart shrivels up and shatters.

              I’m not sure how long I sit there for but when my crying eases up and all my tears have dried I push away from the rocks and make my way back through the looming darkness of the woods. A light and movement catches my eyes stopping me in my place. “Kyle?” I call out uncertainly.

              “Nope sorry baby, it’s just me. Now how about we work on you being able to keep a secret” A familiar voice comes from behind me and then everything goes black as I fall to the floor.

              ***

              White hot pain flashes through my body and a tortured screams rips out of me. I drag my eyes open and fight against the pain it causes. I’m still in he woods, I have no idea what time it is apart from the fact that it’s daylight. My legs are bruised and my right ankle is swollen. They are also tied to a tree. I can move my left hand and arm but my right is tied above my head, I can’t lift myself up to untie my right hand because of the position my legs are tied in I have no leverage and the pain in my body when I move even the slightest is too much to bare. Using my free hand I pat down my pockets on my jeans until I find the one with my cell in, I pull it out and fumble with the buttons until it powers on. I have an array of missed calls and messages which takes me by surprise but I ignore them and dial Travis number.

              “Lou?” His worried voice comes through the phone on his immediate answer.

              “Trav?”

              “Lou thank god, where are you? We’ve all been so worried”

              “Umm.. why?” I frown and drop the phone, I reach down to pick it back up “sorry I dropped the phone why are you worried and who’s we?”

              “Well Kyle told Mason this morning that he said something to upset you last night and Mason tried calling you but your phone was off so he came to my house, we went to yours and you wasn’t answering so we tried Cat’s and you weren’t there either. We’ve been trying to call you all day but you’re phone’s been off, we even went back to the rock pools looking for you. I’m just glad you’re okay” he sighs.

              “I’m not”

              “What?”

              “I need you to come get me”

              “What do you mean you’re not okay?”

              “Travis honey, focus, I need you to come get me quick as you can okay?” I don’t want to risk who ever did this to me coming back but I don’t tell him that.

              “Where are you?”

              “You need to go to the rock pools”

              “We’ve been there”

              “I’m not at the rock clearing I’m in the woods Trav”

              “I’m on my way”

              “Trav” I call out before he can hang up

              “Yeah?”

              “Bring a knife”

              “Shit” he curses and disconnects.

              I sit quietly – not that I have a choice – and watch for any movements around me but apart from a few birds flying in the trees above me, I’m alone.

              I hear my name being called out in the distance but decide to wait until it gets a little closer, so I don’t have to shout against the throbbing in my head.

              I look down at myself and something on my black tee catches my eye, I squint down to try and make out what the mess is and I have to turn my head as recognition hits and I throw up on the ground next to me.

              “LOUISE” Travis voice shouts out but I can’t reply as more of yesterdays food comes up.

              “Over here!” I call out when I start dry heaving.

              “Lou?” His voice is closer now.

              “Over here!” I shout again against the coarseness of my throat.

              I turn my head when I hear the sounds of his running through the grass and weeds “Got her!” he shouts over his shoulder but stops dead when he see’s me. So many emotions flash in his eyes but he doesn’t take a step toward. I notice the knife in his hand just as it slips through his fingers and lands on the floor at his feet.

              “Hey” I try to bring him back with my soft voice but it has no effect on him, neither does Mason and Kyle running into him. They too stop and stare.

              Not wanting to look at Kyle or Mason I try to get Travis’s attention again.

              “Babe, I need your help” this seems to work and he blinks. “Pick the knife up Trav” he bends to get the knife and takes a few steps towards me but all him movements are slow. “Don’t worry about the rope for a minute, cut my shirt off before I puke again”

              “Why do you want me to cu-“ he starts but stops when his eyes land on the mess on my top and he just starts shaking his head.

              “Trav please, if you can’t do it pass me the knife and I’ll do it but I can only use my left hand and I don’t want to cut myself, please I need it off honey”

              When he makes no attempt to help me I move my eyes to Mason “I promise I will leave you alone and stay away from you but please help me?” I beg him with my eyes.

              Without a word he steps forward and takes the knife from Travis, he still doesn’t speak or look directly at me as he cuts the shirt free from me, when I look down I see the bruised outline of a shoe across my side and whimper. Travis falls on to his knees and crawls over to looking into my eyes, the pain in his eyes breaks my control and I burst out crying at the same time his arms come around me.  Mason cuts the ropes that are restraining me and I wrap both my arms around Travis.

              “It hurts” I whisper into his neck.

              “Where does it hurt baby?” he asks pulling my hair away from my face.

              “Everywhere”

              “She needs to go to the hospital” Mason says from behind us.

              “I d-”

              “You need to go to the hospital” he cuts me off.

              We’re all silent on the way to the hospital, Travis gave me his shirt to cover up and apart from keeping me in his arms all he does is join Mason in glaring at Kyle.