Nightmares from Within (25 page)

“Is that right?” I asked as I tried to catch my breath.

“Damn straight. I’m going to marry you and knock you up so you can’t ever get away.”

I scoffed at his sexist attitude and punched him in his shoulder. ‘If you’re looking for me to be the perfect little barefoot and pregnant wifey, you’ve got another thing coming.”

He wrapped both arms around hugged me tightly. “I don’t expect you to be anything but yourself. That’s who I fell in love with, and that’s who I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“I love you, baby.”

The soft look crossed his face again and shortly after, we both fell asleep wrapped around each other.

The Poet

She was my angel of mercy. There was no doubt in my mind.

After having so many women lie to me and hide who they truly were, I’d finally found the one God intended for me.

I had seen her from time to time when I was watching Cassie, but I’d let my desires for that whore cloud my judgment and I’d almost let this beautiful creature slip through my fingers.

I knew she was mine from the moment our eyes met.

She had so much sorrow behind her beautiful amber colored eyes and I called to the pain behind my own. The both of us had experienced so much disappointment in our lives and I knew God created us to heal each other.

This woman was exceptional and it pained me to have to walk away from her.

Our time would come.

Like all great romances, we had to go through pain before we could come out on the other side and appreciate the love we had for one another.

I would be patient.

I couldn’t risk losing her. All of the heartbreak I had experienced would be well worth it when I held my love in my arms.

It was only a matter of time.

Taylor

Two days had passed since I finally told Jordan I loved him, and my mood had been brighter ever since.

“Well good morning,” a voice said to me.

When I looked over I saw Bryan sitting at a table in my section. “Good morning, Bryan. How are you doing?” I asked politely.

“I’m wonderful now that I’ve seen you.”

My smile slipped slightly but I tried to maintain a cheerful demeanor. “Well that’s nice of you to say.” I wanted to turn the conversation away from anything potentially flirty so I asked, “What can I get you this morning?”

He lifted his menu and looked over it for a second before ordering. I quickly scribbled it down, offered a smile and bolted from his table, hoping I didn’t look too obvious.

“What’s wrong with you this morning?” Daniel asked. He’d come to the diner every day since Cassie died so he’d been privy to the change in my mood. I’d risked heckling and finally admitted to him that telling Jordan I loved him was what had put the smile on my face.

“Nothing,” I insisted. “There’s nothing wrong.”

“Bullshit. You have that constipated look you get when you’re all uncomfortable.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful comparison. Thanks for that.”

He waved his hand like he was blowing off my reaction. “You know what I mean. You look uncomfortable about something.”

I fidgeted with my locket because he was right and I hated to admit that. “It’s really not a big deal. It’s just that I think one of my customers has a thing for me.”

He looked around the diner trying to see who I was talking about. “Which one?” he finally asked.

I stepped in front of him to try and block Daniel’s obviousness. I tilted my head over my shoulder slightly in the direction I wanted Daniel to look and said, “That guy over there in the blue shirt…
don’t stare
,” I hissed out when Daniel craned his neck to get a better look at Bryan.

“You mean that douche staring at you like a fat guy would look at a piece of pie?” he mock whispered.

I smacked him in the back of the head. “You’re really eloquent, you know that?” I took a quick glance over my shoulder and saw that Bryan was currently staring down at his phone then I turned back to Daniel. “You’re an asshole. Bryan’s not a douche. He’s just a guy that had the wrong idea.”

With that, I turned and walked away.

A few minutes later I returned to Bryan’s table with his meal, hoping he’d just let me drop off his food and walk away. I wasn’t so lucky.

I’d just turned to walk away when I felt his hand wrap around my wrist to stop me. “Taylor,” he spoke, not letting go of my wrist. “I was hoping I could convince you to have dinner with me tonight.” His smile seemed genuine but there was something off putting about how he was looking at me.

I jerked my arm but he didn’t let go so I reached down and pried his fingers from around my wrist and took a step back. “I’m flattered Bryan but I have a boyfriend. I’m sorry.”

Something ghosted across his face but he quickly masked it with a smile before I could tell what it was. “Oh, of course. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

I felt a twinge of guilt at turning him down. I hated the idea of hurting anyone’s feelings. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable,” I lied in an attempt to make him feel a little better. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

He shook his head, maintaining his smile the entire time. “I’m good, thank you.”

I turned away and released a relieved breath when I caught Daniel smirking at me from his table. The look on his face said clear as day “I told you so” and all it did was make me want to punch him.

“
Spit in your food
,” I mouthed at him then laughed when the smiled instantly dropped from his face.

Never seek to tell thy love,

Love that never told can be;

For the gentle wind doth move

Silently, invisibly.

I told me love, I told my love,

I told her all my heart,

Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears.

Ah! she did depart!

Soon after she was gone from me,

A traveler came by,

Silently, invisibly:

He took her with a sigh.

“Wake up, sweetheart.”

Whose voice is that? I recognize it but I’m not sure from where.

“Come on, beautiful, wake up for me.”

My eyes flitter open but the room is too dark to see anything. I placed my hands at my sides and try to push myself up into sitting position. There are no restraints keeping me in place but my head is foggy and the movement makes my stomach roll. The mattress I’m lying on feels dingy and one of the coils has poked through, jabbing me in the hip as my weight shifts.

I know this place.

I’ve seen it before but I’m having trouble focusing through the dizziness and nausea.

“I knew you were the one for me the second I saw you. You have the same haunted look in your eyes that I see every time I look in the mirror.”

The man keeps talking in a low, monotone voice, and with each word, the nausea plaguing me gets worse. “I’m going to be sick.”

The bile rises up, burning my throat and there is no holding it back. I lean to the side as my stomach empties its contents. As I wretch, the man rubs my hair and whispers soothing words. His touch causes the dry heaving to continue even though there is nothing left in my stomach. I wish he’d just leave me alone but I know that’s not going to happen. I know I have to play his game and show no fear if I want a chance at surviving.

“Are you feeling better now, darling?” he asks, and I have to squeeze my eyes shut to keep the tears from falling.

“Yes, thank you. Could I please have some water?”

I can’t see him but I feel his presence come closer, and when he speaks, his breath whispers over my skin. “Of course, my love. You can have anything you need. I’ll always take care of you.”

A whimper escapes me as his presses his lips to my cheek and I fight to hold back the tremors of disgust that fight to break free at his touch.

I feel the decrepit mattress shift as he lifts his weight from it and walks across the room. The sound of his shoes hitting the floor as he walks away echoes off the walls all around me.

I’m in a basement, I think to myself. I’m not sure how I know this but I have no doubt in my mind.

“It’s just you and me until death,” the man continues and I hear the sound of metal twisting seconds before its replaced by the sound of running water somewhere off to my right. “As soon as I deal with that pesky little problem of your boyfriend we can run away together. I swear to you; I’ll make you happy.”

Fear courses through me and I’m trembling so hard my teeth chatter. “What…what are you going to do to him?” I’m afraid of the answer but I have to know in case there’s any way I can stop him.

He sits back down beside me and runs a hand down the side of my face. “He has to die. Please try to understand. If I let him live he’ll come after you and try to take you away from me. I can’t let that happen. I love you.”

I break down in sobs and try desperately to reason with him, even though I know it’s pointless. “Please, you don’t have to do that,” I plead. “Let’s just go. We can leave now and run somewhere where he’ll never find us. Just you and me…please. He probably won’t even look for me.”

“Are you still in love with him?” the man seethes. “Is that why you’re crying and begging for his life?”

I scurry back on the mattress at the anger reverberating in his voice. “No,” I whisper as tears run down. “I love you.” I pray I’m able to convince him I’m telling the truth. “I’m so glad you got me away from him. I’m just scared of something happening to you if you get caught. He’s a cop. How am I supposed to live if someone were to take you away from me?”

Saying these words is the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I hate myself for it, but I can’t let him kill anyone else. I have to stop him.

“I love you,” I choke out on a sob. I bite the inside of my cheek so hard the metallic taste of blood hits my tongue.

“I love you too,” he rumbles and my heart speeds up to a dangerous level when I feel the mattress dip with his weight again. I don’t know how long I can keep this up.

I cringe and turn my head away, thankful for the darkness when his fingers graze my jaw. I’m trying my hardest not to be consumed by the darkness around me when I hear something that both excites and terrifies me at the same time.

“TAYLOR!”

Oh, God. Oh, no! Please don’t let him die.

“TAYLOR!”

I feel a crushing weight on my chest and the man pins me down on the filthy mattress. “You lying bitch,” he hisses in my face. “You’re just like the rest of them, you filthy whore. Now you get to watch as I kill your boyfriend. Then I’m going to kill you…slowly.”

“No!” I scream at the top of my lungs just as a door bursts open and the room is flooded with light.

I catch a gleam of silver arcing through the air and scream at the top of my lungs. “JORDAN!”

His eyes go wide just as the knife plunges down.

My eyes popped open and my heart was beating so hard, I was afraid it would burst through my chest. I inhaled through my nose and out through my mouth, trying to calm myself when it finally dawned on me that Jordan hadn’t woken up as I thrashed around from my nightmare. I shot my arm out to turn on the lamp on my bedside table and about collapsed when I turned to see the bed was empty.