Pretty Little Dreams (5 page)

Pyper is here, as well as Olivia’s parents.
She’s not yet been able to be aware of their presence or even take in the room. She seems unaware of anyone, except me, and that is just fine. Olivia continues to ask me if she’s dreaming each time she wakes, and it has made them emotional as well. All of us are wondering the same thing… what happened to her during her kidnapping?

I know I should probably move from my vigil at her bedside and let Pyper and Olivia’s parents be closer to her, but I can’t find it within myself to move.
They haven’t asked, so I think they understand. And so, we all just sit here, watching her sleep, thanking God she’s alive, and waiting for her to open her eyes again.

“Luke, we are going to go to the cafeteria and get some coffee and something to eat.
Can we bring you something?” Joy, Olivia’s mom, asks.

“I don’t know if I can eat anything right now.
Maybe just some coffee, please.”

She gets a scolding look on her face that I remember well.
It may have been years since I’ve seen Joy and Nelson, but I still remember that look from the days Olivia would get home late and her parents didn’t approve. “You need to eat something. You won’t be good to anyone if you’re tired and hungry. It will only run you down.”

Pyper is smirking at me, likely because Joy just stated exactly what she was thinking.
It’s written all over her face. “Okay, you’re right. Maybe just a muffin or something would be fine.”

“I’m going to go with them. Will you let us know if she wakes up?
I have my cell phone.” Pyper asks.

“Of course.”

They head out of the room and I resume rubbing circles into Olivia’s soft hands.

Fifteen minutes or so have passed since they all left the room, when I notice Olivia’s eyes flutter.
I squeeze her hand automatically in response, and am overjoyed when her hand squeezes mine in return.

“Olivia?”

Her eyes open, and she stares at the ceiling above her. For a moment, her face is peaceful, and then I can tell the instant clarity arrives, because her face registers panic before she realizes where she is. Her body jerks, and for a minute, she looks like she’s trying to sit up, but then she whimpers in what I assume is pain.

Immediately, I tighten my grip on her hand and stand next to her running my hand down the side of her face, trying to soothe away the hurt.
Her eyes focus on me. “Hi, angel.”

“Luke?”

“I’m here. You’re safe now. It’s okay. Do you know where you are? Do you remember being brought in here?”

She doesn’t respond, she just stares into my eyes, and I’m bracing myself for when she assumes I’m a dream once again.
Then, without warning, she clutches my shirt with her right arm and pulls me to her. She tries to wrap her damaged arm behind my neck to pull herself up. “Luke! Oh my God, Luke!”

I place my arms around her the best I can, given the contraptions and restrictions her body has right now.
“I’m here. I’m here. Please don’t hurt yourself. You need to take it easy right now.”

I hold her against my chest carefully, and run my fingers through her hair.
“I love you so much, Livvie. So, so much.” I can’t quit telling her, reminding her. I thought I’d never get the chance to again – I don’t know if I’ll be able to any time soon.

In response, Olivia’s body starts shaking, and when she makes a choked sound, I pull back and look at her face, afraid.
She’s trying to hold it in, but the dam breaks and she starts sobbing. Tears fall like a waterfall down her cheeks and her whole body trembles, breaking me into pieces. I don’t know the right words to say, or how I can make this better. I want to make it all go away for her, but I know I can’t. At least not yet.

“I never want to let go,” she cries, “please don’t let me go.”

“Never… I will never let go. I missed you so much,” I wipe the tears from her face the best I can, but they continue to fall, despite my efforts. “I died a little inside every day that you were away from me. I’m so sorry, angel. I’m so, so sorry.” I stop talking because now I’m afraid I’m going to lose it too, and that’s the absolute last thing she needs to see.

Pulling away from me, Olivia looks up at me and loosens her grip on my shirt so she can swipe at her teary eyes.
Her green eyes are shining brightly from her tears and I move her hand aside and wipe them from her cheeks with my thumbs again. I lean in and place a gentle kiss on her lips, feeling her lips respond to mine immediately. My whole body responds and I can feel myself tingle in places that are highly inappropriate, given the situation. I can’t help it though; I always have this reaction around her. My body has a mind of its own. I want so much more. I need so much more. I want to crawl inside of her, take care of her, and protect her. I need it so badly, but of course, now is not the time to lose control.

“Sorry?
Why are you telling me you’re sorry? You didn’t do anything, Luke.”

“Because I wasn’t there.
I wasn’t there to keep you safe. I wasn’t there to keep this from happening to you.” My voice breaks, the pain in my chest becoming too much to hide.

“Luke, no.
I cannot handle you trying to blame yourself for this. There is only one person who’s to blame. Please, don’t say that again.”

“But…”

“No! I mean it. Don’t.”

I brush her hair away from her face and lower my lips to hers.
I have to. It’s a need I have no control over. I kiss her, and in that kiss, I try to convey to her every emotion I’m feeling. My despair at losing her, my desperation and determination to bring her home, and my pure joy to finally have her back again. Pulling away, I look into her eyes, hoping that mine somehow tell her everything I’m too choked up to say. I open my mouth to try and form the words, but before I can do so, we are interrupted by the door opening.

“I just came back up real quick to bring you-” Pyper stops mid-whisper when she realizes Olivia is awake.
The coffee and muffin she’s holding are forgotten and crash to the floor, and then there is nothing but a red blur as the tornado that is Pyper rushes to her best friend’s side.

“Olivia!
Oh my God, Olivia!” Pyper is sobbing and Olivia is crying in response to Pyper. I should probably back the hell up and give them their moment, but again, just thinking about moving away from Olivia’s side gives me a physical ache. I can’t make myself do it.

“Pyper!
I am so happy you are okay. I asked… him… I asked… and he told me… he told me you were, but I didn’t know if he was telling me the truth.” Olivia can barely speak in between her sobs.

Pyper embraces Olivia and they hold onto one another and cry.

5.

THE INTERROGATION

Olivia

M
y room is
crowded. Luke is here, plus Pyper, my mom and dad, two police officers, a doctor and a nurse. I appreciate their concern, I really do. I get that they were scared for me and need to see me, but I feel like I’m suffocating. My chest feels tight, my breath keeps catching, and already I’m picking at my new cast on my leg. It’s too much. I think it’s due in part to the fact that I know what’s coming – the dreaded questions. Just thinking about them makes my stomach twist and churn.

The reunion with my parents was an emotional one.
My mom kept running her fingers through my hair, and stroking the side of my face like I’m a little girl. Silent tears fell down her face as she told me over and over again how much she loves me. Even my dad, whom I don’t know if I’ve ever seen cry, was emotional. His eyes became glassy and he kept clearing his throat while asking me repeatedly if I’m feeling any pain. Before we could do or say much else, the police officers came into my room. Once they heard I had awakened, they were ready to begin questioning. They keep telling me the timing is so important if they are going to catch Deacon. I don’t tell any of them that I don’t think he will be found.

“Hi Olivia, my name is Detective Kline.”
Nodding to the other man with him, he says, “With me is Officer Timpleton, and we’re here to ask you some questions about your kidnapping.”

I take in Detective Kline’s dark hair and dark eyes.
He has a five o’clock shadow, hinting at a long night, and full lips. I decide he could totally be on one of those cop shows. I store that information to discuss with Pyper later. She’ll appreciate it. And it could be great conversation to use as a distraction from me and how I’m feeling. I know she will agree that he’s easy on the eyes, and speaking of eyes - his reveal compassion and kindness. They immediately put me at ease.

His partner, Officer Timpleton, looks younger.
He has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a young, boyish face. He continuously sways from side to side, with his hands clenching and unclenching. I get the impression he would much rather be running someone down on the street, as opposed to questioning me. I can’t really blame him. I would give back my favorite Jimmy Choo’s if it meant I could get out of this. Well okay, maybe not, but close enough.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

Before the officers speak again, the doctor and nurse excuse themselves, likely not wanting to interfere. I give them a smile as they head out and then return my attention to the officers.

“First, I want to say I’m sorry.
I know you just had surgery, and that you were just reunited with your family. I promise, we will try to keep the questioning short, so you can get back to your time with them. As we mentioned, time is of the essence if we are going to have any luck tracking Deacon down before he gets too far.”

I flinch.
It’s an automatic response to Deacon’s name. I can’t help it. Trying not to show my fear, I nod in response, and brace myself for a round of questioning that I know will be difficult.

“Are you okay with your family being present during this round of questioning?”

I look around at all of their faces. This is not only going to be hard for me, but it will be for them as well. “Yes, it’s okay.”

“Okay.”
The officer clears his throat and then begins, “Olivia, let’s start with the day that you were taken. Can you tell us what happened?”

Taking a deep breath, I give them a nod and dive right in.
That day has played over and over in my mind more times than I can count. I couldn’t forget it, even if I tried. I begin with the roses I received at the restaurant. They ask me specific details about everything, from where I was in the restaurant when I received them; who gave them to me; how many there were; and what color they were. “I assumed the roses were from Luke,” tears fill my eyes and I glance at Luke and see a tick in his jaw, “that’s why I texted him to tell him thank you. When I got to the condo, the door was closed –”

“Did you notice any signs of forced entry?”

Shouldn’t they know this already? This seems pointless. Then I remember that I’m not in my home state where the incident occurred. I should be more patient. “No, I didn’t. If I had, I wouldn’t have gone in. I would have called the police, assuming there was a break in.”

“What happened when you went inside?
Walk us through it, please.”

“I saw the back of Pyper’s head,” my eyes well up again, making me sniff in an effort to hold them in, “I remember thinking it was strange that when I called her name, she just sat there.
She didn’t turn around, didn’t acknowledge me at all. I walked toward the couch, instinctively knowing something was wrong.” I swallow hard, and take a deep breath, “When I saw she was tied up and gagged,” I pause a moment as the memory of Pyper sitting there floods my memory. Tape over her mouth, tear tracks down her cheeks, fear and pleading in her eyes. “I didn’t even think twice about removing the tape from her mouth to help her, and find out what happened. Before I could, Deacon appeared with a gun in his hand.”

“What then?”

“He said, ‘hello, princess’, and pointed a gun at me.”

“Did he say anything else to you?”

“He said lots of things. I don’t see how any of that is helpful.” I want to cry. Remembering how I was forced to leave my best friend on the couch bound and gagged makes me want to lose it. I’ve spent hours and hours running that day through my mind. I’ve asked myself what I could have done differently, time and time again. Could I have helped her? Freed her? Or prevented his taking me somehow? I was so afraid for Pyper, so afraid for myself. I’m getting that tight feeling in my chest again, and I find myself gasping for air.

“I’m sorry, I’m sure this is difficult for you, but we need to know everything – no detail is insignificant.
Everything you tell us will only help our investigation.”

I take another deep breath and count to ten.
Luke walks to my side and takes my hand. “Do you need some water, angel?”

I give him a small smile, “That would be great, thanks.”

After taking a sip, I continue. “Deacon made me leave Pyper on the couch. I pleaded with him to let her go immediately. I told him that it was me he wanted, and that Pyper had done nothing wrong. I told him…” I hesitate and take another sip of water before continuing. “I told him I would do anything he wanted.” Tears instantly blur my vision as I recall my desperate pleas to Deacon. They went unanswered. “He ignored me and brought me to my room. I-”, I need another minute. I’m so weak and angry with myself. This wasn’t even the worst of my experience, and already I need a moment. “I opened my mouth to scream and he shoved his gun down my throat.” I choke on my words. Luke’s hand tightens around mine and my mother gasps in horror. Tears start streaming down Pyper’s face, and I clench my teeth tight in an effort to stop the tears from falling.

I lose focus for a moment as I remember exactly what
he said to me,
“Don’t even think about it bitch – if you make a fucking sound, I won’t hesitate to walk into that living room and blow your precious friend’s brains out while you watch. Do you fucking understand me?”

“Olivia?”

I blink several times trying to clear the image from my mind. “He told me if I wasn’t quiet that he would hurt Pyper. So, I remained silent while he used rope to bind my arms and legs. After that, he put duct tape over my mouth. He said he couldn’t trust me to keep quiet. When he was finished, he threw me on my bed, pulled out his phone and made a call.”

Understanding my distress, the Detective’s voice is soft, “Who did he call?”

“I didn’t know then. Now, I’m guessing it was probably Ronnie.”

“Ronnie?”
Officer Timpleton takes over questioning, “Who’s that?”

“Ronnie is the man who helped Deacon kidnap me.”

Detective Kline and Officer Timpleton exchange a look before Timpleton asks, “Helped how?”

“He was always there.
When Deacon would leave, he… he would be with me. He is also the one that drove the vehicle here.”

Detective Kline takes back control, “Okay, we will get to that.
What happened after he made a call?”

“Deacon came back to the bed where I was lying and pulled a syringe out of his pocket.
Before I could even comprehend what he was about to do, he stabbed me in the neck with a needle, and I lost consciousness.”

Luke cursed.
Pyper choked on a sob. My mom used a tissue to catch her tears. My dad looked away. I’m regretting my choice to let them stay. They don’t need to hear this.

“Did he ever mention what was in the syringe?”

“No.”

“Did he use it again?”

I hesitate. “Yes,” I whisper.

“Please explain.”

“I was drugged consistently. Sometimes, as soon as it would seem like it was wearing off, I would get stabbed with a needle again and put under. Sometimes I would go out completely. Other times, I was in and out. I lost all sense of time. I have no idea how long I was under its influence each time. I lost total awareness of time.”

“Where have you been the last four weeks, Olivia?
Where did Deacon keep you?”

It was my turn to gasp.
The days just seemed to all melt into one another. They seemed long and endless. I thought I would never get away. Somewhere inside of me, I started to resign myself to the fact that I was doomed to a life with Deacon. I hated myself because the truth is, there were times when I just gave up. I welcomed the darkness the drugs would bring. It wasn’t until I woke up naked the first time that I started to be terrified instead. I was afraid of what was happening during the moments I wasn’t aware, but they didn’t need to know that.

Before I can stop it, a grainy memory assaults me,
“You like that baby? Being touched there feels good doesn’t it?” Deacon’s rough hands on my breasts, pinching, pulling, hurting...
I shake my head, wishing the action would shake the memory right out of my mind.

“Four weeks?
I’ve been gone for four weeks?” Oh my God. What my family must have felt. I squeeze Luke’s hand and look into his eyes. I see the pure agony he’s trying his best to keep hidden. I know that every moment I was gone must have felt like a lifetime for him. I know if it were him who had been missing, I would have felt the same way. I want to soothe the hurt away, but I don’t know how.

“Yes,” Luke says, “four very long weeks,” his voice is raspy and full of emotion.

Detective Kline asks again, “Can you tell us where you’ve been?”

“I’ve been in a house somewhere.
Locked in a bedroom.”

“What can you tell us about the house?
About the bedroom?”

“There was no way out.”

Luke’s hand is squeezing me so tight, it’s beginning to hurt. I know he’s doing it subconsciously. I hate that he has to hear this, because I know him. He’s blaming himself for all of this.

“You tried to escape?”

“Yes.”

“And what happened?”

I hesitate. I look at Luke, Pyper, my mom and dad. A squeeze to my hand makes my eyes meet Luke’s. He runs the back of his fingers over my cheek, lending silent support.

I open my mouth and start telling them about the time I tried to look for an escape from the bedroom where I was being kept.
I told them how I searched the room, and desperately looked to find a weapon of some kind to use. How I tried to scream for help, when that got me nowhere, how I swung at the glass doors trying to break them so I could use the glass as a weapon. I told him how I found out Ronnie was in the house.

“What did Ronnie do when he came into the room?”

“He threw me to the bed and told me it didn’t matter how loud I screamed or cried, that no one would hear me.”

“Olivia, how did you get these injuries?
How did you end up being brought here to the hospital?”

Again I hesitate, knowing the answer will be hurtful to those that love me.
“I… well I umm… fell.”

His brows lowering in confusion, Officer Timpleton asks, “You fell?
How?”

“I fell off a balcony after I managed to take Deacon’s gun from him and threatened to shoot him.
He called my bluff, went for the gun, and I overcompensated by throwing myself off a balcony.”

“Good God,” my dad exclaims, “you are lucky you didn’t die!”

Pyper and my mom hold onto one another. It looks like if they let go, one of them will fall over. My eyes meet Luke’s, and his are full of pure fear and agony. I squeeze his hand, knowing where his mind is, and at the same time wanting to reassure him that the worst didn’t happen. I’m here. His eyes soften, but a lone tear falls down his cheek. I wish I could move toward him to wipe it away.

“Do you remember what happened after you fell, Olivia?”

“I came to and Deacon was over me.
Some bushes had broken my fall and Deacon was cursing at me and telling me that I was stupid. He told me…” I stop. Pure fear runs through my body in a rush when I repeat his words, “He told me that he had no choice but to bring me to the hospital because of my injuries but he said,” I stop again, then whisper, “he said he would be back for me.”