Seeking Escape

42: Experimenting

*** Quinn's POV ***

This is now the second time that I have felt this betrayed. Last time, I at least knew the source. But this time, there are so many potential culprits, I don't know who we can trust. Having Joyce and my mom helps. I had no support before until Mir and Cynthia came along.

I wanted to believe that I can trust them, but since that spastic day we avoided everyone and kept holed up in my place. I was hoping the police would figure something out before we needed to think about going out again, but it didn't seem likely.

"I can see if I can work remotely. I don't want to risk them coming back to my work. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do long-term, though. I can't avoid going back forever." Joyce fretted aloud.

I tightened my hold around her shoulders. I hated seeing her wearing this stress. I hated believing that I may be a source of it. I ventured a solution. "You could talk to campus security. Give them a description of your parents and Dan."

"They aren't dangerous or violent people. I have no recourse." She argued.

"Your parents wanted to lie about your mental state to take you away from me." I stated through gritted teeth. "That's a threat to your well-being."

"Whoever made them believe you were dangerous is the real threat." She grumped.

I sighed. She was right. Joyce's parents, while misguided, weren't dangerous. But someone was trying to ruin me, going after both my girl and my livelihood. But who?

My phone rang and I felt Joyce tense. I hated that we were living like this. I looked at the caller ID. "It's Mir."

"Quinn, your mailbox is full on the site and they can't expand capacity. You're going to have to..." He started immediately.

"No, I don't Mir." I cut him off.

"Quinn, the studio wants something. More elaboration on the statement. Responses to fan mail. Something." He stressed. "They're afraid that you're going to lose momentum over this."

"This? This is my life!" I yelled at Mir. He was quiet on the other end. Joyce squeezed my thigh, signaling for me to calm the hell down if I had to guess.

My eyes met hers. She wore an odd expression on her face. "Joyce?"

"I think we need to share our stories. Publically. Both of us." She said flatly.

"What?" I gasped putting my hand over the phone and then just hanging up on Mir altogether.

"Joy, why would we do that? You've been worried they'd resurface and find you again. How does this make any sense?" I questioned.

"I was an easy target when I was unknown. Just as I was for whoever this is. It's because I'm hidden that they can pull these strings. But Quinn, I think it's time for us both to step out into the light. If we do it together, there's no secret about who we are, what we've been through, or how committed we are to one another." She talked it out and as she devised our plan, a smile spread across her face.

I sat for a moment with the idea. It was pretty badass, but it worried me that she could be exposed to the people who abducted her in the first place. I didn't want her feeling like this was the only way out.

"We could start over." I suggested. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. I hurriedly explained. "I have enough saved that we could move away, change our names, and just be two people in love and finding their way in the world."