Blade

Chapter 17: Not a rapist

Sienna

It's been a day since I escaped from Blade.

A day of breathing in the fresh air of freedom, letting it settle in my lungs like something I thought I'd never feel again.

Everything is unfolding just as I planned. Piece by piece, it's coming together. Part of me clings to the certainty that he won't find me, though another part whispers that I might just be fooling myself.

My hands curl around the steaming mug of coffee, the heat seeping into my skin. I lift it to my lips, exhaling softly as the warmth slides down my chest, spreading through me like a fragile comfort.

Across the room, Chiara lounges on the old sofa in the cramped living room, her laptop balanced on her knees. She types quickly, fingers moving with ease before pausing to take a phone call. Without missing a beat, she snatches the hamburger from the coffee table and bites into it as I lower myself onto the seat beside her.

"Are you sure he won't find me?" I murmur, my fingers tracing the rim of my mug while Chiara's eyes flicker from her laptop screen to my anxious face. Deep down, I know Blade won't track me down, yet the doubt lingers like a shadow I can't shake off. Everything feels so unsettling. It has only been a single day without a word from him, and already paranoia creeps into my thoughts.

He caught me off guard at the airport, snatching me away with only minutes to spare. If he managed that, what makes me think this time will be any different? Damn. My head feels tangled in confusion.

"You need to calm down, Sienna. He's not going to find you. This is my great-grandmother's cottage. No one knows its location except for me and my dad. Besides, who is going to waste their time combing through the dark forest for an old cottage?" Chiara smiles at me reassuringly and returns to her typing, her hair piled into a messy bun on top of her head.

Chiara's right. I don't have to be paranoid. Blade can't find me.

I breathe in slowly, feeling the tightness in my chest loosen as I sip the coffee that still tastes faintly of cinnamon. Moonlight slants through the curtains and paints pale bars across the floor; the soft chorus of crickets from the trees beyond the porch makes me flinch on the sofa, but I force my shoulders to drop and let the sound fade into the background.

Damn the freaking paranoia.

Our escape from this country was so rushed that we skipped breakfast. Now we sit with cups of bitter coffee in the middle of the night, the strange timing making it taste even more unnatural. Still, neither of us complains. We need the caffeine, the sharp edge of it, to keep us alert in case Blade comes searching for me.

"Let's go to Switzerland. No, Indonesia. Or France. I've always wanted to see Thailand. Or maybe Mexico?" Chiara gushes, her eyes sparkling with a dreamy sigh as I take another sip of the coffee that's already turning cold.

"Chiara, focus. This is not a vacation," I mutter, rolling my eyes as her shoulders sink in disappointment.

Yeah, you heard that right. Chiara is coming along with me. I told her I would be just fine on my own but she insisted. To be gravely honest, I am relieved she is coming. Silence can be brutal when all you have are your thoughts to keep you company.

"Oh, right." She lets out a long, defeated sigh and turns her attention back to the glow of her laptop screen. "So, where do you want to go?"

I set my mug of coffee on the table, the faint clink echoing in the quiet room. Rising from the sofa, I begin pacing, each step heavy with uncertainty. My mind is blank, grasping at nothing, not a single clear thought forming no matter how hard I try.