I look over at the clock. It's 11:30. My flight leaves at 1:30, and the airport is a good thirty minutes away. I'll have to get through security and everything, but I can't seem to move.
The packed duffel bag sits at the foot of the couch like a dare. My heart pounds as I throw on a baseball cap and grab my favorite fluffy blanket. The comfort it used to bring me feels distant now, like I'm clinging to something I've already lost.
With trembling hands, I reach for my phone to request an Uber. My car stays parked in the driveway. I can't risk Cade finding it abandoned at the airport.
The app says the driver is five minutes away. Five minutes to change my mind. Five minutes to convince myself this is a terrible idea.
I pace the tiny apartment, every step echoing with doubt. What if Cade is right? What if Jake doesn't want me there? What if I don't make it two days on my own?
When the Uber pulls up, I grab my bag and take one last look at the apartment. My chest tightens, and my breath catches in my throat. I can do this. I'm going to be fine.
The driver greets me with a polite smile, but I barely respond. My hands are clammy as I grip the strap of my duffel bag, my stomach twisting into knots.
"Can you pull over at the next gas station?" I ask after a few minutes. My voice is shaky, and the driver glances at me in the rearview mirror, probably wondering what my deal is.
When we stop, I rush inside, the fluorescent lights buzzing loudly in the empty store. I grab a cereal bar and two hard seltzers, my hands trembling as I flash my fake ID to the cashier.
The cold aluminum of the can feels grounding, if only for a moment. I down one seltzer in the parking lot, hoping it will take the edge off. The bubbles sting my throat, but it's not enough to drown out the fear clawing at my chest.
Back in the car, I nibble on the cereal bar and try to focus on the road ahead. The driver doesn't ask questions, and I'm grateful for the silence. But my phone vibrates in my lap, pulling my attention away.
It's Cade.
Baby, I'm sorry about earlier. I just lost my temper. Please answer me.
The message is followed by another. And another.
Madison. Answer me. Fucking answer me.
My thumb hovers over the screen as my breath quickens. If I don't reply, he'll keep texting. Keep calling. Keep chasing me.
Just one reply, I tell myself. Just to buy some time.
It's okay, baby. I understand. I'm sorry too.
The lie tastes bitter as I hit send, but it's enough to silence him for now. I stare out the window, my grip tightening on the empty can in my lap.
When we finally reach the airport, I crack open the second seltzer and chug it before stepping out of the car. My legs feel like jelly as I grab my bag and head inside, scanning the crowd for any sign of Cade.
But he doesn't show.
For the first time in years, I feel a glimmer of freedom. Cade can't stop me now.
The thought should be comforting, but as I shuffle through the airport, dragging my bag behind me, the weight of everything threatens to crush me. Every man in the crowd looks like Cade. Every glance in my direction feels like suspicion.
When I finally reach the TSA checkpoint, my hands are clammy as I pass over my boarding pass and ID. The agent barely glances at me, but my pulse pounds in my ears. I can feel my body trembling as I step forward and place my bag on the conveyor belt.
YOU ARE READING
When He Saved Me
Romance* IN THE PROCESS OF BEING EDITED/UPDATED * Madison has dealt with abuse and heart ache her whole life thinking that it was what she deserved. First her parents then her boyfriend. When her older brother left for college on bad terms with their paren...
