Escape

Chapter Twenty-Six

The ride home from the park was quick, too quick. Watching him from the passenger seat, watching his dark hair fly around from the all the windows being open. The huge smile beaming across his face showing him in pure bliss. If there was a heaven, that was it.

By the time we get back, the sun has nearly set. He walks over to my side of the car and opens the door for me. I stand up and he takes me in his arms, hold me by the small of my back up against the car. He kisses me so deeply, like he's been waiting the entire ride home to touch me. I don't think I've ever felt so loved, so needed.

We walk into the bookstore and there are books thrown everywhere.

"What the fuck?" Sam whispers.

I look around, and not only are there book thrown off the shelves, but pages are ripped from the books and scattered around like confetti. Shelves are knocked over and the front door is shattered.

"God dammit! I bet you it was those fucking kids from the other day." Sam yells.

"Kids?" I asked softly.

"Yeah, I kicked a couple of kids out the other day because they were shoving books into their backpacks." Sam runs his hands through his hair in frustration.

I feel my cell phone start to vibrate, which is strange since many people don't have my number.

"I'll let you get that." He says with a sigh and starts to pick up some of the books. I pull my phone out of my pocket. The caller says 'Unknown'. Typically, I would just send them to voicemail, but something made me want to answer it. I walk to the back of the store.

"Hello?"

"Hello... Payton." My heart drops and the room starts to spin. I could recognize that voice from anywhere. From my dreams, my nightmares, my past. I feel a lump form in my throat. I can't tell if I'm about to throw up or scream. I try and swallow down as much of this feeling as I can.

"How did you get this number?" I ask as calmly as I can.

"From the diner babe." I can hear the condescending tone in his voice. Then it registered what he said. The diner?

"What do you mean? The diner?" The panic is starting to come through in my voice.

"You're diner, Payton. Laura is a sweet woman, isn't she? Once she heard about your poor sick mother, she gave me your number to make sure I could reach out to you."

Tears start falling from my eyes.

"Don't you know this already, Payton? You're my wife. And I will always find you. And believe me, I know all about that guy you've been running around with. Oh, by the way, did you like my redecorating?" He begins to laugh.

I can't speak anymore. I hang up and throw my phone to the floor, shattering it into pieces. My chest tightens and I feel like I can't breathe.

"Payton? You okay?" I hear Sam yell from the front of the store. I have to leave. I have to leave now and get as far from here as I can. I leave out the back of the store and begin to run as fast as I can.

I run up to my apartment door and frantically look around. What if he can see me? What if he's inside? Where is he? The world around me becomes out of focus as my adrenaline fires through me.

I turn the key in the lock slowly and try to steady my breathing. I open the door and walk in. Everything looks normal and untouched. I close the door behind me and shake my head. The door was locked, there's no way he could get in.

I wipe my face with my hands and take a couple deep breathes. I've done this before; I can do this again. But there was never a Sam before. I was in such a panicked state after the phone call, I didn't process that leaving again would mean leaving him. But staying would guarantee being found. And would also include Sam getting hurt, I'm sure of it. I don't even want to imagine what he would do to Sam, a man who's only wrongdoing was loving me. Leaving will break his heart, but it may also save him.

I run up the stairs and grab my suitcase and backpack from underneath my bed. I begin to throw everything I own in both bags. It only takes me about ten minutes since I've learned to travel light. Per usual, I leave behind all the big items like blankets, pillows, and towels. This isn't my first time.

I race down the stairs and swing open my door. As I run out, I run right into a man. I shut my eyes and begin to sob as I drop to the ground. He was waiting for me, and now he has me in his grasp.

"Payton? What's going on?!" It's Sam. I look up and see the man I love so incredibly worried for me. I stand and wipe my face. Sam scans my luggage next to me.

"What's happening? Where are you going?" He asks softly. It takes a moment for me to muster up the words.

"I'm leaving." I whisper.

"You're leaving? What do you mean you're leaving? Where?" His face is starting to look pale.

"I mean I've been here for too long. I need to keep moving. And it's time for me to go." I say a little louder than I mean to. My eyes start to water once again.

He takes a step back, "What?" he says so softly I could barely hear him. "I just, I'm confused. I love you Payton, and I thought you loved me." His face goes from pale to red.

"Maybe this is just all too much." I lie. "And maybe I shouldn't have dragged you into all this mess."

"What mess? What is going on, Payton?" Tears start to fall down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Sam. I can't love you, and I have to go." I push past him and begin to walk, almost run, towards the nearest bus stop. It takes everything in me to not turn around and tell him what is actually going on, but I can't. If I tell him that my ex-husband found me, he'd just want to be my savior, and get himself hurt in the process. But if he thinks this is something I want, he'll be heartbroken but at least he'll be safe.

I arrive at the bus stop and the bus pulls in front of me. I look around and make sure I don't see anyone that may be following me before stepping on. I walk to the back of the bus and look out the back window. As the bus pulls away, I see him. I see Sam. He's running towards the bus. He looks destroyed. He's screaming something but I can't make out what he's saying. I shut my eyes as tight as I can and begin to cry softly, trying not to make a scene and draw attention to myself. My chest feels like it's being ripped open. I open my eyes again and I see Sam kneeling on the ground, but by now he's just a small dot fading off into the distance.

I should have known better. I should have known better than to bring someone else into my mess. This is my life. The running, the hiding, the moving. I was wrong to get involved with anyone, especially someone like Sam.

Images of Sam's face flash in my mind mixed with images of my husband. I get a flashback of dancing with Sam at the bookstore, but then it's followed by images of glass being thrown in my direction. There's no escaping it. My tears run dry. Here we go, again.