Escape

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The bus pulls up to the train station. I gather my luggage and walk off the bus. I scan my surroundings, making sure I wasn't followed by either my husband or Sam.

I walk into the station and up to counter. I look at the board behind the soft-spoken woman behind the counter and look at the list of places.

"Can I help you ma'am?" She asks with a kind smile on her face.

"Um, I don't really know where to go." I reply. The woman looks at me with a confused look on her face.

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"I just need a ticket to somewhere far away, but small. And safe." I look at her and she furrows her brow. "Please, just anywhere." My eyes start to water. She looks at me sympathetically and nods her head. She prints out a ticket and hands it to me. I don't even look at the location, I just look at the departure time. 11:00pm. That's an hour from now.

I walk over to a small corner in a dark area of the train station and wait. I have so many thoughts trying to push through but I do my best to silence them. I breathe deeply, attempting to calm my nerves. I've done this so many times before and I can do it now. I keep telling myself that everything is going to be just fine.

"NOW BOARDING" Rings over the speakers. I jolt out of the sleep I must have slipped into. I glance up at the clock on the wall, 10:50pm. Thank god for the announcement. I stand up and gather my luggage and tuck my ticket into my pocket. I start walking towards the platform when I see a familiar face walk into the train station. It's Sam.

I freeze in the middle of the station. There's no running, he'll see me. He scans the station before his eyes find mine. I begin to walk towards the platform quickly.

"Payton!" He yells. I walk faster.

"Payton!" He yells even louder before he catches up to me. He steps right in front of me, forcing me to a stop.

"Payton," he whispers. "Please don't go." He puts his hands on my arms, holding me in place, probably afraid I'll run.

"I have to." I whisper through my throat that feels like it is being forced closed.

"No, you don't. Listen, I don't know what's going on, but I don't believe anything that you said back there. I know you love me, and I love you." His voice cracks.

"You don't understand. He's found me." I begin to cry softly.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"I mean he's found me," my voice raises, "He called me. He knows where I work. He's the one that destroyed the bookstore. He knows where you live. And he will hurt you. I told you this was going to happen. He always finds me. And I can't stay and let him do anything to you." I begin to sob. Sam pulls me into his chest. He holds me for a while until I catch my breath.

He pulls me back and hold me at arm's length.

"I'm not afraid of him, Payton. And I told you, there's no safer place in the world than with me. I promise." He speaks softly, like if he talks to loud, I'll shatter.

"You don't know him. You don't know what he's capable of. And I've never been with someone else, so I don't even know what he's capable of when it comes to you. I don't know how far he'll go." I muster through tears.

"Nothing he could do could hurt as bad as this. As you not being in my life." He holds his gaze.

"LAST CALL. NOW BOARDING." Rings through the train station.

"Please Sam, I have go." I grab my bags and push through Sam towards the platform.

I get up to the open doors and turn around one last time. He's standing in the center of the room, watching me. He's a broken man. And it's all my fault.

I walk onto the train and allow the doors to close behind me. I find an empty seat in a cabin to myself. I sit down and my mind starts to race. I start to think about how the rest of my life will be. Running, scared, nightmares. How am I going to live the rest of my life like this? Am I never going to truly live ever again? Just 12 hours ago, I was the happiest I'd ever been. What if I fight? Eventually I'm going to have to, and I can either do it by myself or with Sam by side. Then I feel this overwhelming clarity, this is it. I'm done living the life of a damsel in distress. This is my life. I need to take it back. I'm an idiot.

I feel the train start to move slowly and I jump up.

"Wait! Please! I need to get off." I yell but nobody is in the cabin. I run to the door and try to push it open, but I can't.

"Please!" I yell as loud as I can.

An attendant comes through the doors, "Ma'am, what's wrong?!"

"I need to get off this train, right now." I beg.

"Ma'am, the train is already moving, I'm afraid I can't do that."

I look around and see an emergency stop pull on the wall. I run over to the box and pull as hard as I can, bringing the train to a forceful stop.

"What are you doing?! You can't do that!" The attendant yells.

"I'm so sorry, it's an emergency." I apologize as I gather my bags and jump off the train onto an unfamiliar platform. I look around, unsure of my surroundings. I scramble through the train station before finding a dark mop of hair sitting in a dark corner. He's facing away from me. I walk up to him slowly, trying not to startle him. I get right behind him, his head in his hands.

"Sam?" I whisper, embarrassed. He lifts his head and slowly stands up. He turns to look at me, unable to say anything.

"I'm so sorry, I just don't know what else to do. But you're right. Running away is all I've ever done. And I just can't bring myself to run away from you. I've never loved someone like I love you, and he's taken so much from me already. I can't bear to let him take you from me too." A tear drops down my face.

"Fuck." He replies, breathlessly. He pulls me into him and connects our lips. I feel his cheeks become wet.

"I promise I will keep you safe. I promise, Payton. We'll do this together." He says in-between breathes.

"I love you, Sam." I plea as I try to catch my own breath.

"I know. And I know you're scared. But I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." He rests his forehead on mine until our tears dry.

"Please, take me home." I beg. He plants a kiss on my forehead, grabs my luggage for me and walks me out.