My Beautiful Boy ✔️

38

My hair was a mess. Dry tears covered my cheeks and my lips were dry and chapped. I felt numb. My brain was made of fog rage filled my body I start rocking in the chair trying to get free. A choked scream leaves my mouth as the chair tips to the ground, my head bashing onto the ground.

I'm kicking my feet, trying to rip open the knot, but it doesn't work. I'm screaming louder repeatedly hitting my head against the hard floor. I think I'm going crazy. I think I'll end up driving myself insane in here. I'm going crazy.

It's not even been twenty-four hours, and I've already lost the will to live. I'd rather die than endure the silence of this large, dark, doomed room for another second.

That's when I feel it. The knot loosens around my wrists. My eyes widen with hope as I twist them more, breathing heavily and whispering under my breath. "Come on." I'm breathing a sigh of relief when the knot completely loosens and I'm able to pull my wrists apart. I quickly mess with the rope tied around my ankles, throwing it half way across the room as I jump to my feet.

The first thing I can think about is to find a weapon. I have to take out the guards around the corner who probably heard the commotion but couldn't be bothered to check on me- thank God. There's nothing here. I spin around, trying to find something, but the room is completely empty.

"What are you doing?" I hear a voice behind me and my skin pales. My spine straightens in shock and I slowly turn around, licking my dry lips. "Get back in the chair, Camila." Stawarski glares at me, his voice low and scary. Shit. I fucked it up.

There's no way I can take him. On the off chance that I do, there's no way I can fight off two beefy men. It's impossible. So, I slowly walk back over to the chair and pick it up, angrily sitting back down. Stawarski slowly approaches me, standing behind the chair. My gaze stayed fixated to the ground as my hair fell on top of my face.

"You know, for going against me, people die." He says calmly, and I can hear my heartbeat in my ear. It thumps and thumps and thumps. "But you..." His hand runs through my curly hair and I suddenly feel sick. My nostrils flare in anger. "I think I can make an exception. I won't kill you." Then, crack. There's pain against the side of my head and everything goes black.

***

My eyes flutter to an open. I'm laying on the mattress with nothing but my clothes covering me. I shiver from the coldness that encases me. I slowly sit up, wincing as the side of my head pounds in pain. I press a shaky hand to my head, trying to lock the headache into the deepest part of my brain.

I need to get out of here. I have to, before Stawarski kills me. A tear slips out of my eye and my lip trembles in fear. I hate this. I hate this so much. I wish I could transfer my anger towards Dawson, but I can't. He's not at fault for this. He did everything he could to protect me, but we were sloppy and not careful. We thought everything was okay, and it wasn't.

Now, I'm paying the price. I edge into the corner, bringing my knees up to my chin and close my eyes.

"You poor thing." I hear, and my eyes snap open. Stawarski is walking towards me, throwing a bottle of water onto the mattress. "Drink up." He sighs, and my shaky hand reaches out, picking up the bottle and twisting the lid. I didn't care if the water was poisoned. My mouth was dry I'm thirsty I might die without it.

The bottle is on my lips and I'm gulping it down, finishing almost half of the drink. The coldness of the textures runs down my throat and I sigh in relief. Stawarski hums from beside me. "Well, your boyfriend has called me. He wants proof of life." He states, and my ears prick up at the mention of Dawson. A tiny speck of hope runs up my spine.

That's when I notice my phone in Stawarski's hand as he presses it to my ear. "Alayna?" Dawson speaks, his breath shaky. Tears spill out of my eyes.

"Dawson?" I choke on my own voice and my vision becomes blurry from the tears.

"Alayna, listen to me. I'm coming, okay? I'm gonna get you out of there. I'm so sorry-" Stawarski pulls the phone away from me and a strangled sob erupts from my lips. The tiny speck of hope turns into a flurry. Hope fills me to the brim. It chokes me burns me drowns me.

"Please let me talk to him." I cry, kneeling up towards Stawarski, trying to hold onto the glimmer of freedom that the phone call gave me. I suddenly feel dizzy. It's not the water. It's my head. I stumble back onto the mattress, gripping my head in-between my fingers, trying to keep the headache at bay. My eyes squeeze shut.

"Not long now, honey." Stawarski sighs, tapping the top of my head. I flinch away from his touch. "You poor girl. It's crazy what one will do for love, isn't it?" He continues to speak and I turn away from him, curling myself into a ball, rocking back and forth. "Dawson would move heaven and Earth for you, but I have the impression that you wouldn't do the same. In fact, I believe that you are sitting here, blaming him for this situation. You wouldn't be wrong."

"You're wrong." I whisper, shaking slightly. I wipe at the corner of my lip. "If Dawson was in my position, I'd do anything to get him back. I'd give myself up so that he could be safe." I tell him, and it's the most I've ever spoken since Stawarski's men took me. "Maybe it's something you'll never understand because you've never experienced love, but for me... I'd do anything to save those I love." I gulp. I hear Stawarski's sharp breathing behind me.

"Don't assume things about me, Camila." He hisses, and I feel his hand tighten around my hair, pulling my head up. A sharp gasp leaves my throat as my eyes flick up the ceiling, his grip on me strengthening. "I've told you multiple times now, don't disrespect me. You have a lot of gall, I'll admit that." He spits, before releasing my hair, pushing my head forward.

I shuffle away from him, curling myself into a ball and facing away from him in fear. I hear him chuckle before footsteps descend away from me. Then, I let myself cry.