All Yours

XXVII

AURORA

The flight back to New Jersey was brutal. I spent the entire time crammed next to a mother and her temperamental baby, whose cries pierced the cabin every ten minutes. If that wasn't bad enough, every little thing reminded me of Lorenzo.

Looking out at the endless blue ocean through the window? It reminded me of his scent. Closing my eyes to rest? His face appeared, vivid and impossible to shake. Watching some random movie on the screen in front of me? I'd compare the male leads to him, and none of them measured up.

It was like he was haunting me, and I hated myself for it.

Once the plane landed, I texted my mom to let her know I was back. I told her we needed to talk, and she suggested we meet at her café. I agreed, hailed a taxi, and slumped into the back seat, exhausted and emotionally drained.

As the car sped through the streets, I stared out the window at the passing buildings. The familiar sights of home should have brought me some comfort, but they didn't. Something felt off.

We should've taken the exit to my mom's café two turns ago. Now, we were driving in the complete opposite direction.

"Umm, sir?" I asked cautiously, glancing at my phone to pull up the GPS. "Are you sure we're going the right way to the café?"

"Oh, yes," he replied smoothly, meeting my gaze in the rearview mirror. "There's an accident ahead, and I'm taking a different route to avoid it."

His calm tone momentarily eased my nerves, but as the buildings grew more scarce and the scenery turned rugged, unease crept back in. I sat up straighter in my seat, scanning the area as we entered what looked like a deserted junkyard. A massive, barn-like structure loomed ahead, surrounded by rusted cars and debris.

Panic surged through me.

"Where are we? What's going on?" I demanded, my voice shaking.

The car screeches to a stop. I grab my phone, and quickly dial 911, but before the call could connect, my door was wrenched open.

A rough hand yanked me out of the car by my hair, the force making me cry out in pain. Tears blurred my vision as I tried to struggle, clutching my phone tightly.

The operator's voice barely came through the line before the man spotted the phone. He wrested it from my grip, ending the call and shoving it into his pocket.

"What do you want?" I screamed, my voice trembling as I fought to stay upright.

The man didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a syringe from his pocket. My blood ran cold.

"No, no, no," I whimpered, taking a step back.

Desperation took over, and I swung my fist at him, landing a hard punch across his face. His head snapped to the side, and he groaned loudly.

"You little bitch," he snarled, his tone venomous.

I tried to swing again, but this time he was quicker. He caught my wrist midair, twisting my arm painfully until I cried out. My forearm was exposed, and before I could process what was happening, the syringe pierced my skin.

"No!" I screamed, thrashing wildly, but the liquid was already coursing through my veins.

My vision blurred, and my legs buckled beneath me. The world around me spun, and I felt my body collapse to the cold, hard ground.

The last thing I saw before darkness consumed me was the man towering over me, his sneer the last thing burned into my mind.

~~