"At this point, I'll be grateful for your pieces."
*****
Jessica Franklin is at her wit ends, literally. With two sisters depending on her and a mountain of debts on her neck, she needs a way out before she breaks down...
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Playlist. Let you Down by NF. Pity Party by Melanie Martinez. Enjoy reading!
With Devon gone, I can't keep pretending to be strong. My legs give way, and I fall to the ground, heart shattered and devastated. For the first time in my entire life, I feel a different kind of fear - the fear of losing Devon to this. It must be what Zachary wanted from the very beginning, hence the order for me to keep it all a secret, knowing fully well it won't work out.
"Please, don't hate me," I whisper to myself as I cry, tears still streaming down my eyes. "I don't know what I would do without you," I murmur, burying my face in my hands. I don't know for how long I sit there, just crying, but soon the door opens and Devon walks back in. I snap my head up, looking at him through the blurry gaze.
His focus is on me, but he is holding something else in his hands. I soon recognize them to be tiny cameras, and my heart skips a beat. Without another word, he destroys them and disposes of them. Then he walks back to me, a furious look on his face. For a while, I'm frozen, just staring at him.
Then without thinking, I start to lower myself to my knees, motivated by fear. "Devon, please..." I start to beg, blubbering as tears fill my eyes once more. My dignity forgotten, all I want is for Devon not to leave me yet. Devon notices my action and immediately catches me midway, raising me up. I just keep crying and muttering "don't hate me," over and over again.
"Hey, look at me," he mutters, turning my gaze to look at him. When I do, he cups my cheeks, wiping away my tears with his warm hands. "I could never hate you. I'm just hurt," he says.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." I blubber, gripping the hands that cup my cheeks. He lets out a sad smile and leans in closer, kissing my tear-streaked and snot-filled nose. I hold my breath as his lips hover before mine, but he doesn't kiss me. Not yet. Dipping his hands into his pocket, he brings out a bracelet and puts it on my wrist. It looks pretty normal to me. Confused, I stare at him. A light flush tinges his ears, but his gaze remains serious.
"It's equipped with a tracker," he starts to say, gripping my hands. "Make sure to always have it with you. I need to know where you are at all times. I'll give something similar to Emma once it's morning," he explains, and I nod, feeling relief flood my entire being.
"Okay. Thank you for this," I mutter, feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt. He wipes off the residue on my face once more and kisses me. Shuddering in relief, I tighten my hold around him, deepening the kiss. I've been deprived of him for too long; I would be grateful for anything at this point.
The world seems to fade away, leaving only the warmth of his lips against mine, the rapid rhythm of our heartbeats echoing in the air. His tongue explores every part of my mouth, his hands firm against my back and waist as he pulls me closer, as if he's afraid to let go. I eagerly return his kisses, craving more of him. From the depths of despair to the heights of joy, is any of this real?
We pull away from each other, and he leans his forehead on mine, breathing heavily. "You'll be fine, I promise," he mutters, his voice husky, and I nod, happiness shining in my eyes. Hugging his chest, I take in a deep breath, filling myself with his warmth. Soon after, we settle into bed, with me resting my head on his chest and his hands on my back.
The next morning starts off pretty normal, with me making breakfast and then eating it. Just like Devon said yesterday, he gave Emma something similar but didn't admit its purpose. Though she's still bruised from yesterday's accident, she declared herself fit to go to school, and reluctantly, I agreed, hoping that the bodyguards Devon hired for her would do their job. Although I wouldn't be giving Zachary the pleasure of hurting my family like that ever again.
Devon is reluctant to leave for work as well, but he needs to find Zachary's hideout and put certain things in place, so he has to. Satisfied that I wore my bracelet this morning, he gives me a quick kiss on the forehead and goes to work.
Waiting for the right moment is torture, and strangely, Zachary is yet to contact me. But I'm determined to end this boring game of hide and seek that Zachary seems to enjoy playing with me. So I make a decision. Once the timing is right, I call up Emma, asking if she's on her way home. She replies in the affirmative, and I'm glad. Then, I text Devon that I need to go out and get Emma's medicine since she's run out. It's a lie, but it'll hopefully have the desired effect.
Finally, I call Zachary. After a long time of pacing around, heart in my throat, he finally picks up, silently waiting for me to talk. With a calm voice, I ask, "If I come to meet you, will you stop hurting my family?" I ask, having my phone in a death grip as I await his answer.
He seems to think about it for a while before he finally replies, his voice sly. "Yes."
I let out a breath, my gaze narrowed. "Good, send me the address of where we are to meet, and I'll come to see you." I answer and end the call without waiting for him to reply. I rush to my room, bringing out the sacred box and opening it up. Bringing out the gun and loading it up with a couple of bullets, I tuck it behind my shirt and arrange the way I look. It's time to stop being careful; it has never helped me before.
I make my way down the hallway, my footsteps a muted echo in the quiet house. As I reach the living room, a swirl of emotions fills me, a mix of determination and a nagging sense of unease. Reaching the kitchen, I grab a pen and a small notepad from the side table. I scrawl a note for Emma, the words coming out in a rushed and slightly shaky handwriting, sticking it to the fridge before stepping out of the house, heading straight to the garage. The garage door groans as I pull it open, revealing a row of vehicles, but my gaze falls on the small hook by the wall, an array of keys hanging from it. I scan them quickly, my fingers curling around a random key.
I find the car that the key belongs to, my fingers slipping the key into the ignition. The engine roars to life, a steady thrum that contrasts with the racing of my heart. As I pull the car out of the garage, my hands tighten against the steering wheel, but I keep my gaze focused. Thunder rumbles ahead, and I can see dark clouds billowing on the horizon, matching the emotions that are swirling in my heart. But I can't back down now. I've gone too far in this. Steadily, I drive out of the house, entering the street.
Time to go see that bastard.
**** Thoughts?? Let me know! Thanks for reading!!! See you in the next chapter!
