How Not to Fall In Love

Chapter 65

We managed to get Sophie away from organizing her things in the bathroom, loaded back up in the vehicles, and headed to Lynchburg to find the restaurant with the fantastic cheeseburgers and milkshakes. I wanted this weekend to be spectacular. I needed this weekend with my boyfriend and friends. 

"What are we going to do after dinner?" Sophie asked from the backseat. 

"We need to get food, snacks, and drinks." I glanced over my shoulder. 

"The cabin is fantastic. And the lake..." She smiled. 

"Oh, I know." I agreed, smiling back at her. 

My smartwatch vibrated, letting me know I had a notification; it was a text from Jules, which was odd because she didn't text me that much. I was about to grab my phone when Austin pulled up to the restaurant next to the black SUV. Everyone was climbing out of the SUV when Austin shut off the truck. I grabbed my phone and got out of the truck. 

"I'm so hungry," Sophie said, jumping out of the back. 

"You won't be after we get done eating." Austin laughed, taking my hand. He opened the door for me. Once inside, my eyes flashed to the big picture window, expecting to see my father outside, looking in at us. 

"Aren't you funny?" Sophie rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. 

"Rylee thinks so." He laughed. 

"Don't pull me in the middle of this." I inched away from Austin, laughing. 

Austin's bottom lip jutted out. "Hey..." 

I busted out laughing, wrapping my arms around his neck. "You know I love you." I kissed his cheek. He peeked at me out of the corner of his eye, smiling. 

"How many?" A lady walked up, grabbing menus and silverware. 

"Seven," Austin said, glancing at all of us. 

"I can sit you all at the big corner booth or a table." 

"Booth, please," I said. 

"My name's Donna, and I'll be taking care of you. She placed the menus and silverware around the table. "What can I get you to drink?" 

"Chocolate milkshake and water, please." I smiled. Everyone else liked what I ordered and wanted the same thing. The server said she would go work on our milkshakes, then come back and get our food order. 

My smartwatch vibrated again, letting me know I had a notification. I looked down, and it was Jules. I asked Austin if I could have the keys to his truck so I could go out there and call Jules real quick. He asked if I wanted him to go with me. I told him I'd be back in a few minutes; I just wanted to check on her. He reached into his pocket, then held the keys out for me to take them out of his hand. I reached for them, but he grabbed my hand, pulled me closer, and kissed me. Cole looked up from Tristan and asked where I was going. I told him Jules texted me and that I was going to call her real quick. 

His brow furrowed. "Hmm...She never texts you. I hope everything is okay." 

"I'm sure it is. She's probably just checking on me because of last time." I backed away from the table. "I'll be right back. Don't. Touch. My. Milkshake." My eyes narrowed. 

Cole placed his hand on his chest, all innocent. "Who me?" 

I motioned my two fingers toward my eyes, then at him. "It better be on the table when I get back." I walked away, raising my hand in the air. I opened the door, and the cool evening air caused me to shiver a little on the way to the truck. I unlocked the door, hopped up in the driver's seat, started the truck, then turned on my heated seat. 

"Hello..." Jules's voice was barely above a whisper. 

"Hey. Everything okay?" I twisted a piece of my hair between my fingers. 

"I'm sorry, Rylee." Jules's voice quivered. 

"About what? Jules, what's going on?" 

"He made me call you..." The words echoed in my ears; the hairs on my arms stood on end. "Jules!" 

"Don't worry, she's fine." His cold, heartless voice paused. "She'll stay that way as long as you do as I say." 

"What do you want from me?" My eyes darted to Austin at the table, talking and laughing with everyone. I looked away before he could see the panic in my eyes. "Well, I'm waiting..." 

"Listen to you all, bossy. You wouldn't be saying that to my face. If you want to see your sister alive again, you need to come home. I know you aren't in town. We'll be here waiting for you. The clock starts ticking now." I heard his evil laugh before he ended the call. I put my phone down in the console and saw my purse on the floorboard. I had no choice but to go home, or he was going to hurt Jules. I made the mistake, looked up, and found Austin staring at me. His eyes narrowed together, and his brow furrowed. He started to get up out of the booth. I mouthed sorry, threw the truck in reverse, backed up, and sped off. And sure enough, my phone started ringing before I got halfway through the city. I didn't even have to look at the phone to know it was Austin calling me. I kept my foot on the gas and headed back home to save Jules from Dad. Once I was out on the highway, I was able to get the Navigation for home going. I had ninety minutes to worry before I reached Jules. 

                                                                                         *****

I managed to get back to Charlottesville in an hour and fifteen minutes. I'm surprised I didn't get a speeding ticket on the way home. I didn't want Austin and them to come looking for me at my house, so I had to do something with the truck. I checked in my rearview mirror every so often to make sure they weren't behind me on the way home. I had to decide quickly where to leave the truck before they caught up to me. The best way to throw them off was to leave the truck at Sadie's and walk back to my house. I eased up to the stop sign, leaning over the steering wheel, looking down the road for the black SUV at Sadie's house. I turned the corner, parked the truck in front of the house, hid the keys in the console, and grabbed my purse. I closed the door, then turned my head from side to side to take one last look down the road for them. I didn't want to risk them seeing me walking in plain sight on the street, so I  ran across the street and started walking down what looked like an alley. I was about to walk past the first set of houses when I heard screeching tires. I ran back to the big shrub at the corner of the house on the left. I ducked down, trying to look through the crack between the house and the shrub. 

"Why would she leave like that?" Austin yelled, slamming a door shut. 

"Man, I don't know. I'm sure she had a good reason. Maybe she's in the house?" Logan said. 

I heard two other doors shut, then feet thumping concrete as they hit when walking fast or running. I couldn't hear anything else; I was afraid to peek out from behind the shrub, but I knew I only had a few minutes before they realized I wasn't in the house. I had to make a run for it. If I stayed close to the house, the shrub would block most of their view of me until I could hide behind the garage. I took a deep breath, turned, and ran toward the garage. I had just rounded the corner of the garage and stopped to catch my breath when I heard vehicles start. I was amazed; I could hear that over my heart pounding in my ears while gasping for air. I peeked around the corner; Austin and Logan's trucks were gone. I leaned back against the garage briefly, then continued down the alley to my street. The sun was setting, and the dusky sky made it easier to stay hidden from them as I walked home. About ten minutes later, I stood in front of the place I thought I'd never step foot in again.