Facade - Jacob Elordi

twenty-two

*TRIGGER WARNING: blood, death, gun violence*

My extremities tingled with fear as I slowly turned my head to see Frank grinning ear to ear.

"How did you find me?" I stuttered.

"She'll take the tiger," Frank instructed the booth staff as they handed over the stuffed animal. "He's quite cute. Isn't he?"

"Leave me alone," I jolted out of his grip in hopes to run to the boys.

"I wouldn't to that if I were you," Frank warned as my feet carried me further away from him.

Running into two random men, I looked up at their dark features, "You have to help me. There's this man harassing me, please."

"Can you point him out?" One of them asked.

I turned around in circles trying to find Frank in the crowd of busy people at the carnival, "He was just right over there. I- I don't know where he went."

"Just— nevermind," I said reaching for my phone to call Jacob.

The other man grabbed it out of my hand, "Make a scene and you're dead." His whisper sent chills down my spine as I complied in terror, Frank walking up from behind them.

"I told you my dear Charlotte... I see you've met my friends," Frank sounded like he didn't have a care in the world. This was light work for him.

"What the fuck do you want? Is it money because I don't fucking have any," I pleaded for my life.

"Just a chat, that's all. Let's take a walk," He motioned for me to follow him towards the dark exit. "Don't fight. They're armed by the way."

As I walked to what felt like my death, I prayed one of the boys would see me. The tall men seemed to surround me, keeping me hidden from prying eyes as we reached the dark patch of trees just outside the gates of the carnival. The crickets chirped louder than the deafening silence. I let out a sob.

"No need to cry. We won't hurt you as long as you're a good listener," Frank chuckled to himself.

I sat in silence staring him in the eyes, bouncing between Frank and his henchmen. They knew I wouldn't do anything. I couldn't even if I tried.

"You really needed a two extra guys to come scare me into submission?" I scoffed through tears. "What? Your baby face wouldn't do the job? Poor thing."

"No. Just in case one of your boyfriends decide to intervene. It'll be a sad day for them," Frank pulled up his own shirt revealing he was also armed at the belt.

"What do you want?" I annoyedly asked, tired of running and living in fear. I don't want this to be my future, so I'll do anything to resolve this now. I wiped my tears to keep my strength. My overwhelming trepidation tends to consume me. I need to be unpredictable for once.

"Connell has been patiently waiting to speak to you. You didn't make him very happy at his gala. Your heel bruised him pretty terribly," Frank shook his head as if Connell were a wounded puppy and I was a sadist.

This felt like a fever dream. All I needed to do is stall Frank long enough that the boys would notice I'm missing when they get back to the booth. It shouldn't be hard, but I have no idea what Frank's conniving behind the scenes.

"Maybe he shouldn't have tried to kidnap me. You sent me into that room knowing what would happen," I stated the facts blankly. "How could you? Are you that heartless of a person to befriend me and then send me into that room knowing he was waiting in there for me?"

"Don't get it twisted, darling. You're the naive one to fall for it all. Thinking you actually had a friend... That you of all people could see the good in me when your boyfriends were right all along. Betrayal is hardly a factor," Frank let the words slip off his tongue like a snake.