Jenalyn: Crossing Lines (#4) [Complete]

Chapter 25: Hayden

Sunday, 1:00 P.M. EST

A million thoughts swirl my mind as I sit in the courtyard of the Roosevelt Mall waiting for Dane to come pick me up. I’m surprised that nobody has recognized me, sitting out here in a mall in broad daylight…

I can thank Arman, the stylist that straightened my hair for the photo shoot today. Considering that Hayden’s everyday look is my natural God-given curls, I’m sure the straightened hair is a huge reason for that anonymity. 

I did the rest of the work for getting Hayden off of the grid myself.

I had to get rid of her phone. That got me caught last time, and I can’t risk that again until Dane doesn’t want to kill someone in Hayden’s life as a way of getting back at me. So I took down a couple of phone numbers, factory reset it, turned it off, and shoved it to the bottom of Ty’s suitcase along with my wallet.

I spent the last of my cash on two TracPhones, as many unlimited month cards as I could afford, a cab, and the pair of sunglasses I wear on my face. 

The only shaky thing in all of this is depending on Ty to cover for me until I can figure out Dane’s plans. After that, I can message the Golds myself and tell them I can’t do this Hayden thing anymore. 

I just don’t know if I can depend on him to do this.

He’s going to be the hardest to maintain when I have to give Hayden up because he thinks that I’m carrying his baby. But God forbid I can’t make Dane change his mind about it, and that may not be a thing anymore…

This is fucking crazy. What did I get myself into?

I should have listened to Dane in the beginning.  I should have waited until he was ready to accept it to pursue a pregnancy… What if I can’t change his mind, and he kills her? 

She’s a tiny person in there! My tiny person!

I should just run away now… I should run away, hide out somewhere until I’m ready to have her, and then pass her on to a nice family so that I can still give her the life I promised. 

Dane would find me though… anywhere. He always does.

I fucked up. I backed myself into a corner I can’t figure out a way out of!. Words can’t begin to explain the anxiety that boils through my veins as I wait for him to show up.

I wrap my hands around my belly seeking comfort, but it only makes my heart ache more. 

“I’m sorry baby girl… McKaiden,” I say under my breath to my belly, disregarding all the clamor surrounding me. “I’m sorry if I can’t be strong enough to keep you alive, but I’m going to give it my all. I won’t let him take you without a fight! I’m going to be strong for you, little girl. I just need you to be strong for me too, okay? We’re going to-”

I’m interrupted by a vibration in my pocket. Dane is the only person who has this number…

I let out a shaky sigh, my body trembling with fear as I give my belly one last rub. “Be strong for me Kaidy-Kat… Be strong for me, and I’ll try to get you through this…” I whisper before pulling myself from the bench.

McKaiden squirms in my belly, almost as if in response to my rambling. Hopefully, an affirmative response. 

I gather what few belongings I brought with me, and make my way to Dane’s truck. We’ve done this so many times before. Any other time there was a part inside of me, even if just a tiny piece, that could find excitement in it. 

This time though? There’s nothing. There’s no one. 

“I’m surprised you showed up,” Dane says as soon as I open the passenger side door. “You must value your life more than I give you credit for. Well, that or the life of your little boy toy. I just had Robert on the line ready to take him out if you didn’t show!”

Oh God… Rob. That’s a whole other story I don’t want to get into.

“Rob is with Ty?” I ask, my voice panicked.

Dane laughs. “Well, of course!” he exclaims, grabbing my arm to yank me into his truck when I don’t move fast enough. “I have him posing as the bellboy carrying his bags down to the lobby as we speak!”

I feel sick to my stomach for so many reasons. Why is Ty leaving the hotel? We were supposed to be there for another few days… What if he’s going behind my back to try to get me caught? Just like I worried he would?

Great. Now I have to find a way to text the Golds sooner than I planned for. 

“Phone?” Dane asks, holding his hand out as he pulls out of the parking lot. It’s almost as if he could read my mind. 

“I got rid of Hayden’s,” I respond, trying to sound confident despite my crumbling mind. “I bought this one to message you…”

I pull out one of the TracPhones I’d bought and place it in the center of his palm.

He chucks it out of his window in a quick motion, turning to me with a smile that makes my skin crawl. “Great!” he exclaims, turning to me as he stops at a red light. “Now are you ready for this abortion? Because these are not easy to arrange, and we’re already running late.”