The house is blue. Snowflakes flutter around them, swirling through the air. Her vision flickers in and out as Bennett carries her up the cobblestone driveway. The paint is chipping off the siding as if the house had seen centuries of storms. But she knows it hasn't. He tells her that as he handcuffs her to the old creaking radiator in the basement. The handcuffs are metal and she knows they'll get hot. They'll burn against her wrists but Bennett refuses to listen to her. He tells her that should be the least of her problems. In hindsight, it's the one thing he turned out to be right about.
"We can make this work, don't you think, Addie?" Bennett asks her and she nods mutely. This is where she's going to die. She knows it now. Her boyfriend's – probably her ex-boyfriend now – dead grandmother's house is where she is going to die.
"Did you hear me, Addie? I said we can make this work. Don't you think?"
"Yes, Ben," Adeline says quietly. No. They cannot make this work. Bennett leans down and gently kisses her forehead. She forces herself to stay still.
"You just had to say you were leaving me. This is all your fault, Addie. If you had just, just loved me as much as I love you," he trails off and sighs, staring down at her. "Well, we wouldn't be here."
"I'm sorry, Ben. I love you, I do," Adeline whispers. The metal is already growing hot against her skin and she jostles her arms. Ben takes her chin delicately in his hand and smiles. He lets go and quickly smacks her across the face. She yelps in surprise.
"You don't love me. But that's okay. You don't need to love me for me to love you; and I do. I love you so much. Enough for the both of us," Bennett says with a sinister smile. His tone shifts and he brushes her hair back. "I have to go to sleep. I have an eight-a.m. lecture to get to in the morning and it's kicking my ass," Bennett tells her and kisses her a second time. He walks to the stairs and turns back to look at her with a bright smile. "Goodnight, Addie. I love you, my dear." He disappears up the stairs and the lights flick out, throwing her into darkness.
YOU ARE READING
If Not Her, You
Short StoryAdeline Moss, a college student, is kidnapped and chained to a radiator by her boyfriend where she'll have to do the unthinkable to escape. **This short story is about abuse and violence and may have trigger warnings for some**
