ESCAPE [Completed] (NOT EDITED)

Chapter Five

The next day, I awoke early. Maddox took work off which wasn't hard for him to do considering he worked at a garage whose owner was his step-brother. Ryan and Pax came before mid-afternoon. Again, I had to strip so that Pax could see the damages that marred my body. This time, I told Maddox as well as Ryan to leave the room. Being in just a bra in front of my sister's ex was beyond mortifying and I'll be damned if I ever allowed for it to happen again.

Pax said that my ribs were bruised and left me some drugs for the pain. He wrapped a bandage around my torso, just below my breasts and told me to leave it on for the day. Apparently some of the damages on my body might scar and the bruised ribs could take up to six weeks to heal. After Pax had a 'private' chat with Maddox, he wished me well and left with his brother. I didn't know what was said between the two boys but whatever it was, Maddox wasn't happy.

I called into work which left me confused when I spoke to my co-worker, Mindy. She told me that she was sorry about what happened with a grandma I didn't know I had and that Darius, my boss told me I could take as long as I wanted off at work.

After the weird conversation, I got on Jack's laptop and googled my name. Funnily enough, there was a whole report on my whereabouts. Damian took the courtesy to tell the public that I had left promptly due to bad news that my non-existent grandma was in life threatening condition. He was an asshole but I've got to give the guy credit where it was due. He knew I wasn't important enough for people to look into my life to see if any of the things he said were true. He had the nerve to add a loving yet scary and indirect note meant for me at the end of his statement. I almost broke Jack's laptop when I read it.

"I really miss Ava and I'm hoping her trip won't be an extensive stay. She knows I'll go and drag her home personally when her grandma's better. I won't stay without Ava, longer than I need to. She's never getting away from me." Mr Blackwell joked. His love for Ava Tavern was truly beautiful and she was a very lucky woman, the interviewer told us. We hear wedding bells in the horizon for the mogul and his girlfriend. What do you think?

Oh, you foolish people, I thought. I would rather be buried alive than to spend any of my future with that monster. Thankfully, I got something out of the interview. I wouldn't have the public on my ass along with whatever goons, 'Mr Blackwell' had out looking for me.

*

Another couple of days passed by and I was starting to get antsy. I was afraid Damian might be getting closer to reaching his goal of finding me. On top of feeling paranoid of the fact that I might have made some kind of mistake and left a clue as to where I might be, Maddox was driving me crazy. He'd been hovering around me since I stepped foot in this condo, keeping his promise of not letting me out of his sight. And to make things worse, I caught Jack checking me out one too many times. To tell you the truth, he wasn't as creepy as I made him out to be. Turned out, he was actually a great guy; fun and easy to talk to.

Thankfully, by Saturday, my new passport had been completed. I was shocked at how legit it looked but still scolded Maddox on doing this illegal shit. He laughed and told me to be glad it was the mild kind of illegal shit.

I dyed my hair the darkest brown I could find which wasn't far off from black and Jack gave me a new haircut. Apparently he did barbering when he was younger but also had picked up a few skills at working on women's hair too. My once waist length, mousy brown hair was now dark, cut past my shoulders with wispy bangs covering my forehead falling just below my eyebrows.

"Never speak of this to anyone." Jack warned, narrowing his eyes towards Maddox.

"Chill man, I am not about to tell people I'm living with a dude that's in touch with his feminine side," joked Maddox.