Authors: Jillian Dodd
He studies my face. “Being off by yourself is good for you, isn’t it?”
“In some ways, Damian, it’s incredibly freeing. But I miss my family and I miss my friends.”
“Do you really miss your friends? Like who do you miss?”
“I miss you. And even though I kinda hate B, I miss him. Surprisingly, I miss Vanessa and RiAnne. They may have been catty and superficial, but I knew what to expect from them. And Sander. He was always really good to me, and the best shopping partner ever. I’ve sort of been following news from his set. It sounds like the movie is close to being done. I admire him for having the guts to do what he did. To go for it. I’m proud of him.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“And what about you, Mr. Rock Star? Getting all famous.”
“It’s pretty cool, but it’s tiring. I also understand what you used to talk about. How you played a role at school and sometimes it felt fake. I feel that way sometimes. Like people are all screaming my name and acting like they love me, but they don’t even know me.”
“I think that’s okay. You can have two lives. The image you present to the world, and the you that you are at home. Mom told me the other day that it doesn’t matter what everyone thinks. It only matters what the people you love think. I thought that was pretty good advice.” My mind immediately goes to Aiden. Telling me that he did the dance for the people he loves.
I suddenly feel exhausted.
“I’m really tired,” I tell Damian.
“Me too.”
“Will you sing me the song? Like a lullaby? Maybe you can put us both to sleep.”
He holds his arm out so I can snuggle up on his shoulder.
Damian has been making me feel better since my dad died and lying on his chest makes me feel like no matter how bad things seem, it will all be okay.
He starts singing.
“She's the kind of girl
Everybody wants be.
But no one sees what's inside,
Or that she cries herself to sleep.
But I see, baby, yeah, I see.
She's Miss Popular
Floating with the crowd.
But it all feels so empty
That she wants to scream out loud.
But I see, baby, yeah, I see.
So forget about them,
Come surf the crowd with me . . .”
Saturday, October 15th
The single biggest reason.
10:30am
I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I do know that Damian singing to me was so comforting. I haven’t felt that calm and relaxed since before I started dating Brooklyn.
I get up, go out into the kitchen, and find the ingredients to make Damian’s favorite breakfast. Cinnamon French toast and bacon.
Dawson and Riley wake up to the smell and congregate in the kitchen. I take a piece of bacon into the bedroom and wave it under Damian’s nose.
“Your ability to make French toast might be the single biggest reason why we have been friends for so long,” he teases as he takes a big bite of the bacon. “Is that what I smell?”
“Yeah, do you want to get up yet, or do you want me to put it in the warming drawer for later?”
“What time is it?”
“Almost eleven.”
He pops out of bed. “I better get up. We’ll eat, then go out on the boat.”
“Whose house is this? It’s amazing.”
“It’s our record producer’s. He said he hardly ever uses it. Comes to a few Heat games and throws parties a couple times a year, but that’s about it.”
I introduce Damian, my long time friend from grade school, to Riley and Dallas. They hit it off right away. We have fun out in the boat, then come back and sit in the hot tub on the deck overlooking the water.
Damian entertains us with all sorts of stories about touring with the band. The good, the bad, and the groupies. Dallas and Riley particularly love the stories about the groupies.
Now we match.
11:15pm
We get to the club and immediately go backstage, do some shots, get backstage wristbands, and get Damian set up to go. After that, he comes out and dances with us for a while.
About an hour later, it’s time for him to go backstage to prepare for his performance.
“Hey, Riley, I'm going to run to the restroom before he comes on. I’ll be right back.”
I wait in line.
Forever.
No. Like, F-O-R-E-V-E-R.
I didn’t have to go that bad when I got in line, but now I do.
Finally!
I pee.
Then I stop at the bar to get a bottle of water. After the shots we did backstage, I need some water.
I stand on the edge of the dance floor sipping my water and looking for Riley and Dallas. The dance floor is packed.
I’m scanning the crowd when I feel someone move in close behind me.
I’m pretty sure it’s Riley. I start to turn around as he wraps his arms tightly around my waist.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
My heart stops.
I’m face to face with Vincent.
"Aren't you the tricky little minx?" he says. "I've been looking all over for you."
“How did you find me?"
"I followed the breadcrumbs. You toured with him this summer. I heard he was going to be here. Took a chance. So, where are they keeping you?"
"Here in Florida," I lie. "I'm in a witness protection program. So, you found me? You’ve found me a couple times before, but I keep getting away.” I try to make my voice sound like I'm unaffected by him.
But I’m so affected.
I will my body not to treble.
Don’t let him know you’re scared, Keatyn.
Vincent’s still gripping my waist so tightly that I know it’s going to leave a mark.
“You won’t be getting away this time. So here's how it's gonna go down. First, we’re going to dance. You want to be an actress; consider this your biggest role. You're going to dance with me like you were dancing with that boy at your birthday party."
I can't hide the surprise from my face.
Vincent nods, gripping my waist tighter. "Yes. I was watching. Even went to visit him in Oregon. He didn't know a thing. Not even your best friend, Vanessa, seems to know where they've been keeping you. She's quite the fun little distraction though. From what I understand, you left without saying goodbye to your friends."
"I just told you I’m in the witness protection program. Even my family doesn't know where I am.” I put on a French accent and say, "I am a foreign exchange student named Michelle."
"You're not going to say goodbye to anyone tonight either. After we dance, you'll accompany me to my car and we’re going home."
"Home?"
“Yes. We'll start filming immediately. I have everything prepared."
"And what if I scream? There are a lot of people here."
"I have a gun, Abby. If you even move wrong, I'll start shooting. And I'll start with your friend, Damian. He's scheduled to go onstage about now."
The music stops. Damian walks out onto the stage.
I can’t let him kill Damian.
“My name’s not Abby. I’m Keatyn. Don’t you remember that? I’m Abby’s daughter.”
He just grins at me.
The kind of grin that makes my skin crawl.
“We’re going to dance. Now.”
He pulls me out onto the dance floor and pulls me into his arms.
I put my hands on his back but I can't move them.
I can’t make them move. I don’t want to touch him.
Anywhere.
He pulls me in close and runs his hands all over me. Down my back. Cupping my ass. Down the outsides of my thighs.
I feel like I'm going to throw up.
"It feels so good to finally have you in my arms. I heard we just missed each other at Long Beach."
"How do you know that?"
He grins. "I have my ways. And then we met again in New York City. Wasn't that something? Cat and mouse chase through the streets. We may have to add that to the movie. It was very exciting." He pauses. "You're not dancing with me like you did him. Move your hands," he commands.
My mind is going a thousand miles a minute. Don't make a scene here. Just do what he says. Then when he tries to get you out to his car, you can fight him.
Punch him.
Run.
Get the gun.
Something.
The gun. That's it.
I'll get the gun and use it on him.
Where could it be?
In the movies, they always tuck them in the small of their back. I swallow and move my hands. I close my eyes and try to pretend that he's anyone but Vincent.
I run my hands up the inside of his jacket, trying to make it feel sexy and not like a pat down.
"That's it, Abby," he says, smoothing the back of my hair. "God, that feels good."
Shit.
There is no gun in his waistband.
Shoulder harness?
I move my hands back to his chest, work my way up to his collarbone, then move under his arms and down his side.
He shoves his leg between mine, then moves his hands down my body. "I know what you're doing," he whispers.
Shit.
He knows.
"What am I doing?" I say, in my coyest and sexiest voice.
"You're trying to get me all turned on so I can't think straight."
Oh, thank god. He doesn’t know I’m trying to find the gun.
"Is it working?" I purr.
He gives me a grin that if I didn't know how sick he is, would have made my heart flutter.
My heart is fluttering, but it's a bad way.
I'm going to have a heart attack way.
"I almost forgot," he says. "I did something just for you." He pushes me back just a little, flips over his hand, and shows me the chaos tattoo on his wrist. "Now we match."
“I heard about Tiny. How he died in a mugging gone bad. Suspiciously the same way your mother died.”
Vincent smiles a sick smile. “I heard that too. You really have to be careful on the streets these days. Bad stuff can happen to anyone.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No, Abby. It’s a promise.” He tucks his fingers under the waistband of my skirt and pushes it down slowly.
I know what he wants. He wants to see my tattoo.
I back away quickly, causing his hand to fall in front of him.
He grabs my arm and squeezes hard, pulls me back close, and gets in my face. "Don't even think about it. I want to see your tattoo. Now."
I hesitate.
“I said now."
I lean my back away from him and slide my skirt down a little further on my hips so that my tattoo is visible.
He puts his wrist against my skin.
Making our tattoos touch.
He keeps his hand in place but pulls the rest of my body back in closer.
"It's like our tattoos are making love," he says.
He pushes his hips further into mine so I can feel how this has aroused him.
I can barely choke back the bile in the back of my throat.
I really feel like I’m going to puke.
Maybe that would be a good idea. If I puked, wouldn’t someone come help me?
Or would he say that I’m sick and he is taking me home. No one would believe he was being anything other than helpful.
My chin is up by his shoulder so he can't see my face.
I allow myself a moment to be horrified.
To stop acting.
I shut my eyes tight. Breathe heavily and try to keep myself from crying.
"Keep doing that," Vincent says. "That way you’re breathing. Having our tattoos touch is turning you on too, isn’t it?"
I can't say anything.
I can't act anymore.
I cannot do this.
I just nod my head into his, so he thinks I am agreeing.
"Abby, god, this is amazing," he says, pulling me closer and rubbing his tattoo harder up and down against mine.
Gun.
Remember the gun.
Find the gun.
Get away.
I move my hands down his chest. To his front pants pockets.
He moans again. “Abby. Abby.”
I still don’t feel a gun.
Instead, I feel his erection.
Definitely not a gun.
That leaves his ankle. James always keeps a spare gun in an ankle holster.
I pull myself closer to Vincent and slide my foot down the side of his left leg.
I don’t feel a holster.
That leaves his right leg. Which I should have checked first. He’s right handed. Of course, it would be on the right side. A plan forms in my head. I’m going to find the gun. Shake into him or something. Drop it low. Get the gun. Tell him to get the fuck out of here and that if he touches my tattoo one more time, I’m going to shoot him.
But then I’d be the crazy person in the club with a gun.
I’d have to kill him, so he’d have no defense. So that he couldn’t make up a story.
I have to kill him.
"What the—” Vincent says.
Vincent is shoved away from me and knocked to the ground in a blur.
Dallas grabs my hand and pulls me off the dance floor, with Riley right behind us.
"No!" I yell at Dallas. "I have to go back there. He has a gun."
"He said that? That he has a gun?” Dallas’ face goes white and he looks scared.
"Yes, he said if I didn't do what he said that he'd start shooting people."
"Fuck," Dallas says. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and sends a text. Why he's doing that at a time like this, I have no idea. “I’m sorry,” he says, “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten you involved in this mess or put you in danger. Come on, we've got to leave."
He pulls my hand, bringing me and Riley with him.
I follow him, even though I have no idea how he could have put me in danger. I’m the one that’s putting them in danger.
I listen for gunshots. I'm praying Vincent doesn’t follow through with his promise to shoot Damian, who is still on stage singing.
I've got to warn him.
"I've got to go backstage first. I've got to tell Damian. He knows we came here with him. He threatened to shoot him.”