“Goodnight.” Jaylah answered. I didn’t reply and he closed the door when it became apparent that I did not plan on answering.
When the door was closed and the sound of my father walking down the hall ceased, Jaylah hissed. “Did you have to, Nova?”
“What?”
“You stirred the pot!” She accused on a hissed breath.
“No, the pot was already boiling over, Jay. All I did was tell him what he already knows.” I shook my head, pressing my cheek against my pillow. “I want him to know in the morning, when I’m not here, that I left of my own free will.”
“Why do you think I’m here with you, Nova?” This time, when her eyes filled with tears, they spilled over. “I’m freaking here because in the morning, when you’re not here, I can tell him I not only watched you go, but that I helped you go. I get to be here, to tell him that my big sister ran away because he’s too controlling to allow her to make her own decisions. I’m the one who has to fight for you. So, for me, don’t stir the boiling pot again!”
Stunned, her words sunk into my mind and I instantly felt ashamed. I was putting my little sister through so much to get myself back to the man who had, only months before, been my captor. I know it made no sense, but the cage of Calix’s love was a much prettier cage than the illusion that I lived in a free world.
“I’m sorry, Jay.”
“I know.” She nodded through her tears. “I know you’re sorry, Nova. And so am I.” She shook her head, wiping furiously at her tears. “But I don’t want to spend this time talking about all the crap. I want to talk to my sister.”
I nodded. “Okay, what do you want to talk about?”
She smiled through a sniffle. “Have you thought of any baby names?”
I laughed. “Of course, but I haven’t talked names with Calix yet.”
Her eyes flicked down at the sound of Calix’s name on my lips, and I tried not to allow her obvious distaste of my lover to break my heart.
“So that means you don’t want to tell me?”
“No,” I shook my head. “It means I haven’t decided on a name, but that I’ve thought of a few.”
“Like?”
“Well, for a girl, I really like Ella.”
Another tear fell. “And for a boy?”
I smiled again. Truth be told, I really wanted a boy. “Kellan.” I felt my heart swell. “For a boy, I really like the name Kellan.”
“I really - like that name - too.” She spoke through her sobs and I pulled her into my arms as she cried on my shoulder. “I want to be an aunty to my sister’s baby.”
“You will be, Jay.” I promised, but I hadn’t the faintest idea how that would happen. “We’ll figure a way to make sure of it.”
At exactly 1:00 a.m. climb from your bedroom window. In the trees behind your house, Officer MA will be waiting. He will escort you to N. Once in N’s care, you’ll have a long journey of tossing your father from your trail. Bring nothing but this phone. Be safe. Love G.
At the sound of the phone buzzing between Jaylah and I, alerting us to a message, we both froze. The laughter that had touched at our lips as we daydreamed about a baby, and life away from this nightmare, passed, as reality set in. The illusion we’d very foolishly crafted of a life filled with smiles and peace had vanished quicker than toilet water down the drain. As my heart pumped quick and viciously in my chest, I literally felt as though hope had been flushed down the toilet to swirl in the sewer.
With shaky hands, I’d opened the text message. From the other side of my bed, Jaylah read the words and a sob that sounded more like an animal in agony, wretched from her throat.
My entire body stiffened as my breath caught in my throat and my ears twitched as I tried to hear if her sob had awoken anyone. Jaylah slapped her hand over her mouth and her wide brown eyes swept over the room as she realized her mistake.
After nearly ten minutes, where every second felt like a pulsing wave in time, we breathed in relief.
Her cry hadn’t woken anyone.
“You can’t do that again.” I scolded my little sister, who in these last seven weeks, had become an adult in my eyes. “I can’t risk Dad waking, Jay. Because I’m leaving regardless - but it’ll be easier on everyone if I go this way. We need time to figure out a way to calm Dad down, and he won’t do that with me moping around the house.” I shook my head. “I can’t wait for him to calm down. My life has started, and I’ll be damned, Jay, if I don’t live it to the fullest.”
She nodded, blinking back the watery proof of her loathing of our situation. “I know. I’m sorry.” She sat up in the bed, trying to keep herself calm. “We only have forty minutes before you have to be out that window - gone.”
“You don’t have to stay in here.” I whispered.
“No.” She growled. “I’m not going anywhere, Nova. We have forty minutes, I’m saying we make those minutes count!”
I blinked and a tear slipped from my eye. “Okay, how?”
“We need a plan.”
“A plan?”
“Yes,” she nodded, before glancing at the phone. “Who is MA, N and G?”
“I don’t know who MA is, but,” as soon as I spoke the words, a memory flashed in my mind and I felt my skin crawl over my bones. Officer MA was no other than Officer Michael Andean - the man who’d pretended to be working to find me, all the while getting particularly close to Jaylah. Calix had once used Michael Andean to threaten my compliance - he’d threatened me with harm to Jaylah by the hands of the Officer.
Jaylah’s soft voice broke through my thoughts. “You know who he is now, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Yeah,”
“Well?”
“Jaylah, there was an officer who was helping you find me, yeah?”
“Yeah,” she held her breath. “Why?”
“What was his name?”
“Officer Michael Andean.” Her eyes widened and her lips parted on a gasp. “Oh my God. MA. Michael Andean.” Her hands moved to the top of her head, her fingers digging into her hair, curling into the locks in a move of utter stress. “How? I mean, I know how - but, why? Shit!”
“Jaylah!” I hissed through scolding eyes. “Shhh!”
“I freaking went on a date with him just last week, Nova!”
“You’re still seeing him?” I raised my brows. “Why didn’t you tell me you were dating?”
Her skin turned ashen and she muttered. “I didn’t think telling you I was dating would help you feel any better about being without Calix.”
“Shit, Jay.” I shook my head. “What did you talk about?”
“Normal stuff.” She announced. “We didn’t even talk about you, apart from him asking how you were holding up.”
I chewed on the corner of my lip as I considered her words. And then I considered mine. “Officer Michael Andean is on Calix’s payroll, Jaylah. I’m not saying he’s a bad person, but I don’t know. I trust Calix wouldn’t allow anything to happen to you, so I think you’re safe with him.”
“You think I’m safe with the man I’ve been seeing?” She laughed. “Holy fuck!”
“Jaylah!” I hissed. “Stop swearing. It’s rude.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re not allowed to swear. I get it.” She pinned me with fed-up eyes. “But I have no growly man who’s going to enforce a profanity-less existence. If I feel like swearing, I’m going to swear. Get over it.”
I raised my hands. “Alright, alright.”
She calmed down. “You really think I’m safe with him?”
“Do you feel safe with him?”
She nodded, looking ashamed. “I do.”
“Then I think you should go with your instincts.”
She nodded. “Who is N and G?”
“Right down to business?” I teased, before explaining. “N is Neil - he was pretty much my bodyguard when I was with Calix. He’s a nice man. And G is his grandmother, Gabriella. Gabriella raised Calix as her son when his parents were,”
“Murdered by our father.” She croaked the words I couldn’t bring myself to say.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
For a moment, we sat in silence - simply staring at each other. Then, Jaylah spoke through soft tones. “You have five minutes, and then you have to be out the window.”
“Oh God,” I felt tears of nervousness and farewell fill my eyes as I gazed into my sisters face. “Promise me you’ll tell Amy that I love her and that I’ll see her again. Tell her I’m not hurting and that it was my choice to go this time.”
“I promise.” She nodded. “You’ll call me?”
I nodded. “As soon as I can.”
“No longer than seven days, Nova.” She demanded. “Promise me!”
“I,” I breathed through my nervousness. “I promise.”
She pulled me into her arms and I gripped her tight. “I love you, Nova.”
“You know I love you, Jay. Thank you so much for - helping me.”
“I’d do anything for you.” She whispered. “You’re my sister - and it’s time for you to go.”
I stiffened as I pulled away from her to move toward the window. As I moved, I unbuttoned my pajama shirt, and pulled off my pants. When I was standing only in my skintight black leggings and tank top, I felt the nerves inside of me swell. Jaylah plucked a black workout sweater from where I’d placed it to hang over the back of my chair at my desk, and she helped me shove my arms into the holes, and then she zipped it right up to my chin.
“Are you taking anything?” Jaylah asked shakily.
I shook my head. “The text told me not to.”
“I know.” She pulled her bottom lip nervously into her mouth. “I just,”
“You had to ask.” I smiled. “I understand.”
She hugged me once more, and once again, I squeezed her tight.
To my surprise, Jaylah was the one who pulled away. It was her, who then opened my window and removed my screen. There was no mistaking she was better at this silent escape than me. I mean, she’d been sneaking out from the bedroom windows for years. She knew what she was doing. She was a freaking expert.
Cool November air blasted into the warmth of my bedroom, pushing through the fabric of my black escape wear, to seep through my skin and then my bones. I was chilled down to my very bones.
My phone vibrated in my hand and both Jaylah and I tensed.
“Open it.” Jaylah encouraged gently.
I opened the message and my blood turned just as cold as the night air.
It’s time.
“I have to go.” I croaked.
“You do.” She smiled, but it was forced. “Be safe, and remember, no longer than seven days until you call me, Nova.”
“Seven days.” I whispered as I moved to the window. Sitting with both my legs hanging over the edge, I turned back to my sister. “I love you. Tell mom I’m sorry, but that I love Calix too.”
Jaylah gripped my hand and I knew the clock was ticking. “Stop worrying about everyone here, Nova. I promise, I’ll be yours and Calix’s advocate.” She quirked a grin, snorting in sardonic laughter. “I’m the Devil’s advocate.”
An unrelenting grin formed on my face as I nodded. “Thanks.” And then I jumped the few feet to the grassy ground beneath my window. And then I ran, like Hell Hounds were chasing me, across the yard to the trees where Officer Michael Andean would be waiting for me.
***
I broke through the trees in the back of the yard before I let out my very first breath after my quick escape. My eyes searched everywhere, and when I saw nothing, panic ensued in my chest and my heart thundered. My head whipped from side to side. My knees shook, but I forced myself to remain still, holding my breath once again. I strained my ears.
Nothing.
No one was here.
Shaking hands turned my phone on, and the screen, so bright and white, made me cringe. Holding my hands over the light from the screen, I stared at an empty inbox.
Where the hell was Officer Michael Andean?
My phone buzzed and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Walk straight.
I didn’t hesitate in following through with the instructions provided to me. I moved forward, careful not to sway left or right. As I moved through the trees, blood swished in my ears. Every stick that snapped beneath my weight made the hairs on the back of my neck stand erect and my skin stretch tighter over my bones. My every sense was on overdrive. I knew my heart was beating fast and hard, because I could hear it thumping in my ears - drumming ominously.
By the time I’d walked a good five minutes into the trees, the silence was so loud, I wanted to scream just to shred its thick pressure that was weighing down on me. I felt as though I was suffocating. Then, I heard a whispered command in the darkness.
“Stop.”
I froze. Had I imagined it, or had I heard a voice? Had I truly heard a voice?
A snapping twig sounded behind me and I whirled around to face - Officer Michael Andean.
A breath of relief whooshed from my lungs as I gripped my chest hard. “Holy wow!” My words trembled. “Did you have to - do that?”
“I had to be certain you weren’t being followed.” He replied crisply. I watched as he lowered a black backpack to the ground, before pulling open the zipper. “Change into these clothes.” He handed me a new set of clothing. All black.
“Why?” I whispered. “They’re the same as mine. Black.”
His eyes narrowed on my face. “Change your clothes, Nova.”
“Okay.” I whispered, nodding agreeably. “Are you - are you going to - watch?”
His face didn’t change as he replied. I mean, not even a muscle twitched. “I don’t wish to die, Nova.” His voice was thick with - disdain? “No, I will not watch.”
Officer Michael Andean turned around then, facing away from me. I took my hint and quickly stripped from my clothes. I don’t think I’d ever changed so fast in my life.
“I’m done.” I whispered and Officer Michael Andean turned around to appraise me. I was holding my old clothes in my hands, uncertain what to do with them.
“Drop the clothes.” He commanded. “And the phone.”
I flinched, but I dropped the clothes, and then I dropped my phone too. I watched as his large booted foot came down hard on the phone - shattering it. When I spoke again, my voice was trembling without control. “What now?”
“Come with me.”
***
Two hours later, I was climbing a set of rickety stairs behind Officer Michael Andean. I waited as he unlocked a brown painted door, that was desperately in need of a paint job, before swinging it open to a very small, very gross looking, apartment.
Glancing up into his angular face, I walked past him into the suite. When the door was closed, he spoke. For the last two hours, he had spoken no words that weren’t telling me to remain quiet or to hurry.