Heart of Light (3 page)

She’d never forget the date. December nineteenth. The day everything changed.

Then, when she finally escaped, it all changed again. But she still felt like a captive. She wouldn’t feel free until she was off that bus. Until that happened, she could be found. And she could
not
be found.

“We’ll be stopping in thirty minutes,” the bus driver announced, waking Jolene from her thoughts.

She stretched, lifting the eye mask off her face. She squinted, wondering how she could have fallen asleep in such a cramped space. The sun was setting in the west and there were palm trees swaying in a light breeze as the bus drove down a four-lane highway.

“This is paradise,” she said quietly.

A short while later, the bus pulled into a large truck stop. Grabbing her bags, Jolene bolted off the bus, wanting a bit of fresh air and something to eat. The humidity hit her like a brick, but she didn’t care. She could finally breathe again, no longer worried about what kind of monster would be taking her to bed that night.

She ran into the truck stop, needing to shower and change her appearance as quickly as possible.
He
had friends in some rather high places. Her photo could already be plastered over the news. She couldn’t risk anyone recognizing her. Scanning the shelves, she grabbed a box of hair dye, thankful to finally get rid of the hideous blonde that her hair had been for the past ten years. She wanted her natural dark hair back.

“Hey, there,” the clerk said, eyeing her purchases. Funions. Beef jerky. Hair dye. A shower cap. Scissors. Shampoo. Conditioner. Disposable cell phone and a pre-paid calling card. “Don’t tell me that you’re changing your hair color, blondie.” He winked at her.

She grasped her head, forgetting that she had stuffed the itchy wig into her bag once she was safely on the bus, not wanting to sleep with it on.

“Yeah,” she replied quietly. “I figure it’s time for a change.”

He continued ringing up her items, noticing that she was nervously fidgeting with her fingers. “Did you just get off that bus?”

“Do you have showers here?” she asked, avoiding his question.

“We do. It’s three dollars for ten minutes.”

“Ring me up for twenty minutes please.”

He shook his head, a sneaky feeling washing over him as he observed the anxious girl reach into her bag and pull out a wad of cash, handing him a one-hundred dollar bill. His eyes went wide when he saw several huge rolls that appeared to be all hundreds. He wanted to call someone, but who? And what would he say? That a scared-looking woman came into the truck stop on a bus and changed her appearance? It wasn’t the first time and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Handing her the bag containing her purchases, he kept his eyes trained on her as she began to head to the showers.

“Hey, blondie!” he called out, startling her.

She turned around, meeting his eyes, waiting for him to speak.

He looked deep into the brilliant blue hue, surprised at the depth he saw. After several awkward moments, he finally snapped out of his daze from her mesmerizing eyes and nodded toward the windows. “Looks like your ride is leaving without you.”

She grinned. “Good.” She spun around and walked down the long hallway toward the shower facilities, thrilled to never have to sit on a cramped bus again.

After the tedious process of dying and cutting her hair, she emerged from the truck stop, a sense of freedom finally enveloping her. She had just erased the last remnants of the person she was in Chicago. That girl was gone, and she would never return.

She suddenly realized that she had absolutely no idea where she was. Scanning the front of the large concrete building, wayward travelers coming and going from the truck stop on their way to some destination, Jolene saw various newspaper bins.
The New York Times
.
USA Today
.
The Florida Times-Union
.

“I knew it,” she said under her breath, finding a few quarters and paying for a paper. “Jacksonville…”

The sun was moving toward the horizon in the west and she wanted to be settled somewhere before nightfall. The less she was seen in public, the better…at least for now. Grabbing a newspaper and a beach rental circular, she made her way toward a set of picnic benches, hoping to find a place she could hide for a little while until she figured out her next step.

After combing through the rentals, her eyes landed on one that looked decent and fit her price range. She picked up her newly-acquired cell phone and dialed the number. A friendly voice picked up on the second ring.

“Hi. I’m calling about the beach rental. Is it available, and do you take cash?”

~~~~~~~~~~

A
N
HOUR
LATER
, J
OLEN
e had her cab drop her off at a coffee shop down the street from the rental she had found. It was better that no one knew where she was headed, even her cab driver. What if
he
found the cabbie that drove her to the small island off the coast of Jacksonville? She had to take every precaution possible, even if that meant walking a mile from a coffee shop parking lot to her prospective rental.

Paying her driver, she collected her few belongings and took a map out of her bag.

“Hey there! You look lost!” a voice called out as she scanned the map, trying to match a cross street.

She hesitated, reluctant to respond. She was in an entirely new place and if the last twelve years of her life had taught her anything, it was to trust no one. All she
did
know was that she wanted to find the beach and never leave it.

Feeling someone approach from behind, she spun around and stared at the muscular man walking up to her. She crossed her arms defensively in front of her chest as he took a few steps closer. Her heart raced and she searched the parking lot for anything that looked even remotely suspicious.

The man stopped abruptly just a few feet away from her and scrunched his eyebrows, bewildered.

“What? Is something wrong?” Jolene asked, confused about why he was staring at her.

He shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. “Sorry. You just look a lot like someone I used to know. Except your eyes are blue.”

“Oh. Okay,” she replied cautiously. “Well, I’m looking for the beach. How close am I?”
 

“You’re on Amelia Island. Head a mile east and you’re sure to hit the Atlantic.” He closed the distance between them. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“Is it that obvious?” She retreated from him, trying to maintain the little space there was.

“Maybe. You also don’t look like the normal tourist coming through. What brings you to our little slice of paradise?”

She shrugged. “Nothing really. I just wanted to find someplace quiet where I can just…” She trailed off, a lump forming in her throat. She had dreamt of this moment for over a decade, the reality that she was finally free overwhelming her with emotion.

“Where you can what?”

Her chin quivered slightly and she looked into the hazel eyes that matched the chestnut shade of his hair. “Just be, I guess. Where I can forget. Where I can finally breathe again.”

He looked at her, surprised by her candid response. He could tell that there was more to her story, though. “Do you have a name?”

Jolene paused. “I’d rather not say, if it’s all the same to you.”

“You’re the girl who called about the rental, aren’t you?”

Her eyes widened. “Are you Benny?”

The man in front of her beamed. “Yup. That’s me,” he said, holding out his hand.

She looked down, taking several steps back from his outstretched hand, wishing she could finally get over her gut instinct to retreat whenever someone did that.

Benny immediately pulled back his hand, running it through his hair, trying to get a feel for the woman in front of him. She seemed lost, in more ways than one.

“Come on. I’ll give you a ride to the house. It’s just a few miles east.”

“Thank you, but I don’t mind walking. I’ll meet you there.”

“I’m not a serial killer or anything. You can trust me. It’s getting dark, and you really shouldn’t be walking these streets late at night. It’s not safe, no matter how quiet this little town may seem.”

“No. I’d rather not be a burden. Like I said, I’ll meet you there.” She grabbed the map again, trying to locate exactly where the house was.

“You don’t even know where you’re going.”

She began walking away, knowing that she probably looked ridiculous holding a road map in the age of smart phones. “I’ll figure it out!” she called over her shoulder.

“Well, then, I’ll walk with you.” Benny ran up to her, catching up with ease. “If you think I’m going to let you walk down this street alone at night, think again.”

Jolene stopped in her tracks and exhaled, a look of complete exasperation crossing her face. She narrowed her eyes at him, attempting to figure out what his game was. Maybe he was just a nice guy. He certainly didn’t look like someone who would harm her. Why was her first instinct to assume the worst of everyone? She had a perfectly good reason why.
He
was why.

“There’s nothing I can possibly say that will convince you that I’ll be okay on my own, is there?” The corners of her lips turned up slightly in mild amusement at Benny’s charming and insistent nature.
 

“Not a chance in hell.” He flashed a friendly smile, his dimples popping. It was unlike any smile she had seen over the past decade of her life. It wasn’t a sinister, calculated smile. It was a genuine, pure smile. It felt warm and attentive.

“Fine. You can give me a ride.” She caved in to his offer. “But keep your hands to yourself,” she retorted rather snidely.

“You got it.” He chuckled a bit at her feisty attitude. “My truck’s this way.” He nodded toward a large black pick-up truck parked near the front doors of the coffee shop.

Jolene stepped around him, keeping her distance as she made her way across the relatively empty parking lot. Opening the passenger side door, she hopped into the truck. As she reached for the door, she stilled immediately when she saw Benny standing right outside. It took her by surprise.

“See. I’m not a bad guy.” He winked. “Mama taught me to always open and close the door for a woman.”

Jolene clutched her bag to her chest, turning to face forward, his proximity making her jittery. “Thank you.” Her chest rose and fell in an increasingly fast rhythm. She let out a slow breath once he finally closed the door.

She looked down at her trembling hands, her heart racing at the thought of being alone with a man for who knows how long as he drove her to a place she had never been to before and couldn’t really be sure even existed.
What if he works for
him
?
she thought. She prayed that he didn’t. That’s all she could do at the moment as she glanced down at the lock on the door and cursed whomever decided that installing child locks in cars was a genius idea.

“Ready?” he asked, getting in behind the wheel.

She nodded quickly. “It’s not far, is it?” Her voice shook in trepidation.

Benny smiled at her, trying to make her feel at ease. “I promise we’ll be there in less than five minutes. You can trust me. I’m not going to hurt you…or touch you,” he explained, his face sincere.

“Okay,” she whispered. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the headrest and listened to a Jimmy Buffett song that had just come on the radio, the gentle sound of the steel drum soothing her nerves.

“Where are you from?” Benny asked a few minutes later.

“I’d rather not say,” she responded forcefully. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but the less you know about me, the better off we’ll both be.” Her eyes met his and she sent him a pleading look. All she wanted was somewhere that no one knew her name or what her story was. She wanted peace. She wanted to finally feel free, and if anyone knew her name, it would only be a matter of time before someone came asking questions…too many questions.

Sighing, Benny shook his head. “Okay. I won’t press you. But if you’re not going to tell me your name, what am I supposed to call you?”

“Maybe I’ll tell you my name tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Benny nodded. “Tomorrow.”

“T
HIS
IS
IT
,” B
ENNY
said as he pulled down a narrow sandy road and into a small driveway, turning off the ignition. He ran around and opened the passenger door for Jolene, taking a step back as she jumped down from the cab.

The sound of the ocean surrounded the area, the steady wind whipping her hair in front of her face. She couldn’t see the water in the darkness of night, but it was unmistakable that she was on the shore. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A calming sensation ran through her body and she said a silent prayer, thankful that, after over a decade, someone had finally listened. Someone finally thought she was deserving of a second chance.

Setting her eyes back on the quaint two-story beach cottage, she grew giddy with excitement over the thought of never having to share her bed, her home, or her body again. She couldn’t wait to fall asleep with the windows open and listen to the sound of the ocean, instead of her cries and screams for once.

“Come on. I’ll show you around.”

Jolene snapped out of her trance and followed Benny around to the front of the house. “I bet the sunrise is amazing out here,” she commented as they climbed a short flight of stairs onto a decent-sized deck.

“Yeah. You could say that. I’m usually out here every morning surfing with a few of my friends. Actually, the guy who owns this house is one of my surfing buddies,” he explained as he punched a four digit code into a lock box attached to the door handle.

“You don’t own it? Then why are you renting it out?”

Benny shrugged. “I work in real estate. My buddy bought this place with no intention of living here, so I kind of manage the property for him.”

“Why doesn’t he live here? If I had a house on the beach, I’d never leave.”

He stared at the door for a moment. “He lives on the island, but can’t bring himself to step foot in here. That’s all I can really say.”