Fear pushed at her pores, and she felt panic hitting her like a ton of bricks. What kind of person would chase after her in the middle of the woods? Would she be one of those news stories—pieces of a dead body from a young woman found buried in the woods near her house? Bile rose in her throat, and she swallowed it down. She was only freaking herself out more.
Taking off at a sprint, Devon pushed forward as fast as she could go. She had never been a runner, and the last beer she’d had was sloshing around in her stomach, slowing her down. Why had she done that? If she hadn’t, would she be faster? She couldn’t think about it.
Her boots slowed her down even more. They weren’t meant for running distances. They were meant for horseback riding, and more importantly, they looked good.
Her feet pounded the dirt as she tried to hold her pace. The end of the trail was approaching, but she could feel her pursuer gaining on her. On a straight stretch in the trail, she looked over her shoulder, and her long hair flew out in every direction around her face. She could definitely see a figure, but with a quick look, she couldn’t tell who it was or if she even recognized the person.
Hadn’t her mother told her that 95 percent of reported cases were people that the victim knew firsthand?
Finally reaching the road, she looked both ways before crossing. She ran straight across the lawn between the double oak trees and up the creaking wooden stairs. She yanked open the screen door and banged on the front door. Devon heard a familiar answering call, and she pushed into the house without another thought.
It was a small run-down one bedroom shack that hadn’t been inhabited for as long as Devon had known about it. She had been sneaking away here to have sex with her boyfriend for nearly as long. He should already be here. He would protect her. Would the person following her try to get into the house? It wasn’t secure by any means. Her pursuer wouldn’t have a hard time breaking in.
Devon slammed the door shut and slid the lock into place, hoping that it would help.
“Mason!” she called out frantically.
No answer.
“Mason!” she yelled again, rushing to the closed bedroom door.
He had knocked back when she came to the door. It was their signal. She hadn’t made up the fact that he had knocked back. Where the hell was he?
Devon pushed open the bedroom door and found the room transformed. It was stark white everywhere from the walls to the four-poster bed to the carpet and curtains. The room was unbelievably bright, like she had entered another world.
She looked around, taking a few hesitant steps into the room. When she heard the door close behind her, she jumped and glanced over her shoulder. Her exit had been sealed off, and as far as she could tell, there wasn’t another exit.
“Mason?” she whispered, the words lodging in her throat. Her heart hammered in her chest as tears welled in her eyes.
How do I get out of this? she thought.
She felt eyes on her again, and she turned around to meet her pursuer. Before she had a chance to scream, the person grabbed her arm, wrenched it painfully behind her back, and planted her face-first into the mattress.
DEVON AWOKE WITH a scream erupting out of her throat, the one she hadn’t been able to let loose in her dream. She sat straight-up on the couch, her breathing heavy and her skin clammy. Pushing her hands up into her hair, she let the tears fall freely. She cried there helplessly until she had no more tears left, until her eyes were red and puffy, and until her throat was sore.
She moved the covers off her body and pushed herself off the couch, standing up on shaky legs. The door to Brennan’s bedroom remained closed. She wondered if he had heard her screams or if he had slept through them. Either way, he hadn’t opened the door, making his position very clear.
Stumbling forward into the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water and downed it. Her clothes were wrinkled, and she didn’t even want to think about how rumpled her hair was. Knocking on the bathroom door, she waited for an answer, and when she didn’t hear one, she entered.
Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror over the sink, and she tried not to cringe away. She looked like a wreck—pale and gaunt with dark circles under her eyes. At least Brennan hadn’t seen her like this. It wouldn’t have mattered after what had happened last night, but still, it was better this way.
She scrubbed her face and tied her hair back into a ponytail, trying to make herself look presentable. It wasn’t much use, not after crying so hard. She was an ugly crier; she always had been. Now that the blood was rushing back to her face, she was all red and splotchy. At least it would go away eventually.
Bending forward at the waist, she cradled her body against herself and begged and pleaded to whoever would listen for the nightmares to stop. This was the first time she had dreamed of home. It had felt so nice to be back in the Tennessee woods, and then the same thing had happened all over again. How many more times could she be chased? How many more times could she get caught? How many more times before she didn’t wake up in time?
Her heart ached for home, and she pulled out her phone. She really wanted to call her mom, but in her condition, her mom would know how messed up she was. Instead, she tried calling Dustin’s phone. He had just finished his third year of pharmacy school at the University of Michigan, and he was sticking around Ann Arbor to be close to his girlfriend, Kelly. They were in the same program and had only been dating for one semester.
“Hey, Dev,” Dustin said, answering the phone.
“Hey,” she said. “How have you been?”
“Better than you, it sounds,” he said, knowing as quickly as her mom would that something was wrong.
“Well, I’ve been better,” she admitted honestly.
She had a hard time lying to Dustin. Growing up, he had been her rock. They’d had their differences, but he was her big brother, and he had always been there for her.
“What kind of trouble are you getting in? Does this have anything to do with Mom badgering you about New York?” he asked.
“Has she been doing that to you as well?” Devon asked, thinking about how she had avoided her mom’s calls the past week. She would rather talk about New York than her real issues.
“Hounding me like a dog, but she doesn’t want me to bring Kelly. Said she wanted it to be a family thing.” He sounded irritated.
“She said the same thing to me.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, Dev. I don’t think I’m going to go, but if you have a better suggestion for your birthday, let me know. I’d rather get wasted in St. Louis with you than spend quality time with the fam.”
“Seems a bit unfair to Dani,” Devon said.
“Oh no, it doesn’t. Mom wants her to bring her boyfriend. Personally, I don’t think Mom trusts Dani enough not to sleep with every guy she meets there. But who knows Mom’s reasoning?” Dustin told her.
Devon laughed lightly. It felt good to laugh after everything else that had happened. She didn’t feel healed, but Dustin certainly had a calming effect upon her.
“I never know her reasoning.”
“So, you going to tell me what’s wrong?” Dustin asked, changing the topic.
She sighed, wishing she knew how to tell Dustin. The more removed she got from what had happened, the more she wondered if it had happened at all. Maybe she had just blown it out of proportion. Maybe she had simply overreacted, and there was no need for her to run away. Maybe a conversation could have changed it all, and then she wouldn’t have had to leave. Maybe she just hadn’t tried hard enough.
What if she told him and it all became a reality? Then, she couldn’t take it back. It would be out in the open.
“Do you remember when we used to go through that shortcut in the woods off the road that led to the abandoned house?” she asked tentatively.
“Yeah, we used to go there all the time,” he said.
“I had a dream about that place, and it really freaked me out,” she told him lamely.
“A dream about the old abandoned house? That’s random, Dev.”
“Yeah,” she said softly, “really random. Someone seemed to be chasing me. Seriously, Dustin, it was really scary.”
Dustin laughed in a mocking way that Devon had become so accustomed to. “It was just a dream, Dev. I have dreams about zombie attacks and getting chased up trees by a Tyrannosaurus rex. They’re pretty scary, too. I wouldn’t let these dreams mess you up too badly.”
“True,” she said disbelievingly.
“Oh, hey, Kelly just woke up. I’ve gotta run. I’ll talk to you later. Let me know about your birthday.”
After Dustin hung up, Devon dropped her head in front of the sink. He hadn’t given her the opportunity to say anything more. It was reason enough for her to stay silent for a bit longer. She needed to figure out what she was doing and where she was going. She couldn’t stay in Chicago because she didn’t have the funds to remain, but she couldn’t go back. Her life was in limbo as she teetered between staying and leaving. She had a decision to make, and it had to be made today.
Straightening, Devon exited the bathroom, smoothing out her clothes along the way. She didn’t know if she should knock on Brennan’s bedroom door and say good-bye or not. She nearly did three times, and then she decided against it.
When she reached the front door, she saw a note taped to it.
Went to the gym. Food in the fridge if you’re hungry. Just lock the door on your way out. —Brennan
Ugh! How could he even want to go to the gym after the amount of alcohol he had consumed last night? Or was that just a cover so he could leave the house and avoid her?
She shook her head, lost in her own frustration. She grabbed her things, left the apartment, and walked to the nearest train station. She took the train back to Marina City. She wanted the embarrassment of what had happened with Brennan to be as far from her mind as possible.
Instead, Devon focused on something else she couldn’t control. She needed to talk to Hadley before she packed up and left. Last night had ended poorly, and Devon didn’t want to leave on these terms. Hadley was her best friend. Devon was pissed at her, no doubt, but she didn’t want to see Hadley devolve any more. Devon couldn’t leave and wonder if her friend was on a further downward spiral than she, herself was.
Lunch? We need to talk, Devon texted Hadley.
Devon received her response as she took the elevator up to the apartment. Fine. Jenn’s? Hadley responded
I’ll just meet you at that place across from your work. This is going to be quick.
I’m off at noon.
Devon changed into fresh clothes and brushed her teeth. She was glad Garrett wasn’t there. She didn’t want to face him this morning. He was always so bright and cheerful, and while he did tend to make her feel like a better person, she wasn’t ready for that right now. Plus, he might know how pissed she was at Hadley. He might somehow see it, and she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him that his girlfriend was a coke addict, at least not until Devon knew if it was necessary.
DEVON HOPPED ON another train to Hadley’s building. Arriving at the restaurant across the street, she took over a booth in the back. It appeared to be nicer than Jenn’s with fancy tablecloths, classical music playing in the background, and expensive artwork hanging on the walls. Devon wasn’t a big fan, but it would be better to meet here than somewhere comfortable…somewhere near Brennan.