A Broken Fate (The Beautiful Fate Series book 2) (13 page)

Chapter 13

The F Word

I
ran, at the gym, four miles or more daily to try to stop the stress. My body started to hurt and scream in protest at overuse. I spent hours and hours in the study doing research, looking up anything that could possibly shed light on No. 7. But I always came up empty handed.

I started working with Andy for
House to Home
, making a few contacts and setting up some funding for a few events to be held in the spring, nothing time consuming or difficult. Andy suggested that I put work off and take more time to “get well.” But I assured him that the distraction from my thoughts was nice. I still had not actually gone in to the
House to Home
office to meet anyone. I preferred to stay put. Actually, I preferred to stay safe. I told Andy not to pay me at all, but he refused so I set up an account, arranged for the direct deposit of my paycheck and set up an automatic payout to the Company as a charitable donation. The work was enjoyable; doing a little bit of good for someone else felt nice. I researched other organizations that were in need and set up donations. My mother always donated to a few of the women’s shelters back in Chicago, so when she passed I decided to continue on with her monthly contributions as well.

No matter how hard I tried to focus on real time, I found that my mind sometimes wandered far away, trying to solve a puzzle Ari knew nothing about – the conundrum of who No. 7 might be, how I might identify him if he could appear in any form he chose, and how I would kill him.

I became so scared of my alone time that I began to wander over to Aggie’s. She and I didn’t talk much; I just liked the idea of having someone near me. I practiced the piano for what felt like hours, trying to get my fingers to do what I wanted them to do. I played until my fingers turned sore and stiff and the bitten ends bled. Then I began shutting myself in Ari’s old bedroom, crying under his bulk of pillows and blankets until I fell asleep.

“Ava.” Aggie was talking softly. “Ava, Baby.”

“Mmm?” I moaned and removed the pillow from my eyes. Ari’s old bedroom was bright with the afternoon sun. I blinked several times.

“Ava, I have to run to the market. You
’ll be alone for a bit. Andy will be back from work in about an hour or so.”

I sat up in the bed. “I
’ll come with you.”

Aggie furrowed her brow. “Sure.”

Making my way to the guest bathroom, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were red rimmed from crying, I was pale and my hair was uncombed. I tied it back in a knotted ponytail and washed my face. I didn’t have the energy to do more than that.

I walked in to the kitchen and found Aggie waiting with her purse and keys in hand.
Following her out to the garage, I climbed in the passenger seat of Aggie’s little Audi convertible. I wondered how she had room to squeeze in any groceries in the car’s tiny space.

Aggie had a
Snow Patrol
album on. Leaning forward in my seat, I turned the volume way down.

“I thought you liked
Snow Patrol
!”

“They are ok… I just don
’t feel like listening to music.”

“Oh?” Aggie was trying to ease me in to opening up and talking with her about my feelings.

I nodded and then looked out the window, putting an end to any discussion.

We pulled up to
Ralph’s
and I walked with Aggie up and down the aisles while she filled her cart. I spied the pharmacy.

“Can I refill my prescription while we are here?”

Aggie blinked at me. “Er… Do you want me to go to the pharmacy with you, Ava?”

“Yes.”

“Ok
, Baby. Let me just grab some milk and we will walk over there together.”

“K.”

Aggie waited behind me as I talked with the pharm tech. I had to refill my birth control.

“Give us about… err… ten minutes, Mrs. Alexander.” The pharm tech told me with a nod, then walked away from the counter.

I turned around and Aggie raised an eyebrow at me. I took a seat in one of the bucket chairs in the pharmacy department and waited.

Aggie and I sat in an uncomfortable silence. After five minutes she spoke up. “I saw this cute idea on
Pinterest
the other day, Ava.”

“Oh?” I looked up at her.

Aggie smiled and pulled out her cell phone. “Yes, it would look awesome on your pool deck…” Aggie carried on and showed me some picture she had pinned and I zoned off almost immediately. Thankful when the pharm tech finally called my name, I grabbed my renewed prescription and walked with Aggie to the check-out lane. 

By the time we arrived back to our road, Ari was home. “Can you just drop me off at home, Aggie?”

Aggie turned in to my driveway and wound the car up to the front door. “Have Ari stop by later, would you?” She asked.  “I need to talk to him.”

I nodded, grabbed my little
white prescription bag and climbed out of the car.

Ari was waiting for me on the front porch step. He waved at his mom as she pulled out of the drive.

“Where were the two of you?”

“The market.”

Ari wrapped his arms around me in a hug and planted a kiss on my head. I immediately felt safe there in his arms.

We walked in the house together.

“How was your day?” He asked.

“Uneventful. Yours?”

“Same.” Ari nodded.

“Were you at my parent
’s house long?”

“Mmm.” That noise could have been construed as either a yes or a no.

“What did you and my mom talk about?”

I racked my brain hard for a conversation Aggie and I had had that day.

“Uh,
Snow Patrol
and um
Pinterest
.”

Ari squinted his eyes at me. “Ok, Baby I have a ton of work to do.
I am heading to the study. I’ll check on you in a bit.” Ari kissed my forehead and disappeared down the hall. I brought my prescription back to our bathroom and unloaded the little pill container next to my sink. I walked back to the living room and plopped down on the sofa.

****

The moon was taunting me; staring at me from beyond the little rectangular window. The moon, unlike me, was free. Free to come and go as it chooses. I was stuck. My mouth was soggy with old duct tape. My arms were pinned behind my back, my wrists held tightly together with handcuffs. I pulled at the cuffs but they did not budge, the metal only dug further in to my tender, broken flesh. I was wet with urine. I could smell the ammonia – it made my stomach heave with nausea. Hit with a bout of violent heaves, my mouth filled with stomach acid, it tasted bitter and I could feel the texture of something chunky on my tongue. Due to the tape that kept my mouth from opening, I was forced to swallow my vomit back down. My teeth felt gritty. Leaning back against the water heater, I pillowed my head against a pipe. I listened to the heavy footsteps of No. 6 on the floorboards above me. He was whistling, carrying on a tune while he made his dinner. The house smelt of tuna. The acid and chunks flew up my esophagus again, my cheeks filled and I forced my vomit back down as quickly as I could. No 6’s fork clattered against his plate. I listened to him stand up, his chair rubbed loudly against the hardwood floors. I heard the clash of his dish as it hit the kitchen sink. Moments later, the basement door opened with a creak. Panic rose. It was time. What was he going to do to me? What was next? I squirmed and pulled at the cuffs. I started to breathe heavy, my heart pounded. Oh, God. Oh, God. He reached the bottom of the steps. I could see the wicked gleam in his eyes. He put his mouth up to mine. I could smell the tuna on his breath. Once again, the bile rose and filled my cheeks. Once again, I swallowed my vomit back down.

****

I jumped up, screaming. Terror coursed through my veins. The house was dark, shadows danced on the walls. Wet with sweat, my matted hair stuck to my neck and back. In a panic, I ran. I threw open doors and called out to Ari. I searched through the whole house, screaming for him. He was gone. I was alone. Running to our bedroom, I threw open the closet door and hid, like a small child, in a dark corner. I pulled down clothes that were folded in neat, small stacks. I yanked Ari’s suits off the hangers. Shoes flew across the closet as I dug through clothing for a bit of security, for some sort of refuge. At last, I found what I was searching for; I shook and cried in to Ari’s gray hooded sweatshirt. “Oh, my God.” I cried out, again and again. My litany.

No. 6 tortured me, mercilessly. He tortured my body and my mind. What he failed to
do was finish me off; the only thing left for me to do was die, to sit and hide like a coward until No. 7 finally came to kill me. He was coming; I could feel it in my bones. He was plotting his next move.

The door creaked in the distance
. I heard footsteps, slow at first as they moved through my home from room to room. After a beat, the footsteps picked up the pace. Doors opened and slammed shut. I pushed myself further into the corner in my bedroom closet. I squeezed my eyes shut. Tears poured relentlessly down my cheeks, and chin. My body would not stop quivering. I bit down hard on my own hand in an attempt to keep silent – to keep from screaming out in fear.

The closet door flew open
with a bang.

“Holy Fuck!” Ari hollered and my ears rang with the noise he caused.

Ari immediately dropped to his knees. He pulled my shrunken, tightly coiled body in to his arms. Ari was panicky, I could hear his heart pounding though his chest. His fingers were trembling as they searched my face, neck and body for a way to help me.

“What happened? Are you alright?”

“Y-You l-left. You left me.” I sputtered.

“Fuck.” Ari cussed again, t
his time to himself, under his breath. I winced at the harsh word.

Ari pet my hair and rocked us back and forth on the closet floor. It was a long while before either of us spoke again.

“You were asleep on the sofa.” Ari said softly. “My mom called, she said she had been waiting all evening for me to stop by. She told you to tell me to come over. You must’ve forgotten to relay the message. I checked on you before I left. You were sound asleep. I didn’t have the heart to wake you. It was just an hour. I was only gone an hour. I was right next door. I didn’t know. I didn’t know you felt this way.”

“I
’m so scared.” I whimpered.

“I can see that. I
’m sorry; I didn’t know this would happen. I didn’t know you were this bad, Ava. I had no clue.”

This bad?

I hated his words; they angered me. I was fine; I told myself I was fine. I took a breath in an attempt to steady my emotions and I climbed off Ari’s lap.

“It
’s fine. I’m fine.” I said to Ari, quickly. I wiped my wet face with the borrowed sweatshirt and stood up off the closet floor.

“Tell me what happened to you.”

“No.”

I left the closet. I left Ari there alone with a clenched jaw.

I moved soundlessly to the bathroom and threw up; happy to be able to open my mouth and expunge the evil bile my dream had caused. I brushed and re-brushed my teeth removing all the grit. I was completely aware that Ari was watching my every move from the doorway but I pretended not to notice him. I undressed, peeled my sticky, sweaty shirt from my back and untangled it from my damp, matted hair. Turning the showerheads on cold, I forced myself to stand still under the freezing spay.

Eventually, Ari retreated, closing the bathroom door behind him. I washed my cold skin with Ari
’s soap. I loved the way it made him smell so clean. I washed my hair and face. I scrubbed under my fingernails. My skin, covered in goose bumps, had taken on a slight bluish hue from the chilly temperature of the water. Climbing out of the shower, I wrapped myself in Ari’s robe. Standing in front of the mirror, I took on the arduous task of detangling my long, wavy hair.

I could feel the vibration of Ari
’s footsteps as he paced our bedroom floor. He talked quietly on his cell phone. He was talking about me. I could hear my name. He said it again and again.

It had grown late. Ari had an important day at work the following day. He had meetings with Margaux - they were working out some big deal with some fashion magazine. I had forgotten which
magazine, although Ari had told me numerous times. When I emerged from the bathroom, Ari was sitting up in bed going over his notes for work. I wasn’t sure what to say to him if anything at all.

Removing
Ari’s robe from my shoulders, I hesitated in front of our closet doors. I did not want to go back in there. I did not want to see the evidence of my out-of-control anxiety attack. Instead, I pulled open the dresser and slipped on a pair of Ari’s boxers. I could feel his gaze on my back as I dressed myself with his clothes.

I hesitated again, this time at the bed. I didn
’t want to fall back asleep. I was too afraid of what horrors were waiting for me on the other side of my consciousness. Ari shifted and leaned down off the bed to pick something up from the floor. He came back up and held out his iPad to me with a sheepish smile.