Page 51 of Ruining Hattie
HATTIE
T o say the past week has been hell is an understatement.
I’ve leaned into my faith, trying to keep in mind that God has a plan, but it doesn’t help with the anxiety.
Everything is made worse by the fact that Bastion isn’t by my side.
It wasn’t until he was gone that I realized how much I relied on him for support.
Taylor has been there, we’ve talked on the phone almost every day, but it’s not the same.
The pain of Bastion’s betrayal still stings—like flesh that’s been burned and is healing.
But at the same time, I can understand why he was so vengeful.
When I think back to what he told me about his time with his mother…
my mother… I can’t imagine the kind of scars that leaves on a person.
Of course he hates her. Of course he wants to make her pay.
And of course when he saw me and my relationship with my mom, it must have been like salt in a reopened wound.
The fact remains that I can’t see her as the woman Bastion described, and that makes it clear to me how hard it will be for him to see her differently. To see her how I do. And I don’t know if there’s any getting over that fact for us, which means there isn’t a future.
Regardless, I’m back in Seattle because I have to beg for my mother’s life. Her health has deteriorated rapidly, and she’s in the hospital. If she doesn’t get a transplant soon, I’m going to lose her. I need Bastion to find it in his heart to be tested to see if he’s a match for a kidney.
I’m so nervous to see him again. Both because I’m afraid I’m going to see the cold, vindictive man who walked out of my parents’ house that day and because I’m fearful I’ll see the charming, caring man I fell in love with. Right now, I don’t know which one is really him.
My leg bounces as the Uber gets closer to his condo. I didn’t give him a heads-up that I’m coming because I wasn’t sure he’d want to see me. My hope is that he hasn’t told Jeffery I’m off his list of allowed visitors and I’ll be able to walk through the lobby to the elevator with no problems.
When the Uber pulls up in front of the building, I say a quick prayer that things go well before I exit. I have just a carry-on with me because I only plan to be here one night, though I still have to book a hotel room.
I thank the driver and pull out my phone to tip him before sliding it into my purse. I’m approaching the building when I hear my name.
“Hattie, there you are.”
I turn to my right to see Steph approaching me with a wide smile. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her happy to see me, let alone this happy.
Oh god, what if she’s here because as soon as I was out of the picture, Bastion jumped back into bed with her? The thought makes me feel sick.
“Um… hey, Steph. What are you doing here?” I try to keep my voice even.
“Looking for you, of course. Bastion wanted me to bring you to him.”
I frown, my forehead wrinkling. “What do you mean?”
“He asked me to keep an eye out for you, and if you showed up here to take you to him. C’mon, I have a car right here.” She gestures down the sidewalk where a navy blue sedan with tinted windows is parked.
“But he didn’t know I was coming. How could he have known I might show up here?”
She waves me off. “How am I to know? You know him. He has his ways.” Steph shrugs.
I guess she’s right. It’s not hard to believe that he’s been keeping tabs on me, considering how easily he pulled off his plan to get close to me and “ruin me,” as he put it. I could have a tracker on my belongings somewhere and not even know it.
“All right.” I head in her direction. “Where is he?”
“At the temporary offices he’s working from. He leased a place. A short-term until he figures out what to do until the club is rebuilt.”
That makes sense. He may never have really cared about me, but he cares about the people who work for him, that’s for certain. I’m sure he’s trying to either help them find employment or find somewhere else to run the club in the short term to keep them all gainfully employed.
Steph walks beside me as I approach the vehicle. “I heard you were trapped in the fire. That must have been terrifying.”
“It was, yes.”
“Here, give me your bag and I’ll put it in the trunk for you.” She holds out her hand when we’re mere feet from the car.
I don’t know why she’s being so nice to me.
Maybe Bastion told her she has to be or maybe she’s finally accepted that the two of them are done.
Regardless, I give her a small smile and hand her the carry-on bag because if she’s working for Bastion and if I’m ever to remain in his life, we have to learn to get along.
She steps forward and opens the door for me, gesturing for me to get in.
I bend to get into the back seat and still.
Sitting on the far side is a man pointing a gun at me.
He has a buzzed head of dark hair and brown eyes, but he’s not familiar to me.
I turn to flee, but Steph pushes me inside, sending me sprawling over the man’s lap.
I scramble to get off him while he lets out a sadistic chuckle.
“Take her purse. I don’t need him tracking her with her phone.”
My purse is ripped off my shoulder by Steph, and I turn to look at her as the door closes and the car speeds away from the curb.
“What’s going on?” I hate the way my voice shakes.
“You, my dear, are just a means to an end. Sorry about this. It’s not personal. If you do everything I tell you, there’s a chance you’ll walk out of this alive.”
But I know that’s not true. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the fact that he’s let me see his face means that he doesn’t plan for me to be breathing at the end of whatever this is.
My body shakes even though I will it to stop. I think this man, whoever he is, will only enjoy seeing the fear he causes.
“Let’s hope you can keep up the scared act for a while. I think it will prove to be an incentive for Bastion.” He laughs and shares a look with the driver in the rearview mirror.
My eyes widen. This has to do with Bastion. My stomach sinks, finally realizing who this might be. “Are you… Sean?”
His eyes narrow. “I see Bastion’s spoken about me to you. What did he have to say?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. I swear.”
He gives me a sadistic grin. “Lying bitch.”
The hand holding the gun barrels toward me, and everything goes black.