Page 12

Hailey

“Shut up.” Savannah walks into the kitchen, holding Teddy at her side, her eyes wide as she takes in my handiwork. “You did all of this?”

I nod. “It was no big deal. I wanted to do some baking, so I figured I’d clean the kitchen before adding to the mess.”

She rubs her hands on the shiny countertop. “This is too much. You should have asked for help.”

“I don’t mind cleaning, and it’s not like I have a lot going on.”

I’ve been struggling with all this downtime. I’m used to a lifestyle filled with work and sleep, with little else.

She scoffs. “Everyone hates cleaning. But really, don’t worry about rent this week. I’ve been dreading tackling this mess for so long.”

“Thanks.” I smile, appreciating the help with saving money, so I won’t fight her on that.

She picks up her purse from the ground, tossing her wallet back in. “I have to take Teddy to the groomer. I should be back in an hour, maybe sooner. Oh, and save me some of whatever it is you’re baking; that smells so good.”

I say goodbye as she hurries out the door.

I pour myself a mug of coffee and boot up my new laptop to explore what I can do with my life.

I attended a private VOE university after high school, also VOE-affiliated, but apparently, there’s this accreditation issue—my Celestial Leadership degree isn’t worth much in the real world, and it seems it’s not even a recognized major anywhere else.

I decide to browse different majors instead of delving into admission requirements; I’m worried that my high school background will limit my options.

The sheer number of choices overwhelms me, and I don’t know where to start.

I hate math, and the limited access we had to computers in school rules out computer science and engineering.

The medical field feels too stressful, which leaves business and the humanities.

Growing increasingly frustrated at what I thought would be a fun task, I slam my laptop shut and stare out into the living room, tallying how much I’m making each week in my head.

I wonder if college makes financial sense.

My job pays well, but the risks of getting shot or sent to prison are uncomfortably high.

The timer beeps, pulling me back to the kitchen.

I open the oven, letting the warm, chocolaty goodness fill the room—so much better than the dirty dish smell that assaulted my nostrils earlier.

I don’t understand why Savannah is so adamant about not keeping her space clean.

It would drive me nuts if she hadn’t literally saved me from homelessness.

I’m starting to really like her too; she’s fun and accepting, and I’m warming up to the idea of opening up to her about my situation.

Or I could tell Max.

I think back to the night he drove me home—how safe he made me feel, how close he stood next to me in the kitchen, and how I couldn’t stop thinking about kissing him, even as I was shaken up about the apartment being unlocked.

I shake my head, pushing these thoughts away. He would have offered to walk up with any woman who was nervous about being alone. I’m not special.

Placing the pan on the stove, I stick a fork into the brownies to check if they’re done. They are. I never had the opportunity to learn how to bake or cook, but these box recipes are easy enough for me to manage.

I hear breathing behind me.

“Forget something?” I ask, assuming it’s Savannah.

I turn around and find Kaiser Moore and his partner, the same man who was with him in the mall. I drop the fork on the floor as he gives me a friendly smile, taunting me. Looking into his icy eyes feels like being stabbed in the chest.

I glance at the door, realizing Savannah didn’t lock it after she left. Of course, she didn’t. I learned that lesson last night; how could I be so stupid and not think to lock it after she left?

“Surprised?” he asks .

I open my mouth to scream, but he cuts me off. “You don’t want to do that.”

I comply, though I’m not sure why. They aren’t holding any guns or weapons, but it’s mostly instinct from my days at VOE: keeping my mouth shut and obeying.

He stalks past me toward the brownies, taking a handful. They just came out of the oven, so they must be too hot for his hands, but he doesn’t seem to mind—or maybe he enjoys the pain. Who knows what goes on in the mind of this sick bastard? He holds out his palm with the lump of brownie toward me.

“Take a bite,” he says.

I hesitate, not wanting to get any closer to him.

His smile widens. “Come on, Hailey. This might be the last dessert you ever eat.”

My palms sweat at the threat. I know he isn’t implying I’ll die; it’s more about being locked away and fed stale bread for the rest of my life.

He chuckles to himself and shrugs, shoving the brownie into his face and taking a big bite. His eyes widen, and he turns to his partner, who is leaning against the kitchen island. “Good brownie. You should try some, Danny.”

Kaiser walks toward the living room, looking around the apartment with a scowl on his face. “I hope you enjoyed your time playing house or whatever it is you’re doing here, but I’m supposed to take you back home to your father.”

“What if I don’t want to go?” My voice sounds weak, even to me.

He smiles, starting to pace around the kitchen and eventually toward the living room.

I slowly edge closer to the knife rack, hoping that his guard dog of an ally doesn’t notice.

“Well, I can’t kill you,” he says, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“But your daddy never said I couldn’t inflict pain.

He knows I’d do what it takes to get you back home.

You don’t belong here.” He kicks the coffee table, scattering items across the room.

“It’s sick how these people live. All this clutter.

You’re a failure running away. You know that, right?

An embarrassment to your family and our community.

” His gaze snaps back toward the kitchen.

Danny laughs at me as I feel tears well up, even though it angers me to have them see me like this.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise that you’re the lowest performer in the office with your absences. You’ll need to put in hours of overtime to make up for the money you stole from us.”

In their eyes, any wasted potential is considered stolen money. To them, the organization is entitled to the income I could have earned while I was missing.

I nod and wipe some tears from my face, edging closer to the knives. I’m not going with them. I’d rather die than face whatever punishment Kaiser has in store for me, but they can’t know that. I have to act before he comes back into the kitchen.

“I’ll go home. I don’t know what I was thinking, running away. I’m so stupid.”

Kaiser starts talking again, but I don’t process what he’s saying.

Instead, I focus on grabbing the largest knife I can find.

I throw myself at Danny while he’s distracted by Kaiser.

He falls to the ground, but I didn’t put enough strength into it, and I barely cut him.

Without hesitating, I raise my arm and slam it down on his stomach with all my strength.

His body spasms beneath me, and he lets out a low, guttural scream.

Then I feel a pair of hands on me, dragging me away.

Kaiser is on top of me, and I watch as his fist connects with my face. The pain in my jaw is instant. He looks at his partner and swears under his breath. I’ve rattled him; his evil persona seems to be cracking, revealing his genuine emotions.

Danny moans for help across the kitchen, but then I can’t breathe as his hands grasp around my neck.

I claw and kick to no avail, as he puts his full weight on me.

Panic sets in as I wonder if this is it.

He did say he couldn’t kill me, but I don’t know if he has the impulse control.

My body suddenly relaxes, and everything goes black.