Frayed Rope (26 page)

His hand wraps around the side of my face and tips it up to face his. My head rests on his arm and the warmth of his breath rushes across my face as he continues to speak.

“Shut that shit down Elle. You just felt me, now look at me.”

His deep dark eyes look into mine. The sincerity in them is enough to steal the breath from my lungs. This man is like no other, the compassion is rolling off of him in waves.

His fingers move into my hair as he settles his lips to mine. It’s not open mouthed, it’s not forceful.

It’s just a promise.

“I’m going to be honest beautiful, you’ll always get honesty from me. I can’t remember the last time I blew so hard, or had sex feel so good. That’s the truth babe, and if that's what this is going to feel like from here on out I never want to feel it with anyone else, ever again.”

He takes my mouth more forcefully this time and I don't hold back. I know what we just shared was mind blowing.

I was there, I felt it too.

I won’t for one second think it was lack of sex for so long, or the first thing other than a vibrator to touch me in over a year.

The connection we share played a major part in what was the most mind blowing orgasm of my life. I went all in, as did he.

And it paid off. BIG time.

His lips move against mine as he speaks.

“Sleep, Elle. Don’t think, just sleep.” he softly says.

I press my lips to his once more before settling my head under his chin. His lips touch my forehead and his arm tightens around my shoulders as he rests the other on my hip.

We’re still joined. That’s the last thing I think before I fall into a deep and blissful sleep.

Chapter Twenty-five

“Do you know how many times I watched you Jayne? How many times I made sure you made it back to your apartment on campus okay? That nobody tried to harm you? I watched you, and took care of you, and you’ve done nothing to say thank you! You’ve been nothing but a selfish fucking bitch!”

His hand reaches out and hits the side of my face with an impact like a sledgehammer.

I’d like to say it doesn’t hurt anymore. Once the numb took over I could handle anything he gave me.

Perhaps it’s the loss of blood, sleep and lack of food. Maybe all three combined. Either way I’m exhausted. I don’t know how long I’ve been holding on but I don't know how much more I can take.

I guess it’s been at least three days now. I could be wrong; maybe it’s been one long, drawn out day. But judging by the few times he’s slept hunched over in a chair while I lie against the cold concrete wall, I assume it’s been a few days.

I won’t ask him.

I have too much pride for that.

And at the end of the day, what does it fucking matter. I’m down here, tied up in nothing but my underwear, silently thanking the universe I haven’t been raped. It wouldn’t make me a lesser person, and I wouldn't think less of myself if that had or does happen to me. I’m just not sure if I’m strong enough to survive something like that.

I remind myself that even through my injuries this body of mine is a machine. Much like a car, or the strongest animal in the jungle, it has the ability to both rejuvenate and heal, or have parts replaced to be fixed.

Whether at the end of my hell here I need bondo to fix my dents, an organ transplant to replace a damaged one, or coma induced sleep to heal my wounds, I can survive.

It’s a body, it can be fixed.

My soul is what I need to hang onto.

He told me his name today. Andrew.

Who is Andrew? I still don’t know. The reference to campus and the University I went to still ring no bells.

Think Jayne, THINK!

I hear the door open, its steel hinges squeak. The only sign that someone is entering since I can barely see out of my swollen eyes. I hear Andrew’s footsteps and murmured voices. I have yet to see anyone else in here and I don't ask.

What’s the point?

“Open your eyes you dirty bitch. You want to avoid me, maybe now you’ll learn to pay attention.”

Thump!

I crack open my right eye which is less swollen than the other and stare down at the floor. Not because I want to, but because my neck and back are so fucking stiff I can barely lift my head.

“Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

A heaving sob leaves my body as I stare at the lifeless body sprawled across the floor.

“THAT’S WHAT YOU GET JAYNE! THIS IS WHAT YOU FUCKING GET FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION!”

He hauls his foot back and slams it into the back of the body on the floor.

The body doesn’t move, no grunt, no whimper.

Nothing.

He’s gone.

“W-wh-why? I-I ddddooon’t unnddeerstand?”

I shake my head, why why why??????

What the fuck did I do to deserve this? What did he do to deserve this?

Nothing!

“Love is a sacred thing Jayne. I loved you, and you threw it away. You threw it so fucking far that I had to do this, I had to do everything! Now you’ll know. Now you’ll learn! You’re just as fucking selfish as that bitch you warned me off in school.”

He leaves the body and comes to stand directly in front of me. His evil eyes focus on mine, his chest heaves, and his hands roll into fists at his side.

His face is inches from mine before he gives the final blow.

“He cared too much about you. Nobody should care about you. So he deserved to die.”

I look down at Cory’s lifeless body, the father of my child and the man that literally gave one hundred and ten percent of his love to his child without once expecting anything in return. He didn’t need to be told he was a good Dad, he knew it. So did our little girl.

He knew we weren’t compatible, but we both held a deep amount of respect for one another and gave our best as separated parents. We focused on what was important, who was most important.

Lilly.

My sweet little Lilly who’s no longer with us has now gained a parent in heaven.

That’s where Cory went—heaven. He’s a good man.

Was a good man.

Fuck!

I swing my head forward as fast and hard as my body will let me and slam my forehead into his.

Fuck him!

Andrew stumbles back and trips over Cory’s lifeless body before falling onto his ass.

I gather every last bit of strength I have left in me.

For Mom.

For Dad.

For Lilly.

For Cory.

I wrap my fingers around the frayed rope and pull my legs up as far as I can. The gashes on my back re-open; I can feel the sting of the wounds and the fresh blood pouring down my back.

I don’t care, this is it.

I’m fucking done.

Andrew jumps to his feet, holding his right hip that took most of the impact from the fall. I don't give him a chance to get close. I’m done letting him near me.

If I die, so be it.

I don't fucking care.

This is it.

This is the end.

I use my arms to lift the majority of my weight while swinging my right leg out in front of me when he gets close. He quickly moves his hips back thinking I’m going to kick him between the legs.

Wrong move for you asshole, perfect move for me.

Moving his hips back moved his head forward. I continue with my right leg and swing it up onto his right shoulder while my left foot hits him in the back of the left shoulder, forcing him closer to me.

He’s taller, and at this point it works to my advantage.

He turns his body away from the hit of my foot which gives me enough room to bring my leg completely around his neck to swing it back toward me.

He’s not expecting my maneuver and before I know it the tall man has my weight suspended, which has loosened up the slack on the ropes.

I reach my arms above my head to grab onto the beam while simultaneously pushing my left knee into his back which tightens the hold my right leg has around his neck.

“You fucking biiiittccccccccchh!”

Andrew manages to choke out of his rotten mouth, while I continue to hopefully crush his windpipe with my legs.

His filthy hands grasp my legs and his fingernails dig into my thighs. Not long enough to do serious damage but enough to make scratches that will take a few weeks to heal.

I want to let up on the pressure enough to move my leg higher, more toward his jaw. If I could do that then I could push my knee hard and quick into his back and pull hard right with my other, hard enough to snap his neck.

I can sense what that would feel like, the quick pop, and right now in this moment I would kill to hear that sound.

Pun intended.

Pop!

It would be music to my ears. The following silence.

But I’m afraid to let up, I’m so fucking weak and the new blood rushing down my back isn’t slowing. It’s a steady and constant reminder that I don’t have a lot of time before I pass out again.

His hands pull strong and I know for a fact that if I let up and attempt to kill him by snapping his neck, he will get the upper hand.

I can’t let him beat me.

Now it’s all about avenging my family, and getting some justice for the lifeless and innocent man lying on the floor in front of us.

I don't look at Andrew.

I look at Cory.

I squeeze my leg as tight as I can. After what feels like hours, but is at most like a minute or two, I feel his body start to go slack.

His limp body is slowly overtaking mine to the point that my arms holding onto the beam are now carrying our weight.

I don’t let go until long after his hands have fell to his sides, and my arms can’t bear the brunt of our combined weight any longer. I loosen my legs from their hold on his neck and haul myself upward at the same time.

I watch his body drop to the floor, his head smashes against the hard concrete. I’ve no idea if I killed him, but I know I need to move fast.

I use what little strength I have left and swing my legs up a few times, unsuccessfully, trying to get them around the beam so I can swing myself over.

After the third try, I’m almost ready to give up. The blood dripping down my legs has made the beam slippery. I give it one last go while clutching the prickly rope and manage to get one leg over.

I pull with everything I have and don't stop for one second as I allow myself to freefall ungracefully over the other side.