The Lonely Girl (20 page)

I nod and take the phone from Jake. “Alec, I don’t think I can handle this anymore.” I’m nearly wailing by this point.

“Becca, I won’t let him get to you. Do you understand? The guys are bringing you here and the police are going to go to the dorms. Mom will be in on the next flight and Dad will be here first thing tomorrow. We will find him, Becca.” I know he’s right because he clearly wants to find me.

“Alec, I love you. I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry for everything and all the crap I’ve put you through. If he gets to
me, it’s no one’s fault.” Jake is looking at me like I just shot him through the heart.

“BECCA, you listen to me right now. I love you
too, and I will see you soon. Do you understand?” Before I can reply, the car is jolted forward, and you can hear the crush of metal from car on car. The last thing my brother heard was me screaming, as the car spun out of control and hit straight into a tree.

Chapter 18

I awake to groans. I look and Jake is beside me, unconscious. Oh no. Please God. No, not again. I look for Keegan, and I see he’s been dragged out of the car.
Oh, maybe someone’s here to help. My door is yanked open, and I’m screaming as I am being dragged out by my hair. I’m tossed to the ground and roll until I hit something. I look and see Keegan lying on the ground unconscious as well. Tears are gushing down my face this can’t be happening, not twice. Not to Jake and Keegan. I try to wake him, but he’s not moving. “Keegan, please wake up. Oh God! KEEGAN, wake up.” He’s bleeding from his head, mouth and has a gash on his shoulder. All I can think is just like Michael. Please no, I won’t survive losing them too. With that thought, I am pulled from the ground by my hair, again, letting out a scream. When I see who has me, I know I’m not going to have to worry about not surviving losing them. I will be dead long before that. Those evil eyes, I am now peering into are Dillon’s.

“Hello
, Becky.”
I pause for a minute before trying to scramble away from him, but he has me by my hair, so I’m not going anywhere. When I try to hit him, he slaps me right across the face, letting go of my hair.

“Becky, it’s time we have a little talk. If you
are good I might let you live through the night.” I’m shaking. I know he’s not just trying to scare me, he’s positively serious.

“Dillon, you need to stop this. You can still stop this and get help.” He laughs, and it’s an evil makes your toes curl laugh.

“I don’t want to get away with this. I want you, Becky. I love you.” I have to think quickly. The boys need help.

“Fine I will go wherever you want. Just let me call for help for the boys. Then you and I can go where you want
, Dillon. I promise. We can be alone and talk about everything.” I have no survival instincts right now. My only concern is getting the boys to a hospital.  His eyes darken, and he stalks towards me.

“I know you
are with them, Becky. You're mine and no one else’s, do you understand?” I nod, trying to agree with him.

“I ended it with both of them. They are just my brother’s friends. I don’t want them hurt, please
, Dillon.”

“Then you better do what I say, Becky. Tell me you love me, Butterfly.” I instantly start gagging. This is too much, and I’m getting dizzy. I look into his eyes,
and I know that no matter what I say to this man I will not leave this road tonight alive.

“I can’t
, Dillon. I wish I could give you what you want but I can’t.” I’m now lying on the ground, realizing that Dillon punched me.

“You bitch. You loved Michael and now these two. Why not me?” I’m being ripped off the ground again by my hair. He pushes me back, but I am able to stay on my feet. I see him go to grab something from his back pocket, and it’s a long thin knife. I just stare at it with my eyes widening as he walks towards me.

“Dillon, no please! I’ll do anything!” I keep backing up, and I hit a tree with nowhere else to go. “Dillon, I love you. Please don’t hurt me let’s just get out of here.” He stops for a second and looks at me. Oh, he believes me thank God.

Slash!

I’m holding my side and trying to keep my balance. He slashed the side of my hip. It’s the opposite side of the scar I already have from one vehicular run in with Dillon. I don’t think this will kill me, although with the look in his eyes, I wish I was dead already.

“You’re so stupid
, Becky. I know you’re only saying that to save yourself and your boyfriends.” I’m not getting out of this alive. I push off the tree and push him away from me.

“You’re right. I could never love you, Dillon. You are cold and unloving. You don’t love me. You can’t love and I could never love something as black as you. I love them because they’d never do what you’ve done to me.” His eyes are pure death as he stalks up to me, again.

“You’re an asshole, Dillon and I hope you rot in hell.” With that, I see him run at me to plunge the knife into my stomach. I see a flash of blue in front of me, and I hear Dillon get his face punched in. I look up. Oh, thank God, it’s Jake.  When he turns all the way around, he grabs me and holds me tight. I see Dillon on the ground out for the count.

“Jake
, we need to call for help.” He pulls back, and his eyes are glazed over. He is holding his stomach right above his hipbone. I pull his hand away, and his shirt lights up red. I grab him as he collapses, taking me down on top of him. “JAKE!”

“Becca, get the knife away from him.”
I take my sweater off and put it over his wound. I run over to where the knife is to toss it several feet away and run back to Jake.

“Jake, please hold on.” I pat his pocket down and find his phone. There are multiple missed calls from Alec. I call 911 and pray they get here in time. “My name is Rebecca Potts. My ex-boyfriend just ran us off the road and
he has stabbed two of us. Keegan is also unconscious and we need help.” The 911 operator tells me they are sending help, and I give her our exact locations. She says she will stay on the line.

“Jake, open
your eyes.” The flashback to Michael’s death is uncanny. “JACOB!” He opens his eyes and stares right at me. I am holding pressure on his stab wound.  I hear sirens, but they’re still in the distance. “Jake, they’re coming hold on, please.” I’m sobbing. I can’t lose Jake.

“Becca.” I pull right up to his face, so I can hear him while still applying pressure. 

“Jake, just a little longer please, baby.” I’ve never called him anything other than Jakey or Jake. His eyes perk up a bit, and he grabs me, pulling me towards him. I kiss his lips softly. When I pull back, I can see he’s getting tired. My eyes can barely see through the overflow of tears.

“I love you, Becca.” Then his eyes close. I scream for him to wake up and open his eyes. I keep screaming. I hear the sirens getting closer, coming around the bend.

“Jake, their coming please just hold on. God I love you, Jake. I love you. I’m in love with you please don’t leave me alone. I need you.”

I’m heaved back by my hair again, and Dillon is on top of me. I look to see Jake just laying there. I scream for him, but Dillon just laughs. I try to struggle, but I can’t. “We are going to have to make this quick butterfly they’re coming.” He starts to undo the buttons of my shirt, and I’m trying to fight him off. I look around and see if there is anyone who can help me. I see the shimmer of the knife, from the moon, above my head. He is starting to trail kisses down my chest. “You’re going to enjoy this.” I look over to Jake and see him lying there bleeding out. I reach up and grab the knife while Dillon is too busy. I thrust the knife into his back and pull it out. He doesn’t move away, so I do it again and again. He goes limp, and I wiggle my way out from under him. I get up and as I walk away from Dillon, the police and ambulance have arrived. I drop the knife and collapse… All goes black.

Epilogue

I’m standing in front of my mirror all dressed in black. My mom says I need to do this for the closure. I know I need to do it, but for different reasons. Today is the funeral. I still have stitches from my gash on my side. It’s starting to heal, but it’s still painful. Nothing is as painful as my broken heart though. I hear a knock at my door, and it opens. My brother stands in front of me in a black suit. He looks as awful as I feel. That night was the hardest night of his life. Or so he tells me. From the time the police told him they had an emergency call from me that I’d been in an accident and stabbed until he was notified I was at the hospital, he was beside himself with grief. I was hospitalized for a few days, but it was never life threatening.

“It’s time, Becca.”

I nod to my brother and take his hand. We drive with my parents to the cemetery, my brother never letting go of my hand. We walk up with the people, and I stand in the back quietly. There aren’t many here. His mother is a sitting at the front weeping into a tissue. When the service is over, we get a call from the hospital. Keegan is awake.

We rush to the hospital as fast as we can but nothing
could prepare me for what I was about to experience. Keegan had been sedated so his brain could heal, and his body could rest. They have been slowly taking him off the sedative, and he’s finally awake. I open the door and as soon as I see him, I run to him and hug him. He looks so lost.

“Keegan.”

He just stares at me then he says the three words, I will never forget.

“Who are you?”

Acknowledgments

First off, I need to thank my grandparents who raised me to be who I am today. My Papa for always instilling in me how “special” I am and my Grandma for always being on my side.

My wonderful husband, Christopher, who has never been anything more than supportive of whatever it was I wanted to do.

Auntie Jean for always telling me to do what makes me happy no matter what others think.

My little sister, Jazzlyn for telling me how proud she was when I told her I was writing my first novel.

My best friend, Cassy, who was the first to read my book, helping me through my crazy creativeness and became the first person on “Team Jake”.

My best friend’s and chosen sister, Janelle for the countless hours of listening to me talk about this book and all her help in my life.

Jae Hall, a fellow author and friend, for her constant words of inspiration.
LeAmbra fellow author and friend, for countless hours listening to me talk about possible plots.

Tammy, mother of my best friend, the ultimate book buddy
you have been an amazing supporter from day one. For giving me her honest opinion and telling me to go for it.

My
Mom, Dad and sister Kaelie, along with the rest of my family who have been incredibly supportive of this project and future books thank you for everything.

To all my friends who have helped support me throughout the years, I am so than
kful to have you all in my life.