Captured Again(The Let Me Go Series)

Chapter 13


“I’m home,” Gabby said into the phone as soon as Olivia answered. “Just letting you know. I’m gonna take a bath and go to bed early.”

“Oh, after you left I thought about us going to a movie. Want to go?”

“No. I really don’t feel up to it. Ask Emma to go,” Gabby answered while wandering through the house, looking at Jake’s things scattered here and there.

She picked up his favorite ball cap, twirling it on her finger before bringing it to her nose to smell it. It still had a whisper of Jake’s clean scent to it. Her mind wandered as she thought about how long smells would stay attached to things. Maybe I should put some smaller stuff into freezer bags... capture the scent? she thought.

“Emma can’t go tonight. She’s doing something with Rickey. Come on, I hear there’s a new Sandra Bullock movie playing. Everybody’s been talking about how good it is.” Olivia pleaded, “Please... I don’t want to go alone.”

“No. I’m not feeling up to it, Olivia. Let’s do it another night,” Gabby answered, knowing she had no intention of going another night either. She just wanted to be able to come home from work and be left alone right now.

“Gabby, you need to get out of the house. See more real people, other than the people you work with,” Olivia said quietly.

“So do you.”

“Ouch. I’ve told you a hundred times, I’m not ever getting married,” Olivia answered. “So what’s the use in dating? Besides, I’ve done the marriage thing. It didn’t work out for me. I’m too old now to start all over.”

“Yeah, right. You’re a real old maid at twenty-six. You could be remarried by now, Olivia. You can’t let the memories of your first marriage haunt you forever. He’s out of your life now—so live it. Practice what you preach. You don’t need to be constantly hanging out with your sisters. And I feel like I’m specifically being babysat.”

“That’s a stupid thing to say. We went to movies all the time, even before the accident, Gabby.” Olivia paused, leaving an uncomfortable silence on the line. “I’m going to forget you said that. This isn’t about me right now. So then, what are you doing?” Olivia said, changing the subject.


Gabby knew this was her way of just keeping her talking, trying to prevent her from just going to bed. It seemed nobody understood how much sleep she needed. It was also her typical redirect, avoiding any conversation that revolved around Olivia having a man in her life. She was overly cautious after her epic fail with Billy, worried that another man would hurt her. And even if she wouldn’t admit it, Gabby thought Olivia still harbored some of the blame. Maybe a victim never gets over feeling it might have partly been their fault. It hurt Gabby that Olivia wouldn’t even try to find another man. She tried to act like she was happy with her new career and that she didn’t have room in her life, but Gabby knew it was a charade. Everybody needs somebody.

“Nothing. Just cleaning up a bit,” Gabby lied as she stood looking at Jake’s open closet, running her free hand along the shirts hanging neatly from the rack. She leaned in and sucked in a huge breath of Jake.

“Gabby, I heard that. Are you smelling Jake’s stuff again?”

“NO!” Gabby lied again.

“Okay—sorry—it sounded like you were taking a big whiff of something. Maybe it’s the phone. I’m not trying to irritate you. I’m just trying to figure out how you’re really doing. What if I bring a movie and we hang out there? I’ll sleep in the spare tonight,” Olivia offered.

“No. Thanks anyway, Olivia. I’m really just not feeling up to it.”

“Okay, but don’t forget tomorrow is your appointment, and then tomorrow night at Mom’s. If you don’t show, we’re bringing the food and coming to you. You know we can’t miss dinner night,” Olivia reminded her. “Unless you’d rather start having it at your house. I’m okay with that, but I can’t speak for anyone else. This is our first dinner since the accident. It might be kind of... different.”

Gabby refused to talk about the dinner, instead focusing on the appointment. “These appointments are stupid, Olivia. I don’t see why the doctor won’t release me. So I got a bump on the head... It’s better now. I’m fine.”

Olivia’s silence on the other end gave Gabby her answer; there was no getting out of anything.

“I’ll be at the appointment—and the dinner,” Gabby answered, knowing that’s what Olivia was waiting to hear. “At Mom’s. I’ll drive myself. But I don’t want to hear any talk about Jake. Agreed?”

“Well, I agree. But again, I speak for myself. I can’t control anyone else. You know that,” Olivia answered. “So I’ll meet you at noon for your appointment at Dr. White’s and then I’ll see you later at Mom’s?”

“If I must,” Gabby answered sullenly, sounding ungrateful. But she wasn’t ungrateful; she was annoyed. She definitely didn’t see any point in continuing to see Dr. White, and she really didn’t want to go to Mom’s house either. At least with Olivia she didn’t have to pretend. But she did feel bad always making Olivia out to be the bad guy, especially since she had no control over it. “Love you. Bye,” Gabby said, hoping to end the call on a good note.

“Love you, too. Bye.”