We went right to bed and for some reason Dawson decided that I needed to talk again. I was extremely annoyed with him. We had a great day and had just made beautiful love together, and he wanted to go and ruin it.
“You still haven’t told me how you got away from Drew,” he said with a soft kiss. I was glad that it was dark, and he couldn’t see me roll my eyes.
I rolled over to my side, and he snuggled up to my back.
“I’m too tired for that,” I stated. I wasn’t tired at all. I just didn’t want to end a perfect day with that.
“You can’t avoid it forever, Ry.”
“I could if you would shut up about it.”
“But, you know that I’m not going to.”
I sat up. I was pissed. I didn’t know where it was coming from because I didn’t have that emotion. I was never allowed to have that emotion. I didn’t care. If he wanted to do this then that’s what we were going to do.
“Fine, Dawson. What would you like to know?
Would you like to hear more about how fucked up my sex life was or were you thinking more along the lines of when he beat the shit out of me?” I asked, angrily.
“Riley, uh-uh, we’re not doing this. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Damnit all the way to hell. Why did he have to be so good to me?
“I’m sorry,” I apologized, and he pulled me to him.
We lay quietly for a long time. The only noise was a dog barking down the street somewhere, and his occasional kiss to my head every now and then.
“Rebecca came into my room once I was allowed out of the gym,” I began, and I felt Dawson hold me a little tighter. “I didn’t feel well. My face was pretty busted up, and my ankle was black and blue. She got close enough when she sat my supper on my night stand so that she couldn’t be heard through Drew’s security system, and whispered.
“I have a plan.”
I looked at her, and she looked back with eyes that told me not to speak. She winked and left me with a little bit of hope.
A week later Derik drove us to the library and for some reason followed us in. I assumed it was because Drew had told him to.
That didn’t stop Rebecca. She got a magazine and pretended to point and talk about an article.
“You need to take some of his money,” she started.
I looked at her with a, you’re crazy expression, and she gave me a look to turn back to the book.
I turned back to the magazine. “How the hell do you propose that I do that?”
“I know where he keeps the key to his office.
We’ll wait until he is out of town and go in.”
“And do what?”
“I have been in that office numerous times. We can get on his computer. We’ll open a fake account, and you can start moving some money.”
“You’re nuts. What the hell am I supposed to do with it once I have it?”
“I have been talking to a lady that is going to help you get a new identity.”
I looked up at her again, and she tapped the page and pretended to laugh, knowing that Derik was watching us.
“He’ll find me, Rebecca,” I assured her.
“Not with a new identity and a move someplace in the middle of nowhere.”
I looked up to her again, but this time she didn’t point at the magazine. She smiled a warm, it’ll be okay, smile.
“I’m scared,” I admitted.
“You are scared every time you see that bastard come home. Would you rather be scared with him or without him?”
I thought about what she was suggesting nonstop. I tried all evening to read the book that I had gotten from the library, but my mind kept going to her plan. Could I really just disappear and become someone else? The thought of it caused a flood of adrenalin. I wondered where I would live, what my new name would be, having my own car, a job. I could have a job and not be forced to stay home all the time.
I jumped when Derik and Drew walked into the living room, arguing about losing a big account. I closed my book and started to leave them alone.
“Don’t move,” Drew demanded with a pointed finger in my direction. He never looked at me and kept going with the conversation. I listened closer. Maybe I should start paying more attention. If I was somehow going to steal his money, I should probably know a little more about it.
“It’s not dead yet, Drew, just calm down,” Derik said, sucking up to him.
“He’s looking at a two hundred thousand dollar cushion cut diamond with 2 trapezoid cut diamonds on the sides totaling 1.63 ctw. I have nothing of that magnitude.”
“I’ll find something,” Derik promised. I hated him.
“You better hope you do,” Drew threatened. “Get out of here, I need to relieve some stress,” he demanded. I was about to be his stress relief.
Drew walked over and closed the pocket doors behind him. He sat on the couch and took my book.
“John Grisham? Didn’t he make a movie?”
Yeah, a bunch asshole.
“Yes, a few.”
Drew pulled my back to his chest and handed me the book. “Read it to me,” he demanded, spreading my legs.
Why? You’re too ignorant to understand it anyway.
“Read it to you?” I asked.