Twenty-Three

Pat skips past the pleasantries and small talk as if she could sense my urgency to speak. "So when you were in here yesterday you left off on getting upstairs and how you felt a subtle change between the two of you after the kiss." She crosses her legs as I drop onto the couch. I may have been clam but that doesn't mean that thinking about Ryan still didn't piss me off.

"Yes." I say. "Pat," I start cautiously while clenching my hands together. "I was wondering if Ryan did get in contact with me and I could convince him to come here would you turn him in? Because we've established that he did what he did out of desperation. Well, I have." I asked. I was trying to gauge her tone and body language on what she would do.

"Well, legally I would have to, because he is wanted, but I don't see a need if he isn't hurting you or messing up your recovery. We want you to get better not worse. If it wasn't a problem I wouldn't turn him in. I think that would do more damage to you and your relationships than necessary to be honest. I think turning him in would do more damage to your mental health than letting him be a part of your life. I am working for your best interest not the laws." Pat shakes her head studying me. "Has he contacted you?"

"Not yet," I say too quickly. "I was just wondering because I see where he was coming from and I don't think it would be fair to punish him for something when he could have killed me or let me get raped. He may have done some horrible things but I believe he is a good person at heart that was forced into a situation that made him uncomfortable and someone he isn't naturally.

Pat nods in understanding and waits for me to dive back into the sordid detail of my captivity. I was trying to think of where to start but figured the next day when I tried to run off was the best bet. It was ironic because that's what I was thinking of this morning in my apartment.

"I just woke up the next morning after the party and walked out of the room I was occupying. I was trying to be quiet because I didn't know if he was still up." I start thinking more in depth to how I was feeling. I walked downstairs to see an open floor plan and a partial wall that served as an island blocking the kitchen from the front door partially. If I could hurriedly get to the front door and out I could hide in the field across the road and get hoe somehow but I wasn't even sure where I was. The food was smelling good and I could feel my stomach rumbling. I didn't eat anything last night and internally groaned at myself for drinking instead of eating. I hear a door open and close and head to the front door slowly and quietly opening it to get out. I was shutting it when I heard him yell.

Slamming the door I turned on my heel quickly and took off across the road hiding in the corn. I made my way in a little ways as I heard him shouting for me to come out.

"Athea get over here. You don't even know where the hell you are!" I heard a few rustles and realized he was walking at a moderate pace to keep an eye out but also try to cover more ground.

My head was pounding and I mentally cursed myself again for drinking instead of eating and my memory was a little hazy. It felt like anyone within a ten foot radius would be able to hear my heart beating it was beating so hard but I knew it only sounded louder due to how quiet it had gotten. I start running again after my head stops hurting so much and then I hear some footsteps behind me. They were a ways off and the corn leaves were cutting my arms and face.

"Fuck. Athea!" It sounded as if he was scared and pissed at me leaving and threw me off balance causing me to fall. I was confused by why he would be scared about me leaving. I didn't even know how to get home. He was probably going to find me before I could get away anyways but I had to at least try. I get up and start running again and before I knew it I was out of the corn field and into a barren area. This was bad. I had no where to hide and he was possibly going to be out soon. I scanned my surroundings and found a bale of hay. I had never seen a bale of hay and was surprised to see how big it was. It would easily hide me from Ryan, the only problem being that I had no where else to go.

"ATHEA! Come on! Don't make me drag you back!" I heard Ryan yelling and I was shaking like a leaf. My head was hurting again and it was making me dizzy. I wasn't going to be able to make it.

"What the fuck did I do last night?" I muttered to myself quietly. I remember Ryan beating his friend and being kind to me. He let me shower again and even came back down and apologized to me after he cleaned up. I was drinking wine and he took the bottle and took a few sips. No I gave him the bottle for him to drink out of. I ran my hand over his bruises I even touched his lip. I smack myself in the forehead. I was being so stupid last night. I shouldn't have drank. It made me bold but I was still genuinely concerned with all his bruises and cuts.

I told him he looked good dressed up and bloodied up. He tried telling me that I had enough alcohol. He even tried taking it back from me. I flirted with him! I even voiced my disapproval of my fathers ruling and explained why. Then I had- I kissed him! The only thing that was confusing me even more was that he let it happen and even kissed me back.

I feel a hand wrap around my waist and pull me to the ground. I land on something soft then am rolled onto my back and held down by strong arms.

"Get off me!" I yell out while struggling and squirming to get out of the grip. I look up and see it's Ryan. I see more clearly how little and inconsequential his injuries were. Last night they looked much worse. It was probably because I was drunk or the fact he had blood all over him. He looks fine now.

"Why the fuck did you run!?" Ryan screams in my face. "Do you have any idea the problems this could have caused for me!?"

"Yes! God forbid you get you're fucking ransom money! I didn't set the bail. I don't want anything to do with it." I flinch expecting to feel a blow instead of his hands gripping, well holding my face roughly.

"Look at me!" Ryan says and I feel my cheeks being pushed together. MY face was starting to hurt as I cinched my eyes closed tighter. His hands disappear off of my face and I feel my shoulders being lifted then slammed back to the ground. I gasp at the shock and struggle to find my breath being he knocked the wind out of me.

I open my eyes to glare at him as he returns to holding my face. "I'm more forgiving than the rest of my family. They are the kind to shoot you instead of play chase. If any of them were here you'd be dead or horribly injured. I don't know what you remember from last night but I suggest you really think about this shit before you do it again!"

I watch as he gets off of me and my face flames with embarrassment when I realize he was straddling me in order to hold me down. Hair was in my face and I couldn't blow it off without getting it in my mouth. He was holding my arms above me head leaving me feeling useless and trapped. I mean I was trapped but I hadn't felt like I was trapped this morning when I woke up.

"I just want to go home Ryan." I say quietly. I feel him relax a little bit but tense up again. He must be expecting me to try and make a run for it. I wouldn't be able to even if I wanted to. I roll my eyes at the obviousness of the situation because this is how it's going to end up. Ryan on top of me showing his dominance and I'll be trying not to show how it effects me but I'll know ultimately that I'll be ready to act on this tension we seem to have just to get rid of it.