Chapter 5

Emilia

" I 'm going to break up with him today," I inform Bonita as she braids my hair. "Especially after what happened last weekend."

"I'm surprised you're going out with him again as it is," she says, clicking her tongue. "You make sure you take your pepper spray and also that key thing I got you."

"The problem with that is I have to be able to see to know where I'm aiming," I tease.

"Those pokey ends will hurt no matter where you strike, Emi," she replies. "Besides, what kind of asshole makes their girlfriend feel bad because she doesn't want to go further? You set those boundaries a long time ago, so why would he think they'd suddenly changed?"

"No clue. Maybe I shouldn't have said yes to today's hike," I murmur, now second-guessing myself. I've been extremely busy at work as we've nearly tripled our orders over these past six months. I feel like I work, eat, sleep, then rinse and repeat. I'm so tired when I get home that I barely eat, and I know Aunt Della and my mom are worried because I've lost weight I really couldn't afford to lose.

I even miss spending time with Phantom and Shadow as I've been working overtime on Saturdays as well. The only day Mr. Stephens won't let us work is on a Sunday. He says that it gives his employees at least one day with their families to spend however they wish. Whether that's going to their local church, or out fishing. Mine are spent catching up on housework, sleep, meal prepping, and of course, playing and cuddling with my boys. Thank God for Bonita, who comes by on those later days to feed the boys and play with them.

"Well, you're ready now, and I know you'll call one of us if something happens and you need a ride. Right?" she questions.

"Yes, ma'am," I tease.

"Emilia, I'm worried for you. Something's not right with this guy based on everything you've told me," she conveys.

Sighing, I lift up my hand and pat hers as she puts the tie in my hair, tying it off. "I know, but I feel I owe him a face-to-face conversation at least."

"I don't have a clue why you feel that way. The man barely waited for you to get out of the car last week before he was speeding off! He didn't even have enough respect for you to make sure you managed to make it up and onto the porch!" she exclaims. "Remember, I was here and saw it all."

I close my eyes because as soon as she saw him leave, she was out my door and down the steps, running to me as tears poured down my face. After she got me inside and calmed down, she got the whole story out of me.

"Come on, Emilia, we've been dating for months," Paul cajoled. "It's natural to take things to the next step by now. You're just being an immature child!"

"Paul, I told you when we first began dating my views on physical intimacy. Maybe if the accident had never happened, things would be different, but they aren't. I'm not comfortable with casual sex outside of a committed relationship."

"You're the only one I'm seeing. How much more committed do you want?" he sneered.

"More than we are," I retorted, my anger taking hold. "We see each other maybe once or twice a week, sometimes not even that, and there are times when I call that you just brush me off."

"Fine, I'll just take you home then," he grunted out. I knew he was clenching his teeth but didn't care. How dare he think I would just roll over and spread my legs?

While I didn't have an issue with anyone else's decisions in their relationship, I knew for me, I needed more. I needed to feel like I was more than a duty and that's how I often felt when Paul and I were together. I didn't feel cherished. In fact, I often felt like I was possibly a means to an end.

The problem was, I didn't know what his endgame was, but I suspected it wasn't a good one.

"I don't know what to do, Bonita. I'm so far out of my depths here," I murmur.

"He's not a nice guy, Emi. He may act like he is around you, but trust me, I've heard plenty of stories about how he acts whenever he's not with you. Most people now avoid him, sweetie."

Shuddering, I work to process her words. "I know a lot of people don't believe in it, but since I stopped being able to see, a lot of my other senses are better now, heightened, and I've felt something was off for some time now."

"Maybe you should just call him and tell him to forget about today," she suggests, just as a horn is blown outside.

"Too late, he's here," I whisper, standing to my feet. "It'll be okay, Bonita. I'll call you later and you can come over with ice cream, okay?"

"Heading to the store now," she teases as we walk out of the house. "Hold your damn horses, asshole," she whispers. "The least you could do is get out of the fucking car and help, you jerk!"

From her words, I know that Paul is impatiently waiting in his car, and a frisson of fear courses through me.

"It'll be fine, Bonita," I reply, making my way to his car and opening the door.

Once inside, he says, "It took you long enough."

His tone adds another layer of something that's been building for months now, and I debate whether or not to call off the date when I feel the car go into gear and he backs up.

"Paul, can you slow down please?" I huff out as I struggle to follow his footsteps through the deeply wooded area. It's not one we've ever hiked before and in fact, I don't believe there's a trail. I can hear water and know that we're near the creek which is definitely strange to me.

"Come on, Emilia. You act like you've never hiked before," he yells.

"Not through here," I murmur under my breath as a tree branch catches me across the face, scratching me.

"God, why did I ever waste my time on you?" he grumbles. "Oh, I remember, because it allowed me to figure out where the best area to strike would be."

"What do you mean?" I ask, smelling gasoline. "Paul, why do I smell gas?"

He chuckles, and the sound sends chills up my spine. "You'll figure it out, but probably not before you draw your last breath."

I can hear him doing something, then a whoosh before the smell of burning wood comes to me. "Paul? What the hell are you doing?" I ask, turning to go back the way I came.

"Sending a message to that prick, Stephens," he sneers. "Thanks for all the help, Emi. It's been real and it's been fun, but it hasn't been real fun, especially since you're a frigid bitch."

He shoves me down then I hear his feet quickly moving away from me. Groaning, I stand up, now disoriented as I struggle to move away from the heat that's now surrounding me. From a distance, I hear what sounds like cats meowing, so I turn in that direction.

"Where are you at, babies?" I coo, steadily moving through the underbrush of the forest. I continue to bump into things, and am getting scratched at every turn, but I stay on my course, anxious to find the cats I hear.

"Come here, babies," I encourage, now coughing as the smoke infiltrates the area, filling my lungs. I can feel the flames of the fire behind me and try to speed up, but it's impossible since I can't see where I'm going. I smack my face into a tree and fall on my ass and feel my phone crunch against the rock that I tripped over. "Oh no," I whisper, pulling my phone from my pocket.

Gently touching it, I can tell it's smashed but I try to use it anyhow.

"Siri, call 9-1-1," I command.

Nothing.

Pressing the home button, I try again. "Siri, call 9-1-1."

Still nothing.

"Well, this is a fine kettle of fish you've gotten yourself into, Emi," I mutter, slowly standing once again. "And Paul is a rat bastard for doing this," I grind out, my teeth now clenched against the pain that's wracking my body.

Blood is steadily dripping down my face from the multitude of scratches covering my head, but unfortunately, I don't have anything to stop it. Suddenly, I hear water and realize I'm close to the creek, which worries me because the cats sound young. "I'm coming, babies," I say, moving forward with my hands out. Hopefully, I can keep myself from falling again, although it's definitely not ideal.

Unfortunately, the next step I take sends me tumbling down the side of the ravine and into the creek. I hit every rock, branch, and divot on my way down and come to a stop against a boulder, half in and half out of the water.

"Where are you, babies?" I murmur before I succumb to unconsciousness. "I'll protect you."