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I swiped a layer of matte rose on my lips before I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. It was Friday, but I had an 8:30 meeting with Jason at the office. We were going to go over a few more concepts for his campaign, including a radio ad we would run on local stations. I was hoping he would agree to be the voice for it. It was his gym, after all.
I started my car and turned the air conditioner on full blast. It was going to be a scorcher again today.
I felt clammy as I stepped from the car. I wanted to let it cool down before I drove anywhere.
Hagen’s truck sat in his driveway, and every time I looked at it, my heart sped up. It was my own Pavlov response to knowing Hagen was home. Hagen may have said that he wanted to move on, but his words didn't match his actions. He kept coming up with ridiculous excuses to come over and see me. Not to mention, I'd found a pile of lumber in my backyard. I could have only assumed it was the beginnings of a pergola. My pergola. His head and his heart weren't lined up quite right, but I didn't mind waiting. It would be worth it. He was worth it. Even if he didn't realize it.
He liked me. I knew it. That was why I was willing to wait for him to have the self-confidence to see how great he was. Self-discovery wasn't something you could rush.
Of course, I'd make sure he didn't forget me in the meantime.
I crossed the street and glanced around for Hagen. He hadn't left yet. I stepped onto the running board of the pickup and slipped a couple of rubber spiders through the crack. I noticed the look of disgust on his face when he found a spider in my kitchen sink the other day. I hoped he screamed like a little girl. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to hang around and find out. I needed to get to the office for that meeting with Jason.
I pulled into the small parking lot behind the office and shut off my car. I pulled my keys from the ignition, checked my lipstick one more time, then dropped my keys in my giant purse before I climbed out and locked the car.
When I turned around, I came face to face with Lyle. “Lyle! You scared me. What are you doing here today?”
He swallowed a couple times before he spoke. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Oh, I didn’t know you were coming in today since it’s Friday and all. You must have gotten here early. It’s not even eight-thirty yet.”
“We need to talk.” He coughed.
“I have a meeting this morning, but if you have time early Monday—”
He pulled his hand from behind his back and pointed a pistol at me. “Now, Kylie. I’m so sorry it had to come to this. I tried to be nice. I tried to be patient, but you wouldn’t listen.”
He was legitimately pointing a gun at my chest. I didn’t think this happened in real life. The mild-mannered office assistants were supposed to be Superman—not a super-villain. Why would he be pointing a gun at me? Sweat ran down my back, making my blouse cling to me even tighter. My grip on my purse was turning slippery.
“Get in my car and I won’t have to hurt you.” He sounded as though he were on the verge of tears. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t watch you be with someone else.”
I took a few wobbly steps toward his car when he pressed the gun into my side. He hit the key fob, unlocking it for me to climb in. He slammed the door after me and managed to keep the gun trained on me while he walked around and climbed into the driver’s seat.
I’d always thought if I had ever gotten kidnapped, my adrenaline rush would kick in and I would have the strength of Superman. I figured I would fight tooth and nail and that my attacker would regret laying eyes on me.
Yes, I had spent considerable amounts of my life wondering “what if” this worst-case scenario happened to me.
Now I knew. And it wasn’t pretty. Instead of overwhelming him with my superior strength, I had quietly gotten into his car and buckled my seat belt. It was like my body was on autopilot, conducting itself with self-preservation in mind.
No fits of rage. No overpowering my kidnapper.
He kept the gun trained on me as he started the car and backed out of the parking lot. He made me hand over my phone and set my purse on the ground. I readily complied when he gestured with the gun.
I did switch the radio channel to something classical. It was my one act of defiance, and I hoped the soothing tones would calm him down. He didn’t seem to even notice. He kept furtively glancing in his rearview mirror, and I kept glancing at my phone that rested in his lap.
If I could steal it back, I could call for help.
Except that wasn’t going to happen.
“Here,” Lyle said as he handed me my phone.
Wow. I underestimated the power of positive thinking.
“Nothing funny. No calls, no texts other than what I tell you.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Text Hagen and break up with him. There’s going to be nothing between us anymore.”
“But we’re—”
“I don’t want to hear a single word about your boyfriend!” Lyle screamed. His mouth was open so wide I could count his teeth. He must have had his wisdom teeth pulled.
My fingers shook as I unlocked my phone screen. “What do you want me to tell him?”
“Tell him you’re done, that you’re not going to date him anymore.”
“How did you know we were dating?”
“I saw you!” he screamed again. He had a loud set of lungs for someone so thin. “I saw you, and I won’t allow anyone to stand in our way. Text him now.”
My mind raced as I hurried to text Hagen like he asked.
Lyle was the one responsible for all the notes. He was my stalker. And right now, I had one chance to get myself out of this mess and it involved Hagen. I only hoped this wouldn’t get either of us killed.