The Coworker

Chapter 7

Just as I am about to pull myself through the window, I feel a hand grab my ankle. Someone starts yanking me back, and I am kicking my legs, trying to set myself free. Two arms wrap around my waist, and that is the final straw. I am pulled back into the bathroom and am now constrained by a man I am assuming is Jason. Chase is looking at me, breathing heavily. Hey, at least I put up a fight. He tilts his head to signal everyone to leave, and I am carried back into the living room. I am placed back down on the couch but am surprisingly not tied up. 

Chase and Jason sit on the chairs on the opposite side. 

"What the hell was that?" Chase asks. 

I remain silent and put my head down. I feel like it would not be the wisest decision to explain why I don't trust him and expose some of the information that I am not supposed to know. 

"Look," Jason says. His voice is much deeper than I expected, which causes me to look up, startled. 

"This was not how I was planning on meeting you, and you need to know that what we did was for your safety." Jason continues. 

"Yes, you have no idea what is out there in those woods, nor do you know the lengths people will go to get you. The safest option for you is to stay right here." Chase adds. 

"Well, if I am going to be staying here, you guys need to be completely honest with me," I say, looking directly at Chase.

They exchanged glances before looking back at me.

"What do you want to know," Chase says while leaning back into the chair. 

"Did you drug me this morning?"

He doesn't answer.

"Because I can't think of a reason why I would pass out for the whole trip after just waking up." 

Chase glances over at Jason once more before taking a deep breath. 

"I may have added a sedative to the protein bar I gave you this morning, and before you get mad at me, it was for your own good."

"How? Chase, how would that be for my own good?"

"Because if you knew where we were going, you could accidentally reveal the location of the house! I am always looking out for you. I have always been looking out for you!" He yells and stands up from his seat. 

"So you thought drugging me was the answer?! Couldn't you have just blindfolded me or something?! What if there was an emergency I had to be awake for, then what?" I yelled back.

"Well, I can apologize for drugging you, but I am not going to apologize for caring about you."

"What else have you done while 'looking out for me? Tell random men that you live with me?"

"I don't know how Adam and Sean found out where you lived, but the important thing is that I saved you from them. I promise that I never claimed to live with you or told anyone where you lived." 

I ponder this for a moment. Maybe he was doing what was best for me. While it wasn't executed the right way, his heart was in the right place. Perhaps he does genuinely care for me. 

Jason is the next one to speak.

"I know that we have not properly met, but believe me when I tell you Chase is a good dude. He's usually too proud to ask for help, so when he called me, I knew that it must be something serious." Jason says. 

With that, he and Chase leave the room and head upstairs. I continue to sit and think things over until my stomach growls. I could use something to eat. I walk back down the hall and find the kitchen. I checked the fridge first, but it was pretty bare, so I moved onto the cupboards, but they were the same, mainly holding dishes. 

My stomach growled again. Didn't Chase say Jason was coming from the store? I decide to go upstairs to ask for some food. Wow, this house is so much bigger than I thought. There is a long hallway with around six doors on each side. I check the first one on the right, but it's just a linen closet. The first door on the left is a bathroom, and the second is a bedroom. I check the second door on the right, but it's locked. Strange. The doors continue being bedrooms and bathrooms until I finally get to the last door on the left. 

Another closet.

Where did they go? Unless they came back downstairs when I was not paying attention, they must be in the locked room. 

"Alexa."

I turn and see Chase calling for me from the top of the stairs.

"I'm about to make lunch if you want any?"

"That sounds great," I reply, sending him a small smile. 

---

It is now 11 pm, and we have all retreated to our separate rooms. Mine is closest to the stairs, while Chase and Jason's are a little farther down the hall. Lunch was a bit awkward, but we were all our usual selves by dinner. I go to a bathroom to wash up and see Chase just leaving one. 

"Goodnight, Lex." He says.

"Goodnight," I reply. 

I can't believe he gave me a nickname. He has never called me 'Lex' before. 

I finish washing my face and exit the bathroom. I can't help but wonder what is behind the locked door. Part of the toiletries Chase got for me included bobby pins. Maybe I could pick the lock?