The Third Word

Chapter 92

Gwen

Everything was falling apart. Edwin was standing in front of me, throwing his lighter up in the air and catching it back again without fail. He was having fun but I wasn't, being tied on a chair tightly with ropes around my waist and shoulders. The smell of petrol was getting to my head and I was on the edge of fainting.

Elijah...  I thought about him. He should never come here to get me. His dad was already lying on the hospital bed because of Edwin's dad. I could never be sure Edwin wouldn't kill Elijah...because it was so easy for these people to take others' lives and not get punished.

I was losing all hope when Ediwn put a proposal. He wanted me to leave the town with him and go 'somewhere'. I didn't care where he'd take me, as long as Elijah couldn't find us. There was no way I was going to let Elija follow me to his death.

So, was I willing to go with Edwin?

"Where...exactly will you take me?" I asked when he was done laughing over his dead brother.

"I'll take us wherever I wish and obviously, you won't find out." He smirked.

Yes, obviously, if I knew where exactly, I would call for help. That meant he was going to isolate me in a place which I wouldn't be able to get out of.
Was that it? Was it over for me? Had I become a complete idiot trying to get involved into something I shouldn't have and now my freedom, my life was at stake? I didn't even have the energy to negotiate because I knew he'd not listen to me even once.

"I'm going to untie you. If you try to run, remember, I will catch you." He inched closer to my face. The last sentence sent chills down my spine. He had already stepped so close to me while I was busy thinking.
He was staring into my eyes, into my soul. Is he trying to sense whether I would run or not? I blinked twice and lowered my eyes, trying to portray subordination so he'd let his guard down.

I thought it worked. He stopped scanning my face and lowered his hands to the back of the chair and started to untie me.

"There's another thing that's been on my mind, Gwen." He said and suddenly...his hands stopped moving. I thought he was done untying me, so I slightly moved in my chair, finding myself still tied to it.

Why did he stop?

"What..." I uttered.
"I mean," He stood upright. I raised my head up too, to look at him, to see that devilish smile form on his face. I knew exactly why he was smiling. He didn't trust me. And he almost let his guard down. It was true I was going to kick him and run, but the question was, how did he know?
"I was...curious if you ever even liked me." He finished.

"I...I did..." I lowered my head again so he wouldn't know I was lying. I had to make him hate me a little less in that situation, but I guess I fucked it up even more by lying.

"Liar. Did anyone ever tell you that you could be an actress?" He glared," More importantly, did anyone tell you that I hate liars? I myself don't lie so I guess I deserve honesty, don't you agree?" He placed both his arms on either arms of my chair.

"Oh Gwen, I knew you were pretending all along. And I know you still are." He sighed.

"How can I like you?" I grunted, tears trickling down my cheeks. I was embarassed because my little lie was caught. I was angry because it was him who fooled me. I was sad because the image of him taking away my first kiss in his pretend game was coming in my head again and again and again and again.
He had fun. I suffered.

"Hey it's alright." He tapped my right shoulder but next, he gripped my shoulder so hard and leaned in to speak," I can make you like me."

I burst in tears, my chest heaving, my vision getting blurred by my tears. I was choking for air. I felt so helpless while he left a trail of his lips on every inch of my neck.
I wanted to scream but my voice gave away. I wanted to curse him out, tell him to stop, but all I heard was my screams in my head. He had pressured both my feet to the ground with his single foot. I felt dampness inside my shoes, as if my toes were bleeding.

"S-stop...it stop...s-STOP!" I yelled and pulled my head out of his giant hands.

"My bad." He said, but he didn't have an apologetic face for even a second. He started untying me once again and this time, I felt the grip around my waist loosen up. It wasn't over but I felt relieved. I didn't know where he'd take me and how he'd keep me. I had no idea whether I'd still graduate later. I had understood by that time that he did all of that to save me from his dad, but I didn't know for how long he'd be able to keep me alive and in what condition. He wasn't any good.

Right then, I thought of Ethan. A cold wind. I felt a cold wind and even my hair moved. We were inside a godown, with no windows.
"Ethan..." I unconsciously said his name. I remembered Elijah had told me to call his name if I wanted to be heard.

"What?" Edwin faced me.

"Are you..." I couldn't complete. I didn't. I knew it wasn't possible. And I didn't want to kill the only hope I had within me with my own hands. I'd rather believe he was there but didn't respond because I didn't ask.

"Am I?" Edwin asked, thinking I was talking to him. Only then I came back to my senses. Edwin was still there. We were still in a godown. No one had still come to help.

Just when that thought crossed my mind, a little door which I didn't notice earlier, crashed open.