Dating Mistakes

Chapter 18

Elaine

I can't think straight. All I can see at the moment is red. The picture from earlier on the man's phone is the only thing burning a hole in my mind and all I can think about is how much of a fool I've been and how much I want to strangle the traitorous bastard in front of me until he's choking on his pleas for mercy.

Never have I ever had this violent thoughts before. But never have I ever been caught up in a situation where the one person I was finally starting to open up to had ended up threatening the only people that makes this life worth living.

My parents.

Dancing in the living room. Oblivious to the immediate danger looming over their heads just next door.

A person with sniper aimed right at my dad's head.
The picture had been recent. I know because I'd seen them in the living room earlier, on my way out, when they were waltzing to their favourite tune.

I had made a face when they'd been so lost in their own world to care for any other thing they should be doing at the moment. Like nothing mattered. Upon seeing me, my mother had said,

"Wait until you fall in love, sweetheart."

And I'd been a fool to believe that that actually could be true. Yes, it's true my earlier friendships had sucked big time and I've never ever been in a relationship, if only because of the fear of abandonment.

But this? This one crossed any limits of betrayal I thought had been crossed so many times before.

And the most shocking part isn't Noah being the one to fool me and kidnap me. No, it's the fact that I'm here in this hellhole of a warehouse, cursing at the man standing in front of me with my eyes.

If only looks could kill.

Evan West.

My dad's long term ex-business partner and once-upon-a-time closest friend.

I've heard the name before but never remembered the face.

I know him. I've seen him. I'd been too young to remember everything but I know I've seen him before.

And that means...

I look over at Noah, trying to dust off the long forgotten pieces of a puzzle that are my memories and figuring out the exact image from where I knew him.

I knew that I'd known him before. I hadn't been delusional. It'd been true. My subconscious had been nagging at me to remember. Remember those eyes, that smile, this boy.

But it'd been too long. I couldn't have been more than four years old. I still can't remember everything but bits and pieces of my fragmented memories and distorted shapes of people I might have known one upon a time that now flash before my eyes, in and out of focus. Too hazy, too blurred.

But if the man standing in front of me is Evan West, then his son must be...

"Good work, Jake. At least you got her here before the plan got awry." Evan patted his son's back as if he'd done something award worthy and not literal kidnapping, and then turned to me and Gem. "So girls, I assume you must have a lot of questions. Well let me start by introducing myself, although I have a feeling that Elaine must know a little bit about me already, right?"

Evan motions to one of his men to pull off the tape from my mouth and he's definitely not too happy about it as he rips it off, first from mine and then Gemma.

"Why are we here? What could you possibly want from us? I thought you and dad were no longer in contact." I ask.

"Oh dear, we aren't. Not until now anyway, but I can assure you we're going to meet very soon. As for why you're here, it's because..." He pauses and gives the most sinister smile known to mankind," It's been so long since I last saw you, Elaine."