I Can't Admit I Love You

Chapter 23

SKYLAR

I woke up to the smell of gasoline and urine. My head was pulsing, something warm was dripping down my temple, a droplet of red liquid splashed to the cement.

Blood.

My blood.

I couldn't speak, my mouth was tapped and my hands were tied behind my back.

Where am I?Why's this happening....

"Good, you're awake" A deep scary voice said, his heavy footsteps came closer to me. I recognized that voice.

That man that asked me who I was the first time I went back to my Dad's apartment in the beginning of summer. I told him I was his daughter.

He crouched in front of me, this scary man was huge. He had a scruffy 5 o'clock shadow and brown eyes. He was somewhere in his 40's but his body was wide and thick, I imagined him breaking me in half like a toothpick.

I shouldn't imagine that.

I wanted to ask what was going on but I couldn't I merely muffled against the tape.

"Now, I'm going to give you some instructions. If you follow through you live. It's that simple."

He pulled out an old flip phone and began to dial a number.

"I'm going to take this tape off you, if you scream I'll break your fingers. Understand?"

His threats made me tear up, I was so scared I began to shake. The chair beneath me shook with me. It's so cold in here, are we in some kind of walk in fridge? What is this place? I tried to look around for anything, a sign, an escape route but he grabbed my hair forcefully and yanked it.

"Hey! Do you understand?" He grabbed a hammer and lifted it above my hands.

In a panic I nodded and cried, he let go of my hair and put down the hammer.

"Good."

In one quick motion he ripped the tape off my mouth, it stung so badly but I remembered not to scream. He patted my head like a dog while he called the number he dialed.

The call went straight to voicemail. But he left a message.

"Angelo, call me back or she dies. You have 3 hours."

"Angelo..." I whispered, my eyes felt like they wanted to fall out.

I couldn't believe it, my dad's behind this!?

LUCAS

"Skylar..it's Lucas again uh.." Fuck I was terrible at this. I arrived to her penthouse but I was not able to be rung inside let alone knock on the door. I tried her cell several times but they all went straight to voicemail.

For some reason I felt a little panicky, I don't recall Skylar ever being attached to her phone as much as I was but this seemed unusual.

"Could you please call me back when you get this?I leave tomorrow and there's...something I need to tell you." I inhaled a deep breath, "Please."

My flight was early, I don't know how I would meet her again to say what I wanted to say but I prayed that she called me back. It was all I could do.

I met back with Connor at his apartment. He was waiting for me on the sofa.

"So, what she say?" Connor smiled at me, I was glad that he was on my side even though he can get intimidating as hell. To be honest I never seen him act like that before but then again, he must have been hurting since Connor did have strong feelings for Skylar.

"She didn't answer, I was turned away from her building too." I slumped into the couch. Connor's smile faded, he seemed worried.

"That really is weird, Misha said the same thing to Jason." Connor stroked his chin for a bit, his brows furrowed in thought, he turned to me when he noticed the panic spread across my face.

"I'm sure she just needs more time," he said with a crooked grin, "If anything, you leave and I'll talk to her for you. Maybe she can come and visit you in UT,"

I nodded at him, "Yeah...I'll give it time. I should probably get some sleep, the flights early."

Everything was packed and ready to go, but I could barely sleep. I was worried for Skylar.

It would be ok if she texted me and said she never wanted to hear from me again but I did want at least one form of communication from her to tell me she was alright. That's all.

But it never came, I arrived at the airport bright and early. My heart felt like it was wrapped in cement from my nervousness, my disappointment and my paranoia.

"If you hear from her please tell her to call me?" I pleaded with Connor, I hugged him goodbye at the gates.

"Yeah man, of course. I'll keep trying her and Misha to see if she's heard anything," Connor patted my back and shot me a smile, basically saying: stop worrying, it'll be fine.

My flight was severely delayed.

I groaned when I noticed the the schedules change on the board."Are you kidding me?" I sighed.

You don't want me to leave, yet you don't show up? What a cruel joke Skylar...

I smiled to myself as I slumped into a seat. Immediately my mind began replaying all the events that lead up to this. The time in the airport with her, the time on the plane.

I wanted to thank her.

She didn't just try and save me from falling. But she saved me by falling.

I had fallen for her. And now there was no going back.

My phone vibrated, I was eager thinking it would be Skylar I nearly dropped my phone. But it was Connor.

"Hey-"

"LUCAS!" he yelled nearly deafening my ears.

"What?"

"Lucas it's Skylar! She's...she's gone missing!!"