FicWad

She heard the phone ring from where she was laying on the bed. A couple of hours had passed, maybe more, she wasn’t quite sure. She rose up on her elbows and looked through the small opening of the door. She could hear Jared’s muffled voice from somewhere in the house and then the sound went dead. It was silent for awhile until his footsteps approached her room.She sat up and brought herself up against the wall, keeping her eyes on the door as it opened.

He stepped through, his coat and hat both gone. His eyes looked a little reluctant as he watched her. He dropped his gaze, let out a shaky breathe before he moved he moved to the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and remained silent.

His eyes were elsewhere, his attention somewhere else as well. She was sitting there, unsure what to think. She wasn’t even sure if she should fear him. He had brought her here, had locked the chain around her and yet she couldn’t bring herself to be entirely terrified. There was something about him- no that was insane. She was being crazy was all, uncertain of her own thoughts. That was common to be out of it because you were in a tragic and traumatic situation. Either way it didn’t stop her from noticing the scent that washed off of him and danced on the sweet breeze circulating the room. It didn’t stop her from watching the rise of his chest through the white shirt he wore, the way his eyes stared silently ahead of him. She turned away though, she was crazy. Why was she always so damn crazy?

Finally he looked at her, his eyes distant, cold even. Something about the phone call he had just gotten hadn’t sat right with him. That was obvious from the way he simply looked at her.

“Come on.” He ordered, reaching over and taking the chain connected to her ankle in his hand. He pulled a key from his pants and unlocked it.

She looked up at him with surprise, not sure if she should stand up now or wait for a word from him.

“You have a phone call to make.” He stood up off the bed, dropping the key back into his pocket and held his hand out for her.

She took it, noticing then that his gloves were gone. She looked into his eyes at the touch of his skin- that was neither soft or hardened. Something stirred in his eyes, the same as it did in hers but they both looked away at the same time.

“Who am I supposed to call?” She asked softly, timidly.

He didn’t answer her, he merely led her to the living room where the phone rested on a coffee table.

The place was modestly furnished but obviously lived in. There were paintings on the walls, signatures from street artists marking each one. She could see the black of night outside the windows.

It felt strange to be in this moment, feeling both the captive and the runaway. She swallowed harshly at the thought. Was that what made her so cooperative? The fact that leaving Samuel had crossed her mind several times? Of course this wasn’t the way that she had envisioned it but it had- for a time- given her escape from her entire life. But that was insane. She had been kidnapped and despite the idea of leaving embedded in her mind she was indeed terrified. She was beyond scared, the image of Sophia with the gun in her hand never far from her mind.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Jared lightly pushed her to sit on the couch and he took the seat next to her. He took the phone into his lap and quickly dialed a number. It was all too familiar to her, that number that she had thoroughly memorized. It was the same one Samuel had entered in her phone the night they had first met, the one that had flashed on the screen of her phone after long dates to give her Samuel’s deep voice saying goodnight. She looked to Jared with a bit of nervousness.

“What am I supposed to say?” She asked as he handed the phone to her.

He looked away as if he were thinking and then he turned to face her, his eyes serious almost uncertain about the words he was going to say next.

“You tell him we have you…don’t tell him who we are…and you tell him we want money. Tell him not to bother tracing this because it’s impossible.” His jaw tensed, his eyes sharpened. “You tell him he’s going to pay….”

Her brows furrowed as she noted the anger in the blue of his eyes. Something had darkened them at the mention of her husband. She nodded, pushed her hair back and brought the phone to her ear. It was still ringing until finally there was a click and a tired “Hello?”

“Samuel?” She softly cried his name, only then feeling a bit of relief over hearing his voice.

“Who is this?” He asked with a sigh. “It’s so late.”

“It’s me, Samuel. Elena.”

It was silent until he sighed heavily. “Where the hell have you been?” He demanded, more than angry.

“They have me, Samuel…they said not to trace this because you can’t and they said you’re going to pay.” She felt the tears fall from her eyes as she held Jared’s own gaze.

“Who’s they? What are you talking about?” There wasn’t any worry in his voice, no panic, no sadness. Had he even noticed she was gone other than he hadn’t gotten his pastrami? “I’m calling the police, do you know where you are?” He asked but his voice sounded so bland. Perhaps he wasn’t one to show emotion?

“No I don’t.” She forced out, closing her eyes.

Jared reached over and ended the call, taking the phone carefully from Elena’s hands. He rose from the couch and left her there for a moment. She took that time to bury her face her hands and let her tears fall.

He hadn’t even known, her presence had gone and yet he hadn’t even cared. Would he even pay a ransom? Would he even call the police like had said? He had to do it. She was his wife after all. There had been affection there, right? Otherwise why would he have married her?

“You look like you need a shower.” Jared said, finally coming back to the couch. Looking down at her without emotion on his face but there was something in his eyes, a tense empathy.

She looked up at him, wiping at her stained tears and she nodded. She took his hand again, trying to not let him feel the way they shook. She didn’t want him- or anyone- to know about the call. How humiliating would it be for them all to know that Samuel didn’t care? What would they do to her then if they knew how useless she was, and how little money they would get in return for her safety?

He led her back to the bathroom and set a stack of clothes on the counter. He didn’t say anything else, he just left the bathroom and closed the bedroom door. She took her wrinkled and dirty clothes off before stepping into the shower and letting the hot water rinse away both the day old dirt on her body and the tears on her face. She let new ones fall but that was something that could be denied seeing as they combined with the water drops. She toweled off and slipped into the new clothes. A shirt and a pair of jeans with an underwear and socks as well.She pushed her dirty clothes into the corner and then went out into the bedroom. She settled onto the bed, tying her hair back into a slick ponytail ignoring the drops of water that dampened the back of her shirt.

Her eyes stared at the chain laying there. She could feel the hopelessness of the world fall onto her shoulders, could feel the unnecessary marriage that she had put herself into, having not listened to her family. And now here she was, a prisoner. Would anyone help her? Would Samuel even tell her family?

With more tears falling she reached out for the chain and locked it onto her ankle before resting back against the wall.

The door opened and Jared stepped inside, a steaming bowl in his hands. He didn’t meet her eyes as he handed it to her but he did sit on the edge of the bed. He had changed as well, a blue sweater and identical black pants. His small shoulders were slightly hunched as he sat there, his hands folded in his lap.

She began to eat the bowl of soup he had given her, not even noticing what kind it was due to her hunger. The sandwich had been awhile ago.

“He didn’t care, did he?”

His voice startled her as did his eyes when they met hers. He didn’t tighten his jaw, he didn’t let a coldness fill the features of his face. He merely sat there, looking at her, that same uncertain empathy in his eyes.

She didn’t know what to say being faced with the truth all over again. She didn’t want the tears to fall again but the threat of them began.

She didn’t get the time to answer. The front door slammed closed and the click of heels echoed off the wood floors.

“Jared?” Sophia called out,a brightness to her voice.

Jared looked startled, nearly full of panic, caught off guard. He took the unfinished soup from Elena and then slipped out of the room. Elena sat there confused as the bedroom door shut. She heard their muffled voices as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

They were arguing and their voices grew louder before the bedroom door flew open and Sophia stepped inside with Jared behind her.

“Playing house?” She asked Elena, a smirk on her lips.

“Sophia stop.” Jared pleaded from behind.

“Your husband not take this seriously, did he?”

Elena didn’t answer, her fear had returned and she felt almost frozen.

“Looks like we’re going to have to make him, now aren’t we?” She smiled almost wickedly and glanced back at Jared who merely stayed quiet.

Elena glanced between the two of them and swallowed harshly. Something was going to happen and she was more than terrified to find out what it was.