Second Chance at Forever | C. Cullen

027

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Gone

________________________________________________________________________________

-Abigail-

It felt like walking through mud as the day went on, growing thicker and thicker at her feet, and yet she didn't stop. She didn't eat, she didn't take a break. Dr. Eve tried to get her to, but she only stood by Mackenzie's desk for a couple minutes, seemingly lost, before going back to work. She could tell Carlisle didn't come in even before she saw Dr. Stark from the ICU down there. She got nothing from him, though, not even a text explaining. It was like that week they ignored her all over again, but so much worse because she knew what it was like to be with him now. It wasn't a dream or a wish, it had become reality and that's what how she realized her mistake. She jumped in with both feet with a man she thought she loved and who loved her, but she realized that all of her wishing was just that. It was a fantasy and the truth was, he didn't love her as much as she loved him. It even made her hate him a little for keeping that painting; if he didn't love her enough anymore, why keep it? Why veil it? Why keep it where she could see it when they knew she was remembering? Why not try harder to stay away from her?

At six-thirty, she started walking home. Dr. Eve had said that they were slow enough and she did enough, especially without taking her breaks, that she could head out early. She probably should've called Emmett to come get her, but she had to think about what she was going to do. Walking helped, even when it started to drizzle and soon she was soaked through to the bone and trembling. Let her get sick again, it might feel better than what she was feeling in her heart.

Only she didn't think much on the way, she couldn't. A car skidded to a stop in front of her, shock coloring her as she expected Emmett or Alice again, but the beat-up Oldsmobile wasn't their style. Her lips parted in shock as Dr. Jones stepped out with a sick smirk across his face, one that she had never seen on him before, or anyone for that matter. Immediately her stomach churning, dropping into her feet, and making her head spin.

"Brett?" she wondered, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

"You're mine, Abi," he hissed, her eyes widening in shock. "Don't you see that? I've done nothing but be your friend since you got here. And to thank me, you go off and fuck Cullen?" He gave a maniacal laugh. "Don't think so, Abi. Doesn't work that way. I don't spend months worshipping you to lose you to some other bastard. You're mine, you're going to stay that way." She was too frozen with shock and fear and disgust to see him reaching into his pocket for something. And it was too late to run as he lifted the object.

She saw the flash of a muzzle, and then everything went white hot...and dark as she bled out from the wound in her stomach.

.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

When she woke, she was shivering and aching, and in so much pain she could barely breathe. Her breath huffed out quick and rough, her body trembled, and she whimpered, trying to sit up, but something stopped her. Her mind was too muddled and she couldn't figure out why, but when she went to rub her eyes, she realized she couldn't move her hands either.

Eyes blurry, she glanced up and with alarm saw her arms were handcuffed to a large, heavy metal shelving unit. And not only that, but her mouth was taped, her ankles were shackled, and she was only wearing her bra and panties. Revulsion and fear gagged her, and she tried uselessly twisting and yanking on the cuffs, only causing her wrists to cut and bleed down her arms. She was shivering too hard to be of much use to herself, and she tried to curl up to protect her modesty. Shame-filled tears made their way down her face, taking place of the heartbroken ones.