Tradition Comes Third

Blair

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She moved her hand away, and I could see the tears rolling down her cheek.

"Please," she said before taking in a deep breath. "Please, tell me that you're not Hunter Wilcox."

I grabbed Blair's wrists, and pulled her hands away from her face. Her eyes were watery and her pale face was covered in red splotches.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

"Everyone is looking for you," she said. "You, your Mom, and that girl Eva."

"Ava," I corrected her.

"Yeah, her."

"Where were you when you met my Dad?"

"I was on break having a smoke. I was standing outside the diner when this truck pulled up. I didn't think much about it until I saw his scar."

"Did anybody else see him?" I asked. "Was anybody else outside?"

"No." She shook her head. "I started to run, and then there was this hand over my mouth and I was thrown into a truck. He held me down and forced a needle into my arm. That's all I remember."

I let out a deep breath and flopped onto the bed. Blair pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself.

"So no one saw the truck?" I asked. "No one followed you guys here?"

"I don't think so. It was dark outside, and we were the only two in the parking lot."

There was a light tap on the door. Blair let out a gasp and pressed her forehead against her knees.

"What?" I asked.

"Breakfast is ready," Mom said through the door.

"We're not hungry," I said.

The stairs creaked, and I know she went back down into the kitchen.

"Why am I here?" Blair asked.

"My family is messed up," I told her. "They kidnap girls to make them like a wives for their sons."

"I have a boyfriend."

"Ava is my girlfriend."

Blair scrunched her eyebrows together, and let go of her legs. She stood up, and took a few shaky steps over to the window. She pulled on the bars, and pushed on the glass before turning around to face me. I stayed on my back and staring up at the ceiling.

"If Ava is your girlfriend and she was also taken, why did they also take me?" she asked.

"They killed her."

"Oh my God, are they going to kill me?"

"I honestly can't tell you."

I sit up on the bed to see Blair has crumpled onto the floor under the window. Her arms are wrapped around herself and she's taking in deep breaths to try and control her breathing.

"Please," she cried. "Please, let me go."

I got up off of the floor and dragged my feet across the floor over to Blair. She curled up into a tighter ball as I got closer. I kneeled down in front of her. I placed my hand on her shoulder and she shook me off.

"Please, don't hurt me," she said.

I couldn't help myself from rolling my eyes.

"I have been kidnapped too," I told her. "You told me yourself that a bunch of people are out there trying to find my Mom and I."

"How could you let them kill her?" she asked.

I grabbed Blair's shoulders and shook her until she took her hands away from her face. My fingers curled tight into her shoulders. Blair took in a sharp breath before digging her teeth into her bottom lip.

"Let them?" I asked. My voice was loud, but I couldn't control myself. Maybe Dad would hear me yelling, and think I'm trying to punish her like he wants. "I love Ava. They killed her, not me. I had to watch them shoot her, there was nothing I can do."

I took in a deep breath to try and lower my voice.

"All of us are getting out of here." I managed to control my voice to a harsh whisper. "But I can't help you if you cry and complain this whole time. I've been here for months and I know how to keep them happy for now. Our best chance of survival is if we all work together. You have to do what I say, understand?"

Blair wiped the tears off of her cheeks before nodding her head.