🌷Ana🌷
"What do you mean someone's taken her?"
Panic claws its way up my throat in the form of my pepperoni pizza.
"Someone picked her up from nursery two hours ago."
"Was it Nic?"
"No."
Fuck!
"Where are you?" I ask, already reaching for my jacket. "I'm coming to you."
The speed in which my heart is thumping is alarmingly fast, but I don't pay much attention to it. Jumping to conclusions in these situations is never wise, but it's hard not to when the safety of someone you love is threatened.
"I'm at the police station."
"I'll be there soon."
I fly around Nan's house, making sure everything electrical is turned off before leaving. I'm moments away from powering down the TV when something on the screen catches my eye. It's the local news channel, reporting on a man and a baby stood on a bridge. The footage lacks quality and focus, but I'd recognise that obnoxiously pink coat anywhere. That's charlotte, and the man holding her is my ex boyfriend.
"Freddie..."
He's in my ear a second later. "What is it? What's wrong?"
He's so observant, able to pick up on even the slightest change in my tone.
"Josh has her."
"Fuck—Ana, where?"
I turn to the TV, noticing the lack of police presence there.
Why is nobody helping?
"Turn on the news," I urge.
I read the text underneath the presenter, desperately trying to figure out their exact location. It's the M 40, that much is obvious. But I need specifics. I need fucking coordinates.
"Where the fuck is that?" he asks.
I hear rustling on the other side, followed by frantic voices.
"Ana—it's junction 8A. I'll meet you there!"
The line goes dead, and I bolt from the house, not far from there. I swing open Nan's front door, startled by the figure at the end of the path. Night-time is nearing, the sky moments away from being throw into complete darkness. Wind rustles the figure's hair, momentarily making it wild. The shadow turns, eyes desperate.
"Steph?"
Josh's sister.
"Oh my God, Ana! It's Josh. I think he's going to do something stupid."
"He already did it," I say, pulling her along the path, towards my car.
I all but force her into the passenger seat and slam on the accelerator.
"He left a message on my phone. Something about taking what's his and ending things."
My stomach churns.
"When I couldn't find him at home, I came straight to your Nan's house. I would've gone to yours, but I don't know where you're living now."
Steph is frantic as she fills me in on events.
"I think he wants to hurt you."
"No," I inform, driving way over the limit. "Not me."
Steph frowns.
"Josh has taken Freddie's daughter from nursery," I explain. "He's got her on a bridge."
"A bridge?"
I nod.
"Why?"
"To end things, I assume!"
A traffic light in the distance turns red, but I disregard its warning. I slam on my horn, alerting nearby cars to move out of my way.
"Oh my God, Ana! We need to stop him!"
"We will," I say, taking a bend slightly too wide for my liking.
Thankfully, there are no cars on the other side of the road, and I manage to straighten up shortly after.
"Did he say anything else in the message?" I ask.
Steph frowns. "No, but the last time I spoke to him he mentioned Freddie. How he took you from him."
I slam my hands against the steering wheel. "Goddammit, Josh!"
Steph remains silence.
"Freddie didn't take me from him. Years of his abuse pushed me away!"
I see red as I continue towards junction 8A, only a matter of minutes away now.
"I'm sorry," she whimpers, gaze downcast.
I don't have time to reassure Steph or tell her it's all okay. I'm far beyond that point. Josh and his poison keep worming their way back into my life and if I happen to get to him before the police do, there's a chance I'll push him off that bride myself.
"THERE!"
Steph points to the bridge surrounded by a handful of police cars and I press on the breaks, stopping just short of hitting one. My car hasn't even stopped and I'm already halfway out the door.
"ANA!"
Freddie's voice cuts through my panic, his desperation flooring me. He's running towards me alongside Nic, the pair just as frantic as me.
"Where is he? Where the fuck is he?"
I throw myself at his hard body, blocking him from advancing any further with that amount of rage.
"Baby!"
"I need her, Ana. Where is she? Where's our baby?"
His cries tear through me, silencing my every thought.
"Ana?"
"They're still on the bridge," I say.
Freddie springs from my embrace, bulldozing straight towards where Josh is. He gets as far as the entrance before three officers physically restrain him, shoving him against one of the cars.
"Freddie!"
"Get the fuck off me!" he yells, unmatched to the three pieces of muscle holding him down.
I sprint to him, taking his face between my hands. "Baby—I need you to breathe."
He's looking right at me but isn't registering anything I'm saying.
"Your shouting might spook him."
"Good!"
"He might jump," I warn.
My brutality shuts him up and as bad as I feel for putting that image in his head, I need him to calm down if we're to get Charlotte back safely.
"I—Ana—" he cuts himself off, unable to move past the lump in his throat.
"I know you're scared. I am too," I admit. "But if Josh hears you, he might do something stupid."
He nods, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"She's right, Fred," soothes Nic, resting her hand on his cheek. "We have to let the police handle this."
"We have someone with him now," informs one of the officers on duty. "Someone equipped to handle this kind of situation."
This news should come with relief, but it doesn't. If anything, it makes my insides churn even more.
"He won't jump," insists Steph, bringing attention to her presence. "I know he won't."
No one responds.
"He's just doing this to scare you."
"Scare me?" I snap. "He already did that by holding a knife to my throat!"
My outburst is uncalled for but if she's so hell bent on protecting her beloved brother, she should at least know what kind of man she's defending.
"He's not well, Ana!"
"I fucking know that, Steph! He's threatening to jump off a bridge with a baby! My baby."
She rolls her eyes. "She's not your fucking baby."
Freddie intervenes, physically putting himself between us.
"Can you even blame him?"
What the fuck?
"You drove him to this!" she yells. "You left him to play happy families with the man who arrested him."
Her words hit me like a blow to the face.
"You hurt him, Ana. You asked for this."
Did I?
I search Freddie's face for validation, finding him just as distraught as me.
"Who are you?" asks Nic, adopting a harsh tone.
She steps into view, holding her own.
"Steph. Josh's sister."
She says that like she's proud.
"Well, Steph—Josh's sister—I'm Nicole and I'm Freddie's sister."
Freddie attempts to infiltrate, but Nic ignore his efforts.
"I'm not sure if anyone has ever told you this, but if you keep justifying your brother's actions, you're going to kill him."
Steph takes a visible step back, affected by her words.
"Not only are you validating his actions, but you're also fuelling them."
Nic's tone remains firm yet possesses an element of fairness.
"Call him out. Get him the help he needs," she suggests. "Don't fucking stand there and blame someone else."
Steph's gaze immediately goes to the ground, her shame prominent. Nic—having said her piece—turns to us and fixes Freddie and I the same stern look.
"This isn't your fault. You deserve to be happy, and you deserve to be with each other. Don't let anyone take that away from you. Ever."
I've never seen her like this, so full of fire. It's incredible and I can only hope she lets this side shine through more often. Freddie must think so too because he pulls her to him and squeezes her body. I'm next to endure his vice-like hold, both of us paralysed with fear as we cling to each other.
"He's requesting someone called Ana," informs one of the officers, having likely been fed information through his earpiece.
"W—what?"
"He's saying he'll only speak to Ana. Who's Ana?"
"I'm Ana," I inform, pulling away from Freddie's hold.
My insides twist.
"No fucking way!" insists Freddie, fists clenched. "He's not fucking hurting you again, Anastasia."
"Freddie, it's okay—"
"No, it's not okay," he cries, eyes filling with moisture. "He keeps tormenting you and I can't help you, baby. I can't protect you from him."
A harsh gust of wind whips at my hair, momentarily obscuring Freddie from my view.
"I can handle it."
"You shouldn't have to handle it," he replies.
He's right, I shouldn't have to put up with Josh's mind games and absurd demands, but he's currently threatening our little girls' life and I'll do anything for her.
"Let me do this," I plead. "Let me bring her back to us."
I can tell he's conflicted.
"Please."
He releases a ragged breath, physically incapable of speaking. I know it takes a lot for him to agree. Freddie has spent his entire life protecting those he loves. He doesn't know any different. He doesn't know how to take a step back. He once pushed Nic away with his overbearing need to interfere, but he's come a long way since then. A lot has changed.
"Okay."
He nods, furiously chewing his bottom lip.
"Okay."
It happens so quickly. The officers whisk me away, speaking vague instructions into my ear as we walk. They advise against any sudden movements and straight up tell me not to climb up onto the ledge next to him. I of course agree to everything they're saying, despite not really paying attention.
"You've got ten minutes."
I nod, mindlessly making my way towards the centre of the bridge. The sun has completely set by now and I can't see a thing. The entire left side of the motorway has been sectioned off, making things a little less noisy at least. Still, I have no fucking clue where I am until I see a shadowy figure up ahead.
"Josh," I say, keeping my tone steady. "It's Ana."
"Babe! You came!"
I shake my head, angered by his term of endearment.
"Can I come closer?" I ask, hating that I'm to wait for his permission.
This was my life mere months ago.
"Of course. I want you to," he insists.
I continue waking until the two come into view. The officer previously talking to him makes brief eye contact with me before taking a few steps back. I've no doubt he's still within listening distance but I don't care. I'm not after privacy right now. It's Charlotte and her safety I desire.
"Come up here?" he suggests.
I immediately reject his offer. "I can't. You know I'm scared of heights. Why don't you come down instead?"
Charlotte cries and Josh bounces her a little. I gasp at the sight of her, desperate to touch her. To hold her.
"You're not safe up there, Josh."
"We're fine," he says. "We like it up here."
Fuck!
I step closer, stopping only when the two are within reaching distance.
"Aren't you cold?" I ask.
Josh ignores me.
"You hurt me," he informs, staring out into the pitch-black distance. "You broke my heart, Ana."
I prepare myself in the form of holding my breath, knowing the guilt of what I've done is bound to come crashing down. It always does, destroying me from the inside, out. I tense every muscle in my body, equipped with the mindset to tear my self-worth to shreds. Only, it doesn't happen. I don't feel guilty. I don't feel shame. Instead, I feel angry.
"You broke mine, Josh," I tell him. "You hurt me first."
"How?" he asks, genuinely confused.
"You used to hit me, remember?" I say, straightening my spine. "Kick me."
"I didn't mean anything by that," he defends.
"You would pull my hair and scratch my arms."
"Shut up!" he demands.
"You even spat on me once."
Charlotte whimpers and it takes everything in me not to grab her from him. If I thought I could pull it off, I would. But it's too risky.
"I'm sorry," he admits.
"I don't believe you."
He turns to face me, expression taut.
"I don't think anyone has even told you that what you did was wrong."
"Ana—"
"You fucking abused me!" I yell.
He holds Charlotte closer to his chest, using her as some sort of shield.
"I loved you, Josh. I loved you through it all."
The cold wind bites into my skin, making it numb. Making my mind numb.
"Do you still love me?" he asks.
"No," I answer.
"Do you love him?"
He gestures towards the flashing police cars.
"Yes. And our daughter," I reply.
His shoulders slump as light sobs leave his lips. I place my hand on his lower back and gently rub. "That doesn't mean I don't care."
"You're lying!
"Why would I lie?" I ask.
"To get the baby back," he says, standing up. "To trick me into giving her back."
"She wasn't yours to take in the first place," I say.
Perhaps this isn't the most strategic of tactics but where has my kindness gotten me so far? People like Josh need to be told straight. They need to know that what they did and who they are is fucking wrong.
"Neither were you, but he took you!" he yells, murderous. "Freddie fucking Hudson ruined my life, so I'm going to ruin his!"
"Josh—"
"I love you, Ana!"
"Josh—wait—"
"Goodbye."
He closes his eyes.
He smiles.
And then—still holding Charlotte—he jumps.
✨✨✨✨
Umm, what did I just do? 😯
Sorry for the DRAMA 2 chapters in a row, guys!
In my defence... I DID warn you. 😈
To soften the blow, I have something exciting to announce...
Book three (Nicole's book) is cooking nicely and I'm hosting a release party for ANYONE who wants to join. 🥳 It will be taking place over Zoom and is completely FREE!
I'll be sharing the title/ cover, answering your questions and just generally HANGING OUT with you guys!
Keep an eye out on my wall for more details dropping soon.
Until then, enjoy this cliff hanger! 😋
LOVE YA!
Rebecca xo