Page 78 of Playing Hard to Get

Jason backed up toward the wall, tipping his head side to side with that wild look in his eyes.

“You see, Jason,” I told him, my voice strong and sure, “you're more than two decades too late. My father already lost everything important to him, and I'm the one who took it.”

“No.”

“Yes, it's true. There's only one thing in this world he cares about, and it sure as hell isn't me.”

“No, I don't believe you. You’re his daughter. He has to care.”

With another laugh, I leaned against the wall. “You are so incredibly naive. What did my cousin see in you, anyway?”

Jason held his head in his hands, his palms crushing in at his temples. “No. No. Don't.”

“If you wanted my father to care, you should have gone after Frankie.”

“Don't you think I tried?” Jason screamed out at me as his arms flailed out at his sides. “Don't you think I tried to make her pay, too? I was falling in love with her and she left me. She refused to speak to me, and she's the one who caused all this!”

He paced the floor, kicking the bowl into the far corner where I couldn't reach it if I’d wanted to.

“It has to be you. He’ll pay for what he did to me.”

“I hate to break it to you, Jason, but my father doesn't love me.” I gave him a smirk and shook my head as I watched him fall apart in front of me. “Have you checked the news? Has there been any mention of my disappearance?”

He didn’t answer, just stood there shaking his head as he held it in his hands.

“There hasn't, has there, Jason?” I hedged. “That's because no one knows I'm gone. Someone would have to care enough about me to realize I'm not around. But no one does. You're wasting time. Yours and mine.”

“No,” he muttered. “No, I don't believe you.”

“Believe what you want, Jason. But know that no one is hurting over my loss.”

“Don't!” He shook his head, those wild eyes searching the walls like he expected to see something pop right out of them. “Don’t… I don't... No!”

He spun on his heel and raced from the room. The door flopped against the jamb as he slammed it shut behind him. It fell open an inch or two, dragging a corner through the dirt, before he dragged it closed and slid the lock into place. I listened for the footsteps as they raced up the stairs and across the house. Heard the sounds of an engine revving and tires snaking across gravel.

He was gone.

I slumped against the wall and squeezed my eyes shut, throwing up a silent prayer that I did the right thing.

It killed me to think I might be right. That I pushed that man to the brink of crazy and there was nothing waiting for me on the other side.

I had to believe that Mitch would be waiting. That he loved me as much as I loved him. That when I got out of here, we’d be together again.

And with that hope in mind, I scrambled across the dirt floor to the toilet.

18

Mitch

Frankie sat on the soft bed next to me and tugged my arm around her shoulders. Leaned her head against my chest like I could somehow comfort her in my broken state. The calming blue colors of Vinny’s spare room hadn’t done shit to ease my fears, and her reaction to Vivian’s abduction had me shaking in my seat.

“Jason’s tried to contact me a few times since last year,” she said, her usually strong voice weak with worry. “I didn’t know what to say to him, you know? I mean, I’m pretty sure it was Marco who ruined his life. And I just let it happen, though I never believed he was that kind of guy.”

Frankie burrowed in against my chest and pulled my arm tighter around her. I offered no resistance, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull her to me the way I knew she wanted me to. My mind, my worry, was on Vivian and trying to push through until she was safe at home.

“I thought I saw him a couple times from a distance. Once when we were at the courthouse when I had Lee with me. And another time at the ballpark last year. Remember that game we went to at the end of the season?” Frankie looked up at me as she bit her lower lip.

“You saw him there?” I asked as memories of that day flickered through my mind. The weather had cooled, the sun and grass and all the colors of the world were muted. Even then I was thinking of Vivian. Wondering what corner of the world she was in, wondering if she was happy, safe.