Page 3 of Escape

As I cleared my throat, trying to dislodge the lump of disappointment that bloomed there, I clicked back to the main page. I clicked on the RSVP link and a list of people who had confirmed and declined appeared. About 150 people had already confirmed, including my old best friend, Ariana.

She was just as perfect as she was in high school. Not a hair out of place, not a wrinkle in sight. Although her profile was so private that I couldn’t see past her profile picture, I could tell things had turned out how she wanted. She might have been self-absorbed and a little bitchy when we were teens, but she was with me through some of the hardest times in my life and it would be nice to see her.

It all came down to two questions: what would my husband say and did I really want to go to my hometown again and risk seeing my parents?

I could try to slip away and not tell Jared, but with the way his temper had been flaring, there was no telling what he’d do if he found out I ran off. As for my parents…I was a grown woman and didn’t need to tell them anything, but my hometown was small enough that someone might tip them off after seeing me.

As if thinking about his name summoned him like a demon from Hell, Jared stumbled through the front door, knocking almost everything over in his path. I closed the laptop as silently as I could, standing to slip away to safety before he could see me.

Jared had always been aggressive, especially when he drank, but the last few months, he’d been downright terrifying. I didn’t know what had changed, but something was pushing him further down the dark hole he was already in and I did my best to keep out of the line of fire.

I ducked into the hall just as he stepped into the living room. When things started getting worse, I’d made up the guest room for myself. I didn’t know if he didn’t notice or if he just didn’t care, but I was thankful for the separation. I tiptoed to my small sanctuary in the chaos, clutching my laptop and the invitation to my chest, when his slurred, thundering voice rang through the entire house.

“BAAAAABE!” He yelled over the crash of a vase shattering on the wood floors. “Where the fuck is dinner? And come clean this shit up!”

I could’ve slipped into my room and pretended to be asleep, but that would raise the risk of him coming to look for me and I’d rather go to him than have him destroy my safe space.

“JASMINE!” I didn’t get another moment to think as he stumbled into the hall. “What the fuck, didn’t you hear me calling you?!”

It was in those moments that I wouldn’t mind ending up in a true crime documentary one day.

“Yes…Sorry,” I straightened from my hunched position. “I can heat up some-”

“What’s that?” His chin tilted towards the envelope still clutched in my hand and my blood ran cold. I still needed a few days to work up the courage to tell him about it.

“Oh, it's just a-” I couldn’t finish before he ripped it from my hands.

My stomach went sour as he slowly read over it, squinting and leaning in as I’m sure his vision was swimming. I picked at the skin on my thumbs and subtly tried to slow my breaths. In my head, a million excuses and explanations swam around. In the past, Jared had found a way to twist the smallest, most unrelated things into me cheating, lying or plotting against him.

“A high school reunion,” he rubbed his chin, his expression scrunched in concentration like he was actually considering it. “You should go. I’m gonna make a sandwich and go to bed.”

He handed it back to me and I was at a loss for words. All of the worries in my mind scattered like dust.

He wanted me to go, just like that?

There had to be more to it, but I wasn’t about to ask any questions. The reunion wasn’t for another four weeks, which seemed rather soon, but there was still time for him to change his mind.

After cleaning up what Jared destroyed, I climbed into the guest bed with a bowl of BBQ chips to help calm my nerves. I rested the laptop on my lap with the reunion page still pulled up. A few days spent hundreds of miles away from my husband sounded like a dream, even if I would be in the same town as my parents. But they’d be easy enough to avoid. I didn’t need to tell them I was coming.

Crunching frantically on a handful of chips, I finally decided to click “yes” on the RSVP page. I searched for hotels and booked my room for the trip. Even with the possibility of it falling through, I let the excitement build inside me. Maybe I could get a taste of how life used to be. Before adulthood. Before Jared. Before everything changed.

Chapter 2

Kel

I let my fingers mindlessly run over the different textured fabrics hanging on the rack as I watched her, hiding in plain sight in my baggy clothes and low hat. She wouldn’t notice me even if I waved my arms around in the air, she was too focused.

Her lips pursed and her brows scrunched as she held up dress after dress to her body. I knew what she was thinking, that they all looked horrible. That everyone at the reunion would think she looked underwhelming. But I knew the truth. And that was…my opinion was the only one that mattered.

A thrill ran down my spine as Jasmine hooked her top three choices over her arm and headed toward the dressing rooms. Part of me wanted to leave and let myself be surprised at whatever dress she chose, but the stronger part of me knew that would never happen. Any chance I had to admire her, I was going to take it.

I snatched a random pair of pants from the rack and followed at a safe distance behind her. The dressing room attendant eyed me with curiosity as I hung the jeans that were 5 sizes too small in front of me. I swiped them from the rack and held my hand out for my number card.

“I’m on a weight loss journey, okay?” I spat, glaring at her with eyes that I’d purposefully tattooed black to intimidate. The stark contrast of my green irises usually had people scurrying away. This time was no different. The attendant quickly grabbed the number and placed it in my hand, moving to the side so I could pass.

As I rounded the corner into the women’s dressing room, I caught a glimpse of bouncing, dark brown curls disappearing behind one of the stalls. I strolled into the room next to her and locked the door, settling against the wall so I could peer through the small crack. It gave me a perfect view of the mirror that sat on the adjacent wall, which reflected Jasmine perfectly.

The second she removed her dress pants and blouse, revealing her matching black underwear and bra set, my clit pulsed along with my rapid heartbeat. She slowly turned in the mirror, poking and prodding at the perfect, soft curves that rolled over her body and my hand unwillingly moved to unbutton my pants. I rubbed circles over my throbbing center through my boxers, imagining how soft she’d feel under my touch.