Always next to you

Chapter Thirty-Five

NICOLE

My hands and feet were tied to the head and foot of my bed. Regardless of how I struggled, the cloth-like rope was too strong. The ache in my ankles and wrists grew more painful with each tug. I could not remember how I got here or if I fell asleep.

All I knew was that after losing consciousness at my apartment, I woke up in my old bedroom. I felt the bed shake beneath me, but the cloth only tightened on my wrists and ankles.

They left it comfortable enough for me to sleep comfortably, but I could not climb down from the bed no matter how much I struggled. I didn't have a plan. Even if I got out of this room, I was sure my mother placed bodyguards outside my door.

However, I could not stay here any longer. My mother told lies to the police to trap me here. I had to get myself out of here and get examined so I could stand trial in court. There was no way I'd agree to have her as my legal guardian.

It was obvious my mother wanted to use me for something bigger than petty revenge. She never reached out to me in the past four years because she believed I was useless. She wanted something from Aiden's family. I was sure of it.

The longer I stayed tied to this bed, the more I lost my mind. My bedroom was exactly as I had felt it. It had no trace of the woman I grew up to become. All that was here were traces of the girl I hoped to forget.

Staying in here brought back memories of the times my mother locked me in here to punish me. Back then, she did not result in tying me up because it would be considered abuse. Now that she had convinced the cops I was a danger to myself, she could get away with doing anything to me.

"Hey, let me out of here!" I screamed. "Just wait till I get out. I will sue all your asses,"

"Curtis! Fucking let me out!"

It was frustrating not to cry. What would crying do for me? I was losing this battle as it was. There was no way my mother would let me live a quiet life. Even if I got back to my apartment, she would come for me again. I didn't have a plan, but I could not stay here.

Is this how far she would go? Why was I surprised? She told everyone I was ill for years so that I wouldn't go to her fancy event and embarrass her. To everyone who knew my family, I was the forgotten child.

My mother told me to live like I didn't exist. I did just that and disappeared from her life. Why was she keeping me trapped here?

"Please let me out! I don't want to be here!" I cried.

"You can't do this to me! You have no right to keep me here! Let me out!"

My wrist tugged and tugged, hoping there was a flaw in the ties. If I could get myself free, maybe I could reach my phone, which was on my study table. They took away everything, including my computer I used to play with Halo.

I continued to beg and cry for them to let me out until my body slowly gave out. Where did all my strength go? Did they drug me? Was it something in the air? Why did it suddenly become colder?

I fought harder, forcing my tired eyelids open. Staying awake was a priority. I didn't want to fall asleep because I knew I would go back into that cold room in my dreams. I had so many questions and I deserved answers.

My dreams felt too real to be a nightmare. I thought it might be a memory of something that actually happened to me. However, If I did get kidnapped, there was no way my mother would hate me this much. Unless she truly never cared for me.

The only memories I had from that age were of my mother's hatred. There was no before. I wish I could tell someone about the man who harassed me in my dreams, but there was no one I could trust. If my mother found out, she would use that as an excuse to validate her claim.