Sadie woke up, a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about the day felt off somehow. She couldn’t quite place it, but it made her nervous.

She got out of bed and showered quickly, considering everything she had to do that day. She had to pick her car up from the shop, and then, according to her calendar, at least, she was supposed to meet her mother for dinner that night. After everything that had transpired, though, she wasn’t sure she was still going to be up for something of that nature.

In fact, she was furious at her mother. It seems that the woman knew nothing except how to mettle in her life and cause trouble. Sadie was probably just going to ignore the dinner, even if her mother showed up. Of course, her mother was going to show up. She always expected Sadie to forgive her right away, as if she believed herself to be guiltless. Absolved from any wrongdoing. It was infuriating, really, and she wanted nothing more than to just shut the door on her mother. Especially after finding out she had been hiding all of Max’s correspondences after all this time.

The thought of Max made her chest tighten. Why couldn’t the two of them just get along? If he seemed to care enough about her to write her all the time, even without her answering, and she had had him on her mind for so long that she couldn’t even remember the last time she had broken up thinking about him, what was so difficult for them? Why couldn’t they just make things work? It was ridiculous.

“I got the engine to purr now, don’t you worry,” Carl said, winking at Sadie. Sadie ignored him. That was exactly what he had told her the last time, and, somehow, everything had gone to hell. But if it hadn’t, she probably never would’ve had the chance to meet up with Max again. She wouldn’t have ever invited him to dinner at her house. Nothing would’ve happened between them. And although some spiteful little part of her wished this reality had been so, the truth was, she had been clinging to the memory of his body against hers, and the way they had been able to talk so naturally, as if no time had passed between them at all. At least, for a little while. Until the fighting had begun. Why did everything always have to end up being a fight? She wish she knew.

Sadie got into the driver’s seat of the car after paying the mechanic, begrudgingly, though, considering Carl didn’t seem to know what the hell he was doing, and she started to drive away. Suddenly, the engine sputtered and died right there in front of the shop. She cursed loudly and got out, attempted to kick the old clunker.

Carl came running out, his brow furrowed.

“I swear, that was working just fine a few minutes ago. I took it all the way around the block twice and nothing happened.”

“I don’t even want to hear about it, Carl,” Sadie said, shaking her head. “Please, just get this thing fixed for me, will you? I don’t have a lot of love for the public transit system here. There’s always somebody on there who looks at you funny.”

“I understand, I’m really sorry about this. This one is on the house.”

Sadie bit her tongue before she snapped that it better be, and turned away, clenching her fists as she began to walk down the sidewalk in search of the nearest bus stop.

Unfortunately, the mechanic’s shop was a little bit out of the way, and she had to go down several winding streets before she found her way back to the main drag, where all the buses were located. She hated going down these roads. They were deserted and creepy, and she knew that if any danger was going to pop out at her, she would be entirely defenseless.

She was relieved when she saw that she was only a few blocks away from the downtown area, where she would definitely be able to catch a bus that would drop her off near her home. But just when she thought she was home free, a chill crept through her body and a large figure stepped out in front of her. It was Leon.

“You are coming with us,” he said, a deep sneer on his face.

Sadie looked around frantically for anybody that could help her, but nobody was in sight. Max wasn’t anywhere to be found. He would never even know what had happened. She felt a sudden deep regret for the way things had been left with him. Why couldn’t she have just been a normal person and told him exactly how she felt without letting every conversation with him evolve into an argument? Why couldn’t they have just overcome their differences and shared the one thing they had in common. The mutual love and respect for one another?

But it was far too late for any of that. And Leon sneered down at her, his dark blue eyes glittering in the sun. She felt too strong hands on each arm, and she was forcefully led to the back of a van. They shoved her inside, and soon, she was driven away. Far away from her home, far away from Max and her mother. Far away from anybody who actually gave any consideration for her whatsoever. She was in trouble, and she had no way out of it this time.