chapter 14

Exhaustion and relief wrestled within Lewis as he headed to his apartment. He was mentally stressed as he replayed everything he went through in Derek's house.

The kidnap, the threats, the hidden gay club and Derek Stygian himself.

What if he wasn't released? What if Stygian decided to kill him? Goosebumps sprouted on his skin as he wondered.

Quickly, he shook the thought away, thankful for his successful release from Stygian's captivity.

As he got to his small apartment, he exhaled. He stood in front of the door for a long moment before opening it.

Everything still felt unreal to him. He rubbed his forehead as the headache from earlier threatened to return.

“Maybe I dreamed everything,” he muttered to himself.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside. He barely had time to close it before someone screamed his name.

“LEWIS!”

He jumped.

Barbie stood in the middle of the living room with her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her long hair was perfectly styled, and she wore a tight pink dress as if she had been planning to go somewhere important.

However, her expression was pure anger.

Lewis inhaled sharply as he tried to catch his breath.

“Barbie…? Why did you scream like that?”

“Why did I scream like that? She asked, marching toward him as a lioness ready to pounce in her prey.

“Where have you been?” she fired.

Lewis opened his mouth to answer but words didn't make it out of his mouth before Barbie fired another question.

“And why was your phone off?”

Lewis held up his hands in surrender.

“Can you calm down and let me explain?”

“That's if you have a good explanation for me,” she spat.

“I can explain…” Lewis started but Barbie cut him off again.

“I don't want to listen to your excuses,” she said. “You promised to send me money yesterday…”

“I know but…”

“And when I called you, your phone was switched off!”

Lewis tried again.

“Barbie, listen…”

“And do you know how embarrassing that is for me? I had to tell my friends that my boyfriend disappeared after promising to send me money.”

Lewis rubbed his face.

“Can you just calm down and listen?”

“You always do this! You do shit to me and ask me to calm down when I'm reacting to your initial action.”

Lewis stared at her in disbelief.

“I literally disappeared,” he said when he finally got the chance to talk.

“Yes, you did, Lewis and that's disgraceful.”

“No, Barb. I meant I literally disappeared. Like my existence almost got wiped up from earth.”

Barbie shook her head. “Is that a new excuse?”

Lewis took a deep breath.

“Barbie…”

“Don’t Barbie me, Lewis,” she spat. “I told you my rent was due and I needed to pay ASAP. And when the landlord came, I had nothing to say because my boyfriend couldn't even pick up his phone!”

Lewis finally raised his voice.

“BARBIE!”

She stopped talking.

For the first time since he walked in, there was silence.

Lewis exhaled.

“I was kidnapped.”

For a moment, Barbie stared at him.

Then she laughed.

Not a small laugh. She laugh so hard that she grabbed her stomach in pain.

Lewis blinked slowly. “What’s so funny? Why are you laughing?”

When she was done, she wiped the corner of her eye.

“Ypu were kidnapped?”

“Yes.”

She laughed again.

“Lewis.”

“Yes?”

“Who kidnaps others in this era?”

“Barbie,” Lewis tried but she continued.

“Who kidnaps a paramedic?”

Lewis frowned. He couldn't believe that his girlfriend didn't believe him.

“Criminals!” he spat. “They are criminals out there who kidnap people like it's their full time job. ”

Barbie shook her head again. But this time, a smile was etched on her face. .

“That’s the worst lie you’ve ever told.”

“It’s not a lie!”

Lewis ran both hands through his messy hair.

“There was this old woman who fainted, and we were taking her to the hospital and then some guys stopped the ambulance and…”

“Stop.” Barbie held up a hand. “Enough of your lies.”

Lewis was getting more frustrated.

“I’m serious!” he said persuasively.

She looked completely unconvinced.

“So you expect me to believe that someone kidnapped you… because of an old woman?”

“Yes!”

“And what did they want with you? Your medical bag?” sarcasm laced in her voice.

“No,” he said. “They wanted me to treat her!”

Barbie had a mocking smile on her face.

“How is that kidnapping?”

“They took me away to treat her in a private area.”

Lewis paced the room in frustration.

“They took me to this huge mansion and kept me there!” he continued.

“And who lives in this mansion?”

Lewis stopped pacing. He wore this serious look on his face.

“…Derek Stygian.”

Barbie burst out laughing again.

Lewis groaned loudly.

“I’m serious!”

She shook her head.

“Lewis.”

“Yes!”

“Come up with a better lie.”

Lewis stared at her.

“I’m not lying!”

Barbie shook her head in disagreement.

“You expect me to believe that Derek Stygian kidnapped you?”

“Yes!”

“The Derek Stygian?”

Lewis threw his hands in the air.

“YES!”

Barbie laughed again.

“Lewis, please.”

“What?”

“Derek Stygian is one of the richest men in the city.”

“I know!”

“He owns businesses, clubs, companies…”

“I KNOW!”

Barbie looked him up and down.

“And you think someone like that would kidnap you?”

Lewis stared at her.

“Yes!”

She scoffed.

“You’re a paramedic.”

“Yes!”

“You live in a small apartment.”

“Yes!”

“You barely have enough money to send me for my basic things.”

Lewis groaned. “Why are you bringing that up now?”

Barbie waved her hand dismissively.

“Someone like Derek Stygian wouldn’t even notice someone like you. You are too broke to catch his attention.”

Lewis’s eye twitched slightly.

“But he did notice me.”

Barbie shook her head again.

“Lewis, please. If you’re going to lie about cheating, at least make the story believable.”

Lewis froze. “Cheating?”

“Yes.”

Lewis looked completely horrified.

“I WAS KIDNAPPED!”

Barbie rolled her eyes.

“Sure, you were.”

Lewis paced the room again, completely frustrated.

“There was a man named Paulo. He is like his right hand man.”

Barbie didn't respond. She just stared at him like he had gone insane.

“And he had this secret gay club…”

Barbie blinked.

“Gay club?”

Lewis nodded seriously.

“Yes.”

She stared at him for a moment. “How is that a new thing? Every wealthy man owns a gay club now.”

Lewis had never been this horrified in his life.

“I swear, Barbie. I'm telling the truth.”

“You really need a better imagination,” Barbie said.

Lewis dropped onto the couch in defeat.

“This is the worst day of my life.”

Barbie picked up her bag.

“Next time you disappear, just say you were busy.”

Lewis looked at her in disbelief.

“I WAS KIDNAPPED.”

Barbie dropped her bag again, ready to argue again.

“Sure you were.”

“You are supposed to believe me,” Lewis said.

“Believe you?” She frowned. “If you had come up with a better story, I would have believed you. If you had said that your phone fell into the toilet when you were having your bath, I would have believed you.”

Barbie was breathing heavily.

She paused to catch her breath.

Then she continued. “How could you bring up Derek Stygian in your lies? Of all the people in the world, Derek fucking Stygian.”

Before Lewis could reply, a knock came on the door.