Chapter 4: The Unseen Path

Finally, I set the cup down and reached for my phone. I hesitated, then dialed my sister’s number. It rang a few times before she picked up.

  

  “Bella?” My sister’s voice was sharp with concern. “Where are you? Nick’s been blowing up my phone looking for you.”

  

  “I’m fine,” I said quickly, not wanting her to worry. “I’m at Aunt Lydia’s. I… I just needed some space.”

  

  “What happened?”

  

  “I’ll explain later. Can you do me a favor? I need you to get my car from Silas’s place. It’s still there, and I don’t want Nick getting his hands on it.”

  

  There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  

  “Yeah, I’m sure. Just… please, can you get the car?”

  

  “Okay, I’ll take care of it. Just… be careful, Bella.”

  

  “Thanks, I will.”

  

  I hung up and let out a long breath, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. Aunt Lydia was watching me, her expression gentle but curious.

  

  “I’m sorry to barge in like this,” I said, managing a small smile. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

  

  “Nonsense,” she said, waving away my apology. “You’re family. You can stay as long as you need.”

  

  I nodded, grateful for her kindness. “I won’t be a burden. I just need a few days to figure things out.”

  

  “You’re not a burden, Bella. And you’re welcome here for as long as you need. Take your time.”

  

  I spent the rest of the morning resting, trying to clear my mind. Aunt Lydia busied herself around the house, leaving me to my thoughts. By the time afternoon rolled around, I felt a bit more like myself. I’d changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt Aunt Lydia had lent me when I heard a car pull up outside the house.

Peeking out the window, I saw my sister’s car pulling up with mine following close behind, driven by one of her friends. I stepped outside, thanking them as they handed over the keys. My sister gave me a long, searching look before pulling me into a tight hug.

“Call me if you need anything, okay?” she whispered.

“I will,” I promised, hugging her back.

Once they left, I slipped behind the wheel of my car, the familiar scent of the interior wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. I started the engine, the purr of it steady and reassuring. There was one more thing I needed to do before I could even begin to think about what came next.

I didn’t have a plan, just a name—Taylor Black. The name had been gnawing at me, a loose thread in the tangled mess of last night. I wasn’t sure who he was, but I had a feeling he was connected to the man I had spent the night with. I didn’t know what I hoped to find, but I couldn’t ignore the curiosity gnawing at me.

The drive to the nearest police station was a blur, my mind racing with questions I didn’t yet have the answers to. When I pulled up to the station, my stomach was in knots. I had no idea what I was going to say, but I knew I had to ask. 

The lobby of the police station was surprisingly quiet, a few officers milling about behind the front desk. I approached the counter, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Can I help you?” the officer behind the desk asked, glancing up from his paperwork.

“Yes,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m looking for information on someone named Taylor Black.”

The officer’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something—recognition?—crossing his face. “Taylor Black, you say? And why are you looking for him?”

“I just… I need to talk to him,” I stammered. “It’s important.”

The officer studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Wait here.”

He disappeared through a door behind the desk, leaving me standing there, my nerves on edge. A few minutes later, a man stepped out—a tall, broad-shouldered man with a stern expression. He didn’t look like a cop; he looked more like a bouncer at a club.

“You’re looking for Taylor Black?” he asked, his voice deep and gravelly.

I nodded, feeling suddenly small under his gaze. “Yes. Do you know him?”

“I do. But Taylor’s not around right now. I’m one of his friends, though. Name’s Reed. Maybe I can help you.”

I hesitated, not sure if I should trust him, but I didn’t have many options. “I… I met him last night. I need to find him.”

Reed’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded. “I get it. Tell you what, let’s go grab a coffee, and you can tell me what’s going on. Maybe we can figure this out together.”

I wasn’t sure if I should go with him, but something in his demeanor made me feel like he could help. I nodded slowly, feeling like I was stepping into something much bigger than I’d anticipated. 

But I needed answers. And maybe, just maybe, Reed could help me find them.

We walked to the nearest coffee shop and ordered some coffee. While we walked, my neck started to bother me to the point that I began scratching it.

Reed took my hand calmly and examined the area between my neck and shoulder. Looking at the reflection in the windows, I saw his expression turn to pure shock at what he was seeing.

He quickly turned around and went into the men’s bathroom. While he was inside, the cashier asked me what we wanted. I had no idea what he drinks, so I ordered for myself and walked over to take a seat in one of the booths.

After a while, the doors of the restaurant opened. My curiosity, as always, got the best of me, and I looked over at the doors. When I turned, my arm was suddenly pulled out of the booth.

Facing Nick, I saw he was in a state of rage, and before I could say a word, I felt my cheek burning.

“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you for hours! Don’t you care about your husband?”

As I tried to move away from him, he pulled me out of the restaurant and shoved me into the car. Once he closed the door, I screamed as it caught my index finger. I opened the door to free my finger just as Nick got in on his side.

When he closed the door again, I heard a gun being loaded and felt something cold touch my arm. I looked down to see that Nick had a gun pressed against my arm. As I looked at him, he was starting the car.

Struggling to put on my seatbelt while my finger throbbed with pain, he took off, and I had to hold on to the dashboard and the door handle. His erratic zigzagging made me feel nervous.

As he hit the gas, we heard police sirens, and he turned to park with the cop behind us. He hit me with the back of the gun, and after dropping it, he started to punch me while screaming.

“You fucking bitch! Can’t you, for once in your ungrateful life, be respectful to me? Are you this desperate to get away from me? Answer me, you fucking piece of shit!”

Crying from the pain, I was barely aware when the cop knocked on the window. When he saw me, he asked what was happening.

I was in too much pain to defend myself, and Nick knew it. He then blamed me, saying I had tempted him over something he considered stupid and that it was just a common couple’s fight.

Trying to calm myself, the cop told him not to make me cry more and to have a good rest of our day. The second the cop left, Nick started the car and drove us toward the airport.

“Don’t make a scene, and I won’t beat you when we get home, got it? Maybe this will make you think twice about filing for divorce, you whore.”

The way Nick has been treating me today was not what I expected after I was trying to breathe from our marriage, but it did make me want Taylor back on my side.

New Year’s passed, and now, in March, I’ve been feeling very uneasy. To make matters worse, Nick has been forcing himself on me while I hear his friends, who are girls, playing online. Sometimes he screams their names when he finishes, and I just tune everything out.

Yesterday, I built up the bravery to ask him why he had suddenly changed into the monster he is today, and all he said was that I deserved it. For leaving him to go to the island, I deserve to be miserable and to deal with his change in attitude because I deserve it.

Today, however, I feel like I’m about to pass out from the uneasy feeling in my stomach.