I HONESTLY HAD no clue where I was anymore. It had been four nights since I had last seen the campus of Caldwell and each night was spent at a different motel. I hadn't showered, nor had I really slept at all. I sat on the bed, a half-empty carton of Chinese noodles at my feet. Luke sat at the end of the bed as he watched the news report blasting from the aged television box. m

"Oh come on, they could've at used a different picture." Luke complains as he gestures an angry arm towards the screen. Our pictures had been plastered all over the news since yesterday evening and it was honestly a little relieving to know that someone missed me enough to report me missing.

The report was informing viewers that I had been kidnapped by Luke and that if they see us, they should not approach as Luke is said to be extremely dangerous—a fucking understatement in my opinion. 

I wondered who had reported me missing. I wondered if it was Chase. I also wondered if he cared at all.

"They're going to find me." I mutter under my breathe, my voice dry and raspy. 

Luke glances over his shoulder at me and smiles, "Don't worry, Hayden. They won't." 

I roll my eyes and rest further back against the wooden headboard. Luke stands and grabs his keys and wallet from the table. 

"Well, now that everyone has seen your picture, we're going to have to make some changes. I'll go pick up a box of hair dye, want anything else?" Luke smiles as he slips everything into the pocket of his jeans. 

I look at him with a dead expression, "For you to go to fucking jail." 

"You're so cute." Luke chuckles before walking over to me.

 He then lifts my arms and attaches the handcuffs on my wrist to another pair that was locked onto the wooden headboard. I was glaring at him the entire time as he did this and whenever he glanced down at me, he grinned. My hands urged for the touch of a fucking machete so I could slice his lips right off. 

 Then, Luke places said lips to mine once more. He had learnt not to stick his tongue in places it doesn't belong and his lips leave mine a split second later. "I love you." 

And with that, he places a piece of duct tape on my lips, leaves the motel room and locks the door behind him. I watch his shadow stroll behind the closed-curtain windows before I begin struggling against the handcuffs. The skin around my wrist was already red and raw from previous attempts of escape. I keep pulling against them, the metal a cold contrast against my skin. 

I stay still for a while, just staring up at my wrists wrapped in silver. Then, I shimmy down the bed, lock my toes under the ledge of the foot, clench my teeth as hard as possible and yank one of my hands down towards my feet. It took a few yanks before my thumb pops, cracks, jerks and snaps and an explosion of pain goes off down my right arm like fucking fireworks at at 4th of July celebration.  

My thumb? Fucking dislocated. My hand? Still stuck. Hotel? Trivago. 

I was panting laboriously as I let my hands rest back against headboard and I glance towards the muffled light coming in through the window. I was so fucking close to passing out from the pain that I almost missed .the sight of Luke's phone peeking out from underneath a magazine. Adrenaline rockets through me. 

I move my butt off the bed as I extend my leg out towards the brown circular table. My now dislocated thumb continued to slam against the hard metal of the handcuffs as I struggled, but I ignored it and focused on getting the phone. My toes were cramping as I stretched them out and grunts of pain and frustration were muffled by the duct tape over my mouth. 

My big fat ass toe manages to hit the corner of the phone and it falls off the table onto the floor. I bring it closer towards me before using the pad of my toe and calling emergencies service. It rings once before someone picks up. 

"911, what is your emergency?" The woman's voice was bright and cheery and genuine, something I hadn't heard in a while. 

I scream out but the duct tape muffled my cry for help. I struggled against the bed, trying to make as much noise as possible. 

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She questioned, obviously the microphone of the hadn't picked anything up. I continue to scream as loud as possible, "Ma'am, I can't hear you. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

I scream and scream and scream. Nothing was getting past the duct tape. 

"Ma'am, please make another sound if you are in danger and I'll send the police to y—" It went dead silent in the very moment and my screaming came to a sudden stop. I glance over the edge of the bed and towards the phone, noticing the black screen. I hit my toe against the home button a few times. Then I ended up just yeeting that bitch across the room with my ankle. 

Of course the fucking phone would die. Of course. Of course. 

I stare up at the yellow stained ceiling. I then scream once more, frustrated and pissed as fuck, as I my whole body convulses with rage. I do this for about a total of two minutes before I become tired. Not even fear could make my fit. Thanks a fucking lot body. 

I pant heavily as I continue to stare up at the ceiling, then slowly my eyelids become heavy and allow them to close. I think I've deserved a little rest. 

 ♤♤♤♤

I awake to the sound of keys against a door and through half opened eyes, I watch as Luke steps in from outside carrying a plastic bag. He smiles when he glances at me. 

"How was your afternoon my love?" Luke questions, places the bag on the table and walks over to me. 

"Fuck you." I spit at him as he unlocks my handcuffs and notices my thumb. 

"That's a nasty bruise you've got there." Luke mutters and I realise that my dislocated thumb had already started bruising. How long was I asleep for? Once my still handcuffed hands were free, I bring them down to my lap as pins and needles run up and down the lengths of my arms. "Let's get you some ice." 

He does just that. He retrieves a bucket of ice from outside, wraps a handful in a small hand towel and returns to me. He sits on the edge of the bed and the mattress bends under his weight. I pull my knees up to my chest and press myself as far as possible into the headboard behind me. 

"Okay, I'm going to unlock on of your hands so I can take a look ok?" Luke questions slowly as I try to remain as calm as possible and nod. He slowly unlocks the handcuffs from my injured hand and puts the key back into his pocket, "Now, let's get a look at this th—" 

I swing wide and allow the end of the dangling handcuff to collide with Luke's face. He falls back from me and I take the opportunity to jump from the bed and sprint to the door. I was almost there before I felt a hand curl around my ankle and I trip, falling head first into the door. Fuck. 

I felt my cheek bone collide with the door and I go tumbling to the ground. 

"Ah shit!" I cough out as all the lung dissipates from my lungs. I roll onto my back, my eyes wrenched closed as I cradle my dislocated thumb with my other hand. I feel a body on top of mine before Luke was reattaching the handcuffs back together. 

"I wouldn't have to use these if you didn't keep running away, Hayden." Luke explains like it was my fucking fault. I continue to writhe against him, but I was getting so damn tired. 

"No matter where you take me, what you do with me, or how long I'm with you, I will always—always run from you Luke." I seethe as I glare up at him, "You're sick in the head and you need serious help Luke."

He stares at me for a few silent seconds. I honestly thought he was going to take my advice, then seconds later his dazed smile appears on his lips again.

"I bought you black hair dye." Luke mumbles as he stands off me and walks towards the table. He reaches into the plastic bag and pulls out the shiny box, "Midnight Onyx. Trust me, you'll suit the colour baby." 

I continue to lie on the floor as the familiar jingle of the news echoes through the room. It was the same report again, a picture of my smiling face plastered over the screen. I wondered why they chose that photo, considering the fact that if anyone were to see me I would not be fucking smiling. 

Luke then sighs, "We can do it tomorrow. I want to remember your blonde curls."

today (nz time) is the 21st of september which, in the universe of my book, is chase's birthday!

he's still 18 at the time of the book though and is 45 days older than hayden, which she always fucking despised because he gets to use the 'respect your elders' bullshit. 

so in honour of his birthday, it's a double update! 

also i'm super sorry i've been a shit uploader and that the uploads are so short i've just been dealing with some heavy stuff