“Please don’t do anything stupid, Lexi. You have already seen the lengths I will go to in order to keep you. But know this… If I can’t have you, no one will,” he says, leaning down and kissing my forehead. I close my eyes as his lips touch my skin because I know that isn’t an idle threat. He means exactly what he says.
“I know, Jas,” I respond quietly.
“Good. Then let’s go. Our flight leaves in a couple of hours and I don’t want to miss our flight,” he says, standing fully. He holds his hand out, and I take it, heading to the door.
He holds the door to the Uber open for me, handing me the small carryon he had packed for me. It’s not heavy, and I don’t know what’s in it. I’m sure it’s just a few essentials. Once standing outside of the vehicle, he closes the door and takes my hand in his.
We walk through the airport security and into the main area. After checking in at the airline and getting our boarding passes, which Jason holds onto, we walk through to the gate and terminal.
My mind is racing the entire time we are walking. My time is running out. Once I’m over in Italy, it’s over. No chance to get away. I start to tremble and my nerves are shot, as we pass by vendor after vendor, along with the restaurants set up here in the airport. When we pass by the bathrooms, I pull his hand slightly. I need a few minutes to think.
Jason looks down at me with a questioning look. “I need to use the restroom,” I say to him. His eyes study me, brow furrowed. He looks over to the bathroom before looking back down to me again. Pulling me close, he looks seriously into my eyes.
“Don’t you fucking try anything, Lexi. I swear to god…” he says and I immediately start shaking my head.
“I won’t, Jas. I promise. I just have to pee. You know how I get before flying,” I tell him. Again, he seems to look over my face, trying to find the lie.
“Fine. But I will be standing right outside the exit. Don’t do anything stupid,” he grits out.
“I won’t,” I concede with a small smile, releasing his hand as I enter the large bathroom. Glancing behind me, watching as he moves to stand right next to the large opening that is both the entrance and exit to the ladies bathroom. I move through and see that there is only one entrance and exit.
My mind is racing trying to figure out something. Tears begin to pool in my eyes with the thought that I’m stuck. I have no one to help me. I have no idea how I’m going to get out of this. My brain is running through a bunch of scenarios of how I can get away. But I am also wondering how Cam and Shayna are holding up and are they looking for me. My surroundings basically disappear as I lean over the sink, blankly looking into the mirror.
A single tear runs down my face. I quickly wipe it away as I turn away from the mirror to actually go into a bathroom stall. Making my first step, I feel a jolt as I bump into a small woman. Or a girl. She looks young enough to still be in high school or going into college.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Sorry about that,” she speaks at the same time. She laughs but I just give her a small smile. “I’m so clumsy. I need to watch where I’m going,” her words trail off as she hesitates slightly. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks, seeming to try and start a conversation.
I look back at her and try to nod and hold it together, but failing miserably. She tilts her head and her eyes seem to zone in on the makeup I have covering the bruise by my eye, and hereyes narrow. “You don’t seem okay. Is there anything I can do?” she asks and I wipe my face quickly.
“I don’t know,” I reply.
“Don’t know if you’re okay, or don’t know if I can help?” she asks once again, being very perceptive.
“Both,” I whisper and glance over her shoulder to the small hallway that heads out to the main area of the airport. She immediately follows my gaze looking in the same direction. She slowly looks back at me. Gently she takes my forearm and leads me to the back area of the bathroom where it’s not so crowded. She glances around us before speaking.
“Are you in some kind of trouble?” she asks. I nervously peer around the bathroom then back to the front of the bathroom. I’m waiting for Jason to storm in at any second. I look down into her eyes. She seems so nice and wants to help but do I want to take the chance of her getting caught up in this right now? “Let me help,” she implores.
“I’m not sure you can,” I say, leaning against the wall, feeling helpless right now. She steps closer to me.
“You won’t know if you don’t try,” she urges.
After thinking it over just for a moment, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.
“Okay. My ex…” I start, but then a woman walks by us, so I hesitate as she walks by us. I watch her as she moves to the sink. I pull the sweet girl further to the back of the bathroom. “… my ex, Jason Webb, took me against my will. And he’s trying to fly me out of the country,” I say. Pulling my sleeves up my arms, I show her all the dark and fading bruises along my arm. I lift the sweater slightly on the side, not facing all the other women moving about in the bathroom, showing her the worst of the bruising.
Her eyes go wide at the dark splotches covering my torso and arms, then shoot up to mine. Her hand covers her mouth in agasp. “Oh my god. That’s awful. Why didn’t you just run away?” she asks.
“He’s had me locked up the last couple of days doing this,” I say, gesturing to the bruises, “to me.”
She studies me for a few moments. I feel like she’s going to back out, but then she steals herself and looks me in the eyes. “I can help you. What do you need me to do?” she asks, sounding a lot more sure than she did before.
I release a deep breath and sink more against the wall. I don’t know how this is going to work or if it’s going to work, but I am willing to give it a shot.
“He’s standing just outside the bathroom,” I say, and her head immediately shoots in that direction. He’s wearing dark jeans, a baby blue button-down shirt, and solid white sneakers. He stands about 6 feet 2 inches tall. Can you walk out of the bathroom, don’t look at him suspiciously at all, and go find an officer? Quickly explain it to him and then point him out,” I ask him with hope in my voice.
She studies me once more and then nods. “I can do that. You need to hide in here,” she says, pulling open the large stall for handicapped people and gently pushing me inside. “In case he tries to push his way in here, it does look like you’re using the bathroom.”
