If I Was Your Boyfriend

Justin’s Point of View

‘What do you need to tell me? Where’s Chrissy?’ I inquire squeezing the bridge of my nose waiting for a response, ‘where is she?’

Danielle clung to Garrett’s shirt while everyone remained silent. I start to feel my entire body tremble as I stand to my feet. My stomach was twisted into dozens of tight knots. My throat had the largest lump resting in it.

‘Is she okay?’ My voice fails me and the words fall out as a squeak.

‘Chrissy’s car was found in the hospital’s parking lot two hours ago. No one knows where she could be. Police are checking the security cameras there now. She’s not answering her phone so they’ve put out an APB on her.’ Her dad is the one who finally decides to answer and I wish he hadn’t.

‘What does that mean?’ I pace back and forth across the living feeling nauseous.

‘As of right now, she’s missing.’ One of the police officers chimes in.

‘She just cant be missing. Chrissy would’ve answered her phone. I talked to her earlier and everything seemed fine.’

‘What did she tell you?’ her mom wonders grasping Chrissy’s dad’s hand. ‘Anything out of the ordinary?’

‘No, she just said she had a lot to fill me in on once I got back.’

‘When was this?’

‘A few hours ago. She didn’t go into detail or anything.’

Again the room goes painfully silent as everyone sits there. How could a room that’s so quiet be so loud? Danielle’s muffled sobs in the background. Paul whispers to Nikki and Chloe, still I don’t know what they’re saying. The police tell us to keep this as private as we can for right now until they can determine whether Chrissy left on her own or she was forced. I excuse myself to my car and climb inside slamming the door so hard the cops turned to glare at me. I hit the steering wheel repeatedly feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. My girlfriend was gone. No one knows where she is. This was like something out of a movie. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen to Chrissy. Who could be behind something like this? I may not know who they are right now but when I find them I’m going to make sure they never come back.

Chrissy’s Point of View

Carter doesn’t make a move as I slowly back pedal away from him. I turn to run as far away from that house as I could get. I bypass the long narrow road and cut through the woods. I hold my phone up as I run and dial Justin up.

‘Chrissy?’ he answers nearly immediately.

‘Justin! Carter! It’s Carter.’ The line statics in the same way it did earlier but worse.

‘What? I couldn’t hear you. There’s a lot of static. Chrissy where are you?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Speak up Chris, please. I really want to find you but you gotta help me out baby.’ Justin’s voice was uneasy as he spoke. ‘Chrissy?’

Beep Beep Beep

‘I thought I might have lost you.’ Carter’s voice shakes me to my core as he stands before me. ‘That wouldn’t have been good for anyone.’ He snatches my phone and I wait as it sails into a nearby tree shattering. ‘Don’t worry. You won’t need that.’

The last thing I remember was being hit across the head with something fairly small. My head throbs and aches as I sit up on a dirty wooden floor. It was dark out, so I’m guessing it was after eight at night. I slowly stand to my feet when I’m pulled back my something. My ankle was shackled to the corner of the room. I glance out of the window not remembering my surroundings. This wasn’t the same place as I was earlier. It couldn’t be. My throat aches from the lack of something to drink. I tug on the chain but it doesn’t budge. My ankle’s sore from the tugging and yanking. I sit down on the floor rubbing the tender part of my injured skull. It was bad dream that would never end. I literally felt like I was having one of those sleep paralysis dreams. I was lying there and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream for help. I was numb and fully conscious. Witnessing every horrific second of this nightmare. I lowly sob feeling like I was going to die in this place. The door opens and Carter walks in with a grim smile across his face. In his hands was a tray he held highly.

‘Made you dinner. You should probably eat.’

The tray is carefully placed in front of me and I stare down at it. My stomach involuntary growls and my mouth waters.

‘Thai food is your favorite, right? I’ve even brought you some nice cold soda.’

‘Why are you doing this?’

‘In due time, my love. Due time.’

I watch as he leaves out of the room making sure to lock the door behind him. I guiltily devour the food and the cold Sprite within minutes. Half an hour later Carter unlocks my shackle and helps me into a house not too far away.

‘I have everything you need to take a shower and even a change of clothes. Don’t try anything stupid.’

I close the bathroom behind me and turn on the shower’s water to mask my planning. The window had bars across it just like the window out in the shed. On the counter was the exact same body wash and shampoo I had in my bathroom at my house. How creepy was this guy? I touch the clean material that was resting underneath a towel. It was some kind of skimpy silky nightgown. I fall down in front of the toilet feeling sick to my stomach. There was no way out of this place because I didn’t know where I was. Nothing was familiar and nothing made sense.

‘Justin, please find me.’

I finish running the water realizing that I wasn’t getting out of the bathroom by the window.

‘You didn’t put on the outfit. I’m disappointed.’ He immediately snatches my arm and forces me back out. ‘Nonetheless, I have to run for a little bit. I’ll be back for you.’

With that he locks me back in the shed and shackles me to the wall, leaving me there.

Justin’s Point of View

My heart is trampled when the line goes dead. Everyone in the room stares at my phone that sat on the coffee table. I dial Chrissy back but she doesn’t answer. The phone goes straight to voicemail and I automatically expected that worst. She was muttering something but I couldn’t understand her from all of the wind and static. I beg her to speak up but she doesn’t.

‘Where’s Officer Carter?’ I hear Chrissy’s dad ask as Officer Holbrook walks back into the house.

‘I’m not sure. I’ve called and left messages but I haven’t heard anything back from him yet. Last I saw of him was at the hospital.’

‘And that was earlier today?’

Officer Holbrook opens his mouth to reply when one of the lower ranked officers mutters something to him. I stand from the sofa and make my way over to Danielle and Garrett who sat in the corner of the living room.

‘Come with me.’ I fish my car keys from my jeans and hold them in my sweaty palm.

‘Go where?’ Garrett asks taking his eyes off of Danielle.

‘To find Chrissy.’

They both stare at me confused but follow me out of the house anyway. I practically run to my car and jump inside starting it up. Garrett sits in the back beside Danielle, comforting her. On the way to the hospital I call Ryan up and let him what’s going despite the police’s protests. Ryan wouldn’t tell anyone besides Nichole and I don’t really care if she knew. He insists on flying back but I tell him to stay there and I’ll call him as soon as I can. We get into the hospital and rush over to the nurse. She tells me that this James guy can’t have nay visitors because it’s after hours. My voice cracks as I talk trying to persuade her into letting me in. She stares at me with an apologetic expression.

‘I’ll talk to you.’ A tall man covered in bandages and a cast on his leg with a crutch resting under his arm.

‘You must be James.’

‘You must be the boyfriend. Where is Chrissy?’

‘They got her.’

His jaw drops to the ground as he hobbles over to me. He grips onto my shoulder, for support I’m guessing.

‘Carter got her?’

‘Carter? The police officer Carter?’ I feel my eyes bug out of my skull.

Danielle gasps behind me and Garrett wraps a protective arm around her.

‘I wanted to show her this earlier when he came in.’

‘Wait wait wait. Carter came into the hospital earlier?’

‘I found out and he ran me off of the road trying to keep my mouth shut. Chrissy came to visit me when he knocks on the door. He offered to walk her out. I just assumed she made it home.’

‘Give me all the information you have.’

‘His house is not too far from here.’ He hands me the address and a thick folder catching Carter red handed.

‘Stay here.’ I look at Danielle and Garrett, ‘Call the police.’

‘You can’t be going there.’ Danielle stares at me if I had grew three new heads. ‘You don’t know what he’s capable of.’

‘We’ll go.’

‘I don’t know what he’s capable of but I know if my girlfriend is there I don’t care. You guys stay here. Just call the police and Chrissy’s parents. I’m not going to do anything crazy.’

‘Going by yourself is completely insane.’

‘Maybe.’

I leave them there as they call my name and run to the stair exit. I drive as fast as I can weaving in and out lanes. My heart pounded and my body rocked. I jump out of the car and hurry up the stairs. ‘Chrissy? Chris are you here?’

‘No but I am.’ Carter stands before me.

‘Where is my girlfriend?’ I ask feeling my fists tighten by my sides.

‘She’s better off with me. She needs a man not some boy. You could never treat her the way she deserves be treated. She won’t think of you when I’m washing away every memory of you.’

Without thinking I swing my fist hitting him right in the face. The sound was nearly deafening but I didn’t care. Before I knew it I was kicked from the dark stairs falling onto the concrete. I swear I just flew ten feet. I had to. My head felt sticky and wet. The sky was dark and the street was empty. I struggle to lift my body from the ground. I feel his boot collide with my rib cage too many times to remember. The moon spun circles around me.

‘Stay away from her if you know what’s good for you.’ Were the last words I remembered before I was left there.

‘JUSTIN!’ A girl shouts, Danielle I’m pretty sure. ‘Garrett, hurry.’

Sirens could be heard in the distance they were all that I heard actually. Danielle murmurs something above me waving her hand in front of me. I couldn’t comprehend what she was saying. I couldn’t even open my mouth as I was lifted into the ambulance. I failed. I lost her. They’ll never find her. He’s probably moving her now. I just hope she’s okay. God, I hope she’s okay. I don’t know what I’d do without her. I don’t want to live a life without her. She’s impacted me in such ways she or anyone else could never understand. She’s changed me for the better honestly. Slowly my eyes fall closed as I imagine Chrissy’s beautiful face in front of me.