The Price of Freedom

Chapter 8: A New Normal

DINAH

We drove for about an hour, Serena kept rambling on about random things and how some woman offered her a job.

Honestly, I was still so wound up from the incident earlier that I couldn’t focus on a thing she was saying. All I wanted to do was get far enough from the house and into the city so it would be difficult for Lily and Jacob to find us.

We couldn’t go far since Serena still had like two weeks of classes and I still had to work. Hopefully they’d be smart enough to not try anything while there were people around. I told Serena that where ever she went on campus that she should always be with someone and that I’d pick her up from school every day.

A part of me is still terrified of what he could do. Jacob comes from an influential family, he has money, he has resources, he’s a white man in America.

But we got away. We’re safe now. He can’t hurt us.

I’ve been repeating those three sentences to myself over and over in my head trying to make myself believe them.

“Dinah.”

Once Serena graduates, I’ll try to ask for a transfer or try applying at a new place so we can get out of the city for good, maybe even the state.

“Dinah.”

Then we can leave this place behind. It’ll hurt leaving Lily, but I don’t think I can forgive her for handing me over to Jacob. I also don’t understand why she would go out of her way to show him a picture of me with Liam, that was the main reason he lost the plot and hurt me.

“Dinah!” I hear Serena scream.

I unintentionally swerve the car as I register my sister’s distressed voice.

“f**k Serena you scared the s**t out of me,” I chastise her as I hold tighter onto the steering wheel and keep looking at the road.

I can feel her eyes boring holes into the side of my face as I continue driving, “I’ve been calling your name for the last five minutes and you weren’t responding. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I’m not remotely close to being okay, I don’t think I ever will be, but I don’t need to tell her that. I’m the older sister, I’m the one that’s supposed to carry the burden, so I’ll do just that and keep my mouth shut for her sake.

“I’m fine S,” I respond as calmly as I can muster.

“Dinah, you’re anything but fine,” she starts talking. “After what he did to you, you’re allowed to not be fine.”

Honestly, I just want to forget everything that happened. Pretending I never went through this feels like a reasonable response. I can live in denial for the time being.

“Can we just not talk about it anymore, we got away and that’s all that matters.”

I can tell that she doesn’t agree with me, but Serena just nods in agreement and doesn’t say anything for the rest of the ride.

We finally arrive into the heart of the city; I figured the more places in the area the harder it will be for anyone to find us. We choose an average hotel, no five-star place, but no rundown motel either. The last thing we need is to get attacked by a local crackhead.

After paying cash, the concierge quickly gives us our room keys and points us in the direction of the elevator. We make our way to our room and I am finally able to release the breathe I’ve been holding in since we left our home.

This is our new normal in the meantime.

For the last couple of days, Serena and I have gotten into a routine. I drop her off at school, I head to work, and I pick her up in the afternoon. Then we make our way back to the hotel, occasionally we’ll stop by the grocery store or a restaurant to get food, but then we come back and lock ourselves in.

It isn’t much of a life at the moment, but this is the only way we can avoid being spotted and recognized.

We’ve had over a hundred missed calls from Jacob alone, and we haven’t been answering any family or friends just to be safe. The last thing I want is to have him track us to where we are. I wouldn’t put it past that little psychopath.

Serena and I are currently eating breakfast in our room as we get ready for our day. I can tell she’s getting depressed, she’s such a social butterfly she craves interaction, and I’ve been limiting her out of fear.

I don’t want to continue living like this, but I’ve tried to explain to her that this is only temporary until we can relocate. Serena tells me that she understands, but I can see how she’s hurting not being able to see friends and family as often.

“Hey Dinah?” She looks up at me from her bowl of cereal that she’s just been running her spoon through not actually eating anything.

“Yeah?”

“So, umm...” she hesitates for a second before steeling herself and continuing. “Sacha texted me, he wants to take me out on a date.”

I didn’t even think what they had was serious. I just thought it was like a little schoolgirl crush that she’d get over quickly. All the boys she’s talked about were last week’s news by the next day. I nod asking her to continue.

“Can I go?” She asks me looking back down at her bowl.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea right now,” I respond trying not to crush her hopes.

She continues stirring her cereal that has now gone soggy with a slight pout on her face.

“I know it’s not the best time, but he’ll be leaving to go back home in a few days. I kind of just want to say goodbye.” She whispers lowly.

I remember having a Sacha, his name was Henri, he was such a sweetheart. I was so in love with him in high school I actually thought we would get married one day.

He ended up having to move back to Singapore so he could help his father with their business after his mother passed away. I never saw him again, and we lost contact after that. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

Maybe Sacha is her Henri.

I hesitantly agree, I don’t want to be controlling. And I also don’t want to choose who she dates, “okay, but you have to be careful and you have to text me every thirty minutes so I know you’re okay.”

Serena jumps up and nods giddily before rushing over to me and crushing me in a hug. She may be slim, but she has the strength of a grown man.

“I have to tell you something,” she starts talking while still holding me in her arms.

“Okay?”

She pulls back and looks at me worriedly her hands are on my arms as if she’s bracing me for bad news. The last thing I need is more bad news, god I hope she’s not pregnant.

“I’m not enrolling in university in the fall,” Serena spits out.

To say I’m surprised is a bit of an understatement, she always said she wanted to go to a good college. Why the sudden change now, it better not be over this boy. I know she’s boy crazy but this would be too much. I don’t know if I’m mad or simply annoyed.

“What do you mean you’re not going?” I question her.

“Catarina offered me a job,” she responds.

“Who the hell is Catarina?”

“Catarina Dubois, Raul’s girlfriend, she’s a lingerie designer and offered me a job modeling for her. She said she works out of London and Paris and I’d be modeling her newest line.” She speaks without taking a breather.

I can tell she’s nervous telling me all this, but I can see how excited she is. Her eyes are sparkling and I don’t want to be the one to break her high. I also don’t want her to just jump into something so suddenly, what if it doesn’t work out, then she’ll be disappointed and have to wait to go back to school.

“What about school Serena, you’ve always wanted to go to Vandy, you’re just going to throw it away?”

“Of course not, I worked hard to get into their law program, but I also want to experience life before I’m stuck reading books every minute of every day. I was thinking of taking like a gap year and working with Catarina, you can come with me. We can get away from here, away from Jacob. Maybe you could get a job in London or Paris, you speak multiple languages, it’ll be easy for you to get a job.”

The idea of getting further away from Jacob is tempting, but I have to be the realistic one here. Serena would be floating in the clouds getting maimed by a plane if it weren’t for me.

“I understand that, but it’ll be difficult to be a lawyer when half the world has seen you half naked. I’ll support whatever you want to do, but you need to be sure you’re willing to accept the consequences after.” I truthfully told her.

I don’t want to make it seem like I won’t support her, because I will. I just want to make sure she’s aware of what could happen.

She seems to think it over, I can tell the little cogs in her brain are turning trying to decide if this is a good idea or not. I think it’d be fun for her to try something like this, but I also want her to be sure of her decisions.

Once she accepts working, she’ll have to endure it even if she ends up not liking it. I’m assuming she’ll have to sign a contract and whatnot.

“I’m sure, this is what I want to do. Catarina said I can start right after I graduate, and that I can stay with her while I find a place to stay. Please say you’ll come; I can’t do this without you.”

“I don’t know S.”

“You don’t have to answer now, just think about it,” she says.

I simply nod.

******

It’s finally time for Serena to leave for her date with Sacha and she is like a child on a sugar high. After going through both our luggage looking for the perfect outfit, she finally decided on a pair of mom jeans and a white crop top that left her tummy exposed. Or the lack of tummy, what’d I’d give to have her body.

Her street style is fabulous I’ll give her that.

I walk Serena out to the lobby to meet Sacha, and he is genuinely the cutest little thing ever, his face lights up as soon as he sees Serena. Once I am up close, I realize how not little he is, he towers over me, he’s almost as tall as Liam.

Serena is already giddy just looking at him she has to restrain herself.

“Bonjour Miss Muñoz,” he greets me after he kisses Serena on the cheek making her blush.

“Hello Sacha, comment ça va?”

He looks at me quizzical before speaking again, “Vous parlez français?”

“Oui entre autres langues.”

He looks at me impressed and then smiles turning his attention back to Serena. “I’m well, thank you for allowing me to take Serena out. I’ll be leaving soon and I just wanted to see her one last time.”

“It’s no problem, just make sure to keep her safe and bring her back before 10p, it’s a school night.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“You can call me Dinah, I’m not that old.”

“Yes ma’a... I mean Dinah,” he blushes scarlet.

He looks at Serena and asks her if she’s ready to go, after an excited nod he takes her hand and leads her out of the hotel lobby.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I just hope she keeps herself safe.

Seeing them walk away hand in hand I couldn’t help but think of Liam. Would he hold my hand, would he even get the chance to hold my hand. I’m so damaged I don’t even know what I want.

I go back upstairs to the room and decide to just watch a movie, make some popcorn, and wallow in my own self-pity.

A few minutes into the movie I hear a knock on the door. I figured it must be Serena and she forgot her keycard or something, so I rush over quickly pulling out the spare key.

I open the door expecting to see a smiley Serena, but am utterly shocked when it turns out to be the last person I was expecting.

“Hello Dinah, did you think I wouldn’t find you?”