The Art of Starting Over

It’s Unfortunate Really

SEVYNS POV

My friends and I are sitting with Noah, Charlie, Jared and my parents on my back porch, we’re having a movie night and I’m cuddling one of my dogs in my lap. We’re watching one of my parents favorite cult classics; Pulp Fiction. “Okay soo that guy like threw his own match?” Cali asks, her and Ember had just returned from their honeymoon a week ago, they were gone for like 3 weeks I missed them so much. “Well yeah basically.” My mom says her eyes fixated on a young Bruce Willis. The movie playing from a projector my parents bought with a matching white screen to play the movies on, it was a nice new set up they got. After this we’re going to watch a new horror movie and I’m excited. Gavin had his head on Charlies shoulder they had decided to come out to everyone when Cali and Ember got back. Noah softly pets Snorkie my maltipoo puppy, my parents and Noah got me for an early birthday present, while he curls in my lap. Snorkie was so cute he was a tiny little black and white ball of fluff. I cried when my parents brought me to pick him up.

Finally Pulp Fiction ended and we could get to the fun stuff it was a German horror movie Nadia had found and she knew I would like. I find myself gripping Noahs arm and watching between my fingers at some of the gorier scenes, Noah chuckles and wraps an arm around me. “Ohhhh that’s f****d up.” Gavin gasps hiding his face in Charlies shoulder as one of the main villains starts dismembering someone alive. “Nadia you’re f****d for liking this and Sevyn you’re f****d up for encouraging it.” Gavin says making Nadia and I laugh. “AND YOU’RE LAUGHING?!” He screeches making us laugh harder. “Wow I’m going through it and you two find amusement in my pain, this is Anabelle all over again.” Everyone is laughing at his dramatics. “Gavin.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Big Papa.” I correct myself and he nods with a smile. “I love you and if you sit through this movie, I’ll let you cut my hair.” He claps his hands and enthusiastically turns back to the movie. “I’m not going to be able to sleep for weeks but it will be worth it.” I hear him tell Charlie and I giggle. “You’re going to cut your hair?” Noah asks and for a second I’m scared remembering how Ritchie liked my hair long, I nod with wide eyes and he grins. “Good I like your hair long but, that length you had when we first met and the way it framed your face was a force to be reckoned with.” I remind myself again how Ritchie and Noah couldn’t be anymore different. I smile at him and place a kiss on his cheek.

PAULIES POV

I watch Sevyn leave her friends salon and gasp. She’s cut her hair short just like it was when I first met her, she must have done it for me. She must know I’ve been watching her. My hands ball into fists when I see her outside taking selfies for, him. I want to approach her, I want to apologize beg her for another chance, after last time my feelings got the best of me and I forced myself on her. But she’ll see next time, she has to. We were meant to be. I groan as my phone buzzes and I get a text from that b***h Lauren. She won’t leave me alone ever since I stuck my d**k in her one time. The night everything went down I saw her in a bar and in my drunken mess, I told her about Sevyn losing her baby and everything about her past and then I took her back to my place. Now she won’t leave me the f**k alone. She calls me constantly asking when she’s going to see me again, like doing this with me is going to make Noah jealous or something. He hates both of us.

I follow Sevyn discreetly to her job and want to punch every f*****g man in the face who gawks at her on her way. Even a few women. She’s definitely a girl that catches your eye when you see her I doubt Noah and I are the only two in the city who are in love with her. I sit in my car and wait until her lunch for her to come back out. My stomach feels sick as I watch her run into Noahs arms when he pulls his car up, he holds her door open. I know I’ll approach her after she gets out, I was going to see her on her lunch break real casual like I just ran into her by accident, she usually meets with her friends so this is a surprise. Until then my love, until then.

SEVYNS POV

“Bye Gina see you tomorrow, love you!” I shout towards her office before I leave for the day. “Bye Sevy good work today, love you too babes get home safe.” I walk out of my job smiling, I felt so good today, it was just one of those days that felt like nothing could go wrong. That was until I slammed into someone on my way out. “I’m so sorr- Sevyn?!” A familiar voice says and my blood turns to ice. “P-P-Paulie.” I stutter and take a step back. “Hey Sevyn um listen, I’m really sorry about the last time I saw you, I was really drunk and I don’t know what got into me.” He says rubbing his hand on the back of his head. I nod and turn around the other way, hurrying to find a taxi. “Sevyn wait!” He calls out to me and I shudder as I notice the sidewalk is unusually empty at this hour on a Tuesday. There were very few people on the streets with us, all wrapped up in their own world. “Hey.” He says grabbing my wrist and I try to pull away from him but he tightens his grip. My heart is beating a million beats per minute. “Sevyn just come with me, let me show you I’m sorry.” I shake my head and can’t make eye contact and he sighs. “Don’t make this hard, I’ve been planning for this for a while.” Planning? Planning what? Is all I can think before I feel a sting in my arm and everything going dark.

I wake up tied to a rail in an apartment I didn’t recognize but knew wasn’t Paulies. Tears sting my eyes when I realize he’s taken me and I have no idea what he’s going to do. I try to break my restraint, or slip my wrist out until it starts hurting and bleeding. Of all the s**t I’ve been through this f*****g tops it. “Oh so you’re awake?” Paulie says coming into the room and I start screaming, he chuckles. “Baby no one can hear you, I planned this, this room is soundproof, plus we’re not even in New York, we’re in Chicago, so even if it weren’t no one would bat an eye.” I blink tears away and wish for Noah. “Why?” I ask Paulie sobbing and he sighs and rolls his eyes like it was f*****g obvious or something. “Because I need you to see, see how much better I am, see that I love you.” He says coming to kneel in front of me. “So you kidnap me?!” I ask and he looks taken aback. “Paulie I will never f*****g love you, I love Noah not you.” He makes a face of disgust and stands up. “Sevyn don’t be a b***h, you’re in no f*****g danger Jesus Christ, WHY CAN’T YOU JUST SEE.” I jump when he punches a hole in the wall yelling the last part. “You’re on punishment until you can learn to be nicer, no food, no water, no light.” He says turning off the light and slamming the door. I lean my head against the wall and sob, I scream and cry and scream out for Noah, until my throat hurts and I can barely talk. I try to bit through my restraints but it doesn’t work and I’m hungry. I have no intention to be nice to him but if I’m going to survive this I’ll at least pretend to be. I cry and cry until I drift off to a hellish sleep.

I assume its the next day when I see light peeking through the cardboard boxes covering the windows. I have to pee and I’m thirsty, hungry and cold. “Paulie!” I shout and he opens the door minutes later. “Are you ready to behave my love?” He ask and I inwardly gag but nod my head. “I have to pee, please?” I look at him with pleading eyes, he unties the rope from the rail but keeps it around my wrist. He leads me to a bathroom with no windows, common for a city but disappointing. I sit down on the toilet but he doesn’t leave. “Go.” He says annoyed and I have to pee so bad I do, I look down and tears stream down my face. “Are you hungry?” He asks after I wash my hands. “And thirsty.” I squeak out and he leads me to a table, and ties me to it as he cooks. “Pasta and water.” He feeds me and helps me drink as he refuses to untie me. I think about Noah what he must be thinking, God he must be so worried, my parents, my friends, they all must be so worried. I start crying and can’t finish my meal. Paulie leads me back to my room and ties me back to my rail. Before he leaves he turns towards me. “They’re looking for you.” He says then closes the door. All I can do is cry, how long have I been gone, if he managed to get me all the way to Chicago? Does he know people here? He must have actually been planning this. If he drove its about a 12 - 13 hr trip, I was asleep the whole time, plus he managed to get me in here and set up, that wouldn’t take long, I’m figuring I was asleep for about 24 hours so it must have only been about a day or two.

Two days later and my arms are really starting to f*****g burn and hurt from the position of being strung up on the rail, and I’ve cried myself dry. Paulie comes in for water breaks and brings me to the table for mealtimes and to the bathroom, I’ve learned to be nice so he doesn’t punish me. Noah, my parents and friends never leave my mind and when I was sitting at the table last night, I saw a picture of my face come across the news but Paulie quickly turned it off. I need to start really thinking, how do I get out of this, how do I get back home, back to Noah. I’ve been missing the feeling of his arms wrapped around me, his lips on mine. I’ve been praying non stop. I need to get out of here. It’s all I can think about when Paulie’s phone started ringing.

NOAHS POV

4 days earlier *****

It’s 6 and still no word from Sevyn, I’ve called her multiple times, I called Gina and she said she left an hour ago. I called her parents, Nadia, Gavin, Cali, Ember. I sigh and stand up. We’re all sitting in her parents kitchen, worried sick. The girls are all sobbing even Ember. Sevyn baby, where are you? Come home. By 6:30 still no word and Richards on the phone with the cops. “What the f**k do you mean, 24 hours? I’m telling you this isn’t like my daughter, I know my daughter she’s not a runner, she always has her phone charged and she wouldn’t go anywhere without letting someone know. Now I will personally give a big donation to your department if you guys just get your asses moving.” He all but growls into the phone, I’ve never seen him use his influence for anything before. He must have that same sickly feeling in his gut that I do. Stephen places a hand on his back and I lay my head in my arms on table and silently cry to myself. “Noah.” Nancy says sympathetically wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, we’re going to find her.” I nod into my arms. “I’m never letting her out of my sight again.” I sob this is all my fault, I just saw her 6 hours ago.

Present day*****

We’re all standing in the police department as the lead detective plays the footage from outside of Gina and Sevyns building. “And you see her bump into this man, they share some words, and she walks quickly in the other direction and he runs after her, the cap on makes it harder to identify him.” I grit my teeth and I feel the rage build inside of me. “God damn bastard.” I growl and everyone looks at me. “That fucknuts Paulie St. Claire, the man I told you guys about.” Charlie and Jared confirm with me by his build its him. He sits back in his chair and writes information down. “We went to his apartment when you first mentioned him and he wasn’t there, we’ll check again and see if we can get Mr. St. Claire to come down, we’ll go with a warrant.” We nod and I head back to Sevyns house with her parent’s, Nadia and Jared join us.

A few hours later we get word from the detective that no one in Paulies building has seen him for four days, hm convenient. The detective asks if Jared would try calling him to see if he’s dumb enough to pick up and give up his location. They asked if we’d wait till they got here and we agreed. My stomach was sick and I could barely eat. To all of our surprise and luck that dumb f**k actually f*****g picked up. “Jared?” He asked and Jared grit his teeth. “Hey bud um has Sevyn reached out to you, no ones heard from her in a couple days.” He looks at me and mouths this motherfucker, I nod back eyes narrowed. “N-n-no I um I ran into her a few days ago leaving work and I apologized for that tim- ouch fuck.” He gets interrupted and then we heard screaming my heart shattered when I realized it was Seyvn. “JARED HELP ME WE’RE IN CHICAGO HELP.” We heard a slap and then the line went dead. I let the tears fall down my face and the detective sighed. “Well all we have to do now is find out where in Chicago.” He started making calls. I’m going to get her back soon, then I’m going to make sure that fucker rots.