The CEO's Little Miss

The lights reflect vividly off of the drowned cobblestone street. In fear, I run through it, shimmering water dampening the edges of my skirt. The darkening white edges slap my legs frantically.

Tears streak down my face to combine with the moisture of sea salt sweat. I feel sick, cold, and queasy. It became hard to tell if I'd vomit or die first. All I can do is run and run.

I'd hardened my heart around everything but him. Homesickness was an afterthought, so was my father. Neither achieved a single tear to draw. All feelings of terror and ache had left from them. But I could never run far enough from the man who I barely knew.

The faint chime of a ringtone sounds from my pocket. I check my phone in partial disappointment to see that it was grand-mere. In seconds I was under a streetlight, and answered.

"Jennifer, where are you?" The older woman suddenly demands.

"France. Why?" I furrow my brows.

"A man named Lee wants to talk to you." In shock I nearly throw my phone.

"WHAT!? Are you okay? What does he want?" I blurt out, on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Hello." The one word makes my stomach drop. Why can't I escape him? I need time to think, time to build myself a backbone. The rest of my life can't depend on a single person.

"Jen?" At the sound of his voice I nearly hang up. Please don't do this...

"Yes?"

"Thank God! I was worried shitless about you! Please, please talk to me." His voice become more desperate by the second.

"I'm... alright." What else can I say?

I cross my legs, lost in thought. It was, I suppose, the first of many mistakes. I should've said more, tried harder to talk. But that is swallowed in bitter regret, starting from the moment a hand strikes my neck.

I gasp in pain and collapse, lost to this world.