Chapter 2

2

The blade was cutting into my skin.

A trickle of blood ran down my neck.

I laughed bitterly.

"Do you really have to see Amy?"

"How much money do you want? I can give you everything I have. I can give you my bank account info, everything."

I remembered when the doctor handed me the diagnosis report.

"Mr. Myers, the cancer has spread to your bones. Treatment won't do much good. Just do what you want with the time you have left."

That's why I begged Amy for a wedding.

But Jake had to ruin that.

I couldn't take it with me, so I might as well give it to the kidnappers.

The kidnappers looked surprised, but didn't believe me.

"Kid, you're calm, but you're smart. Don't try to play us!"

"Amy wouldn't pick a dumbass. Don't think we'll let her go if you stall!"

"She called the cops on our boss. We want payback. She needs to come here and give us an explanation."

I sighed and took the phone.

I hesitated for a moment, then dialed another number.

The kidnappers' faces changed.

"Don't call anyone for help. Only call Amy!"

"It is Amy's number."

My smile was bitter.

"And this time, she'll answer."

This was the number Amy used to contact Jake.

I found it when she was in the shower.

She had another phone in the glove compartment, with only one number saved, under Jake's name.

I thought it was work at first.

But then Jake came over and taunted me.

"Chad, you really don't know anything, do you?"

"Amy doesn't want to marry you. She's just considering you because you've been with her for eight years. Now that she's successful, she'll be called out if she breaks up with you."

"But she's always loved me. She even got a number just for me. You don't get that, do you?"

I looked at their texts and calls.

It was like eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Even the week Amy was supposed to be out of town and busy with work, she and I didn't text for four days.

But she and Jake were on the phone for two hours a night.

My heart ached.

I gripped the phone.

It felt like a rock was crushing my chest.

The number rang twice.

Then she picked up.

Amy's happy voice came through the phone.

"Jake, already miss me, huh?"

"You glutton, I ordered a three-tier cake for you. I'll be downstairs in ten minutes to take you to your birthday party. I promise you'll be surprised..."

Amy thought she was talking to Jake.

"Amy, it's Chad."

I interrupted her.

There was silence on the other end.

I pleaded.

"I've been kidnapped. I'm in the abandoned warehouse outside of town. They want to see you. Can you..."

"Chad, can you stop it?"

The angry voice came through the phone.

"I told you, the wedding is off. I ignored you for a couple of days. Do you really have to lie about this kidnapping? It's childish. Are you dumb?"

Tears fell.

I felt so weak.

I asked.

"Amy, I'm dying. This may be the last time we talk..."

"Just see me once, just once..."

Amy cut me off and laughed.

"Chad, you're obsessed with playing the part, aren't you? You can act so well, why don't you go into the movie industry?"

"Jake almost killed himself after what you did to him. It's his birthday. I promised I'd be with him. Can you at least wait?"

I looked at my cancer diagnosis on the ground.

"I don't have much time left, Amy, please. I'm dying."

Sweat covered my hands.

I looked up at the kidnappers.

They wrote 10:00 on my hand.

"Can you come to the abandoned warehouse at 10:00 tonight?"

She laughed again.

"You have to know your limits. I'm busy. I don't have time for games."

She was about to hang up.

I bit my lip and said what I thought I would never say.

"Just do it for..."

"The sake of me giving you a kidney."

Amy went silent.

I felt like my heart was being crushed.

I had never mentioned the kidney thing.

I had never asked her for anything because of it.

But I knew if I didn't use it now, I never would.