But there’s nothing I can do to the monsters in her head.
Eventually, Danica’s breathing evens out, matching ours. Her body relaxes. We remain in silence for a couple of minutes.
She tries to pull away, but Edmund doesn’t want to let her go. He says, “Wait with me a minute.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She sucks in another breath. “Just embarrassed. Seriously, let me go.”
He relinquishes his hold. I pull out Shoshanna’s desk chair, and Dani takes a seat. She touches her neck, frowning. “I probably owe you some kind of explanation.”
“You don’t owe us anything,” Edmund says at the same time I say, “You don’t owe us shit.”
She smiles. “Well, you’ll think I’m nuts if I don’t tell you.”
I shake my head, and so does Edmund.
Clearing his throat, Edmund says, “Even if you were nuts, it isn’t a problem. But I think you just panicked, and if you want to talk about it, great. We’ll listen. If not, we can wait until you’re ready.”
“I’ll talk about it now, because it’s not that big of a deal.” She gives a small, self-deprecating chuckle. “I had a nightmare the other night. It’s fucking Elias’s fault.”
“Elias?” Edmund frowns. “Do you want us to kill him?”
She looks at Edmund with shock.
“It was a joke.” Edmund chuckles.
“I don’t think gangsters can joke about killing people.” She purses her lips. “But anyway, no, he just showed me news footage about a body found near Danish Lake a couple of days ago. My stupid brain must have taken that and gone to town with it. I had the nightmare, and then it all came back tonight when you touched my neck.”
“No neck touching,” I say. “Ever.”
“I got it, fuck.” Edmund shoots me a glare.
“Let’s not worry about it,” she says. “It’s just the one time.”
But it wasn’t just the one time. She panicked by our pool a few weeks ago—and that was before Elias showed her any news footage. I wonder what else could be going on with her.
I wonder how we can protect her from it.
Danica
“How are you feeling?” Troy asks when I hop into his truck two days after Salt. The leather seat is warm, heated by the sun. It feels good against my thighs.
“Eh. A little better.”
“No nightmares?” He pulls away from the curb and takes us toward Dorado Heights. I have an appointment at a bridal shop. Nothing better than skipping work on a Monday to try on wedding gowns for an arranged marriage.
“No nightmares.” Other than the arranged marriage. But I can’t seem to wake up from this particular nightmare.
I went home early on Saturday night. I was too embarrassed after my panic attack to hook up with the guys. We revisited the main floor of Salt and watched the dancers and other kinky people do their thing. But I really wasn’t feeling it.
What I did feel was Edmund’s absolute acceptance of whatever I needed. I never expected to feel that much support from him, that much care. Maybe I’ve been underestimating him.
Maybe this stupid engagement could work.
Dangerous thoughts.
We pull up to the bridal shop and go inside. White gowns. So many white gowns. Puffy, sequined, embroidered, layered, shiny. It’s dazzling.
A blond woman in a sleek pantsuit approaches us. “Hi, I’m Cherry! Do you have an appointment with us today?”
