She sighs. “I didn’t think I’d ever feel safe again.”
My heart splinters in a hundred silent ways.
“But I do. With you,” she adds, and somehow, those words stitch every broken piece inside me, between us, back together.
I press my lips to the top of her head, inhaling the clean scent of her shampoo. “With me, you are always safe.”
She exhales. It’s the sound of a burden lifting.
We drift into sleep, tangled together—limbs intertwined, hearts finally beating in harmony, a steady rhythm.
There are no grand declarations. No lingering fears.
Just the hush of a silent night.
Finally,peace.
26
BACK TO HURT
FAITH
My phone buzzes just as I step out of Ricky’s car. I ignore it. It’s late, I’m tired, and my feet feel like they’ve staged a rebellion.
“Thanks, Ricky,” I murmur, closing the door.
Cain’s in Salem tonight, meeting with a distributor, and somehow managed to rope Ricky into chauffeuring me home after my shift.
The phone buzzes again.
With a sigh, I pull it from my pocket and glance at the screen, standing just outside Ripley’s as Ricky’s taillights disappear down the street.
Cain:I love you. Don’t wait up for me. I’ll be in bed in thirty minutes tops.
I’m staying the night at his place. He insisted.
Since we made love a week ago, we’re…. I can’t even explain it. We’re…everything. It’s more than I could’ve imagined, even months ago, before our lives changed.
There’s another message on my phone. I open it even though it’s from an unknown number.
It’s a photo. It loads slowly.
It’s of Cain and me. We’re kissing right here in front of Ripley’s.
I look down at my dress, it’s a blue sundress, the same as in the photo. This was taken this morning.
I look around. I feel exposed.
I read the message that came with the photo and my heart hammers:Slut suits you, little whore.
My stomach turns sour. My fingers go cold.
There’s only one person who calls melittle whore.
Jamie.
I breathe through my nose, trying to keep the panic down.
