myself up to stand beside him. Daniel rose with me, steadying me with his hand at my elbow.
“Blake, I don’t think Erica feels well. You should take her home.”
Blake frowned and looked between us.
“Of course.”
That quickly, Daniel stepped away, disappearing back into the party.
“Baby, are you all right?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “Take me home.”
CHAPTER SIX
The music was loud, reverberating through the walls of the house. Even from outside the noise was deafening. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think. My limbs moved too slowly, my mind foggy from the alcohol. We’d wandered outside. I didn’t understand why until he shoved me down onto the grass in a dark shadow of the yard. I couldn’t gather the strength to free myself from the weight of his body as he pinned me down. Before I knew it, he was tearing through me like a knife, gritting his teeth as he did it.
I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out, my voice gone. I was shaking, fighting, blind and voiceless when he called my name.
He knew me. He knew my name.
“Erica!”
Blake’s voice invaded the nightmare. My eyes shot open.
“You were dreaming.”
His hands slid down my arms. Every touch hurt.
“No.” I recoiled, struggling to root myself into reality. “Please, no. Don’t touch me, I can’t—”
I pushed myself away, nearly falling off the bed in my urgency to escape beyond his reach. I stumbled into the bathroom, holding myself up by the sink. The person I saw in the mirror was someone I knew, someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. My eyes were tired and dark, my skin flushed from the nightmare. I splashed water on my face, the chill simultaneously cooling me and bringing me back to the present.
Slowly, the events of the night came back to me. Pain crept through me. I’d come full circle. After all my self-assurances that I could handle Mark’s reemergence into my life, I was right back to where I’d started. I’d be looking over my shoulder, waiting for him around every corner. Except now the chances of being found were much higher. A sob escaped me and I crumbled to my knees, the floor cold and hard.
Blake stepped into the room and knelt down a few feet away.
“I did this, Blake. I brought him back. All of this is my fault.”
“Who, baby?”
“Mark.” My voice was a whisper, swallowed by the sobs that followed. I hugged my body with my arms, trying to stave off the pain. God, the pain was so intense, coursing through my veins with every heavy beat of my heart. My stomach writhed at this memory of the physical and emotional torment the man had put me through. I’d forgotten what he could do to me, after all these years. I tried to catch my breath and chanced a look at Blake, afraid of what a mess I was.
He winced, his expression tight with concern and restraint. His hands fell to his knees, fisting anxiously. “Tell me what to do.”
Silence fell as I contemplated the request. I could barely hold myself together as it was.
“Do you want me to leave?”
“No,” I rushed. “Please, don’t leave. I… I don’t want to be alone.”
I suppressed the next wave of tears that threatened at the thought of not having him with me. I wanted to reach out to him, to remind him how much I needed him, but I was firmly cocooned inside myself, unwilling and unable to let anyone close in my current frame of mind. Still, the thought of going through this alone was unbearable.
“Then I’m not going anywhere.” He shifted, leaning back against the bathroom wall, studying me intently.
The sound of his voice washed over me and I relaxed a little. I took a deep breath and wiped away the errant tears.
“Talk to me,” I said.
“About what?”
“Anything. Tell me something…happy. I want to hear your voice.”
His face relaxed, his eyes softening with it.
“Our story is the happiest one I know. I never thought I’d meet someone like you. You’re beautiful, smart. And strong. God, you’re so
“Blake, I don’t think Erica feels well. You should take her home.”
Blake frowned and looked between us.
“Of course.”
That quickly, Daniel stepped away, disappearing back into the party.
“Baby, are you all right?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “Take me home.”
CHAPTER SIX
The music was loud, reverberating through the walls of the house. Even from outside the noise was deafening. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think. My limbs moved too slowly, my mind foggy from the alcohol. We’d wandered outside. I didn’t understand why until he shoved me down onto the grass in a dark shadow of the yard. I couldn’t gather the strength to free myself from the weight of his body as he pinned me down. Before I knew it, he was tearing through me like a knife, gritting his teeth as he did it.
I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out, my voice gone. I was shaking, fighting, blind and voiceless when he called my name.
He knew me. He knew my name.
“Erica!”
Blake’s voice invaded the nightmare. My eyes shot open.
“You were dreaming.”
His hands slid down my arms. Every touch hurt.
“No.” I recoiled, struggling to root myself into reality. “Please, no. Don’t touch me, I can’t—”
I pushed myself away, nearly falling off the bed in my urgency to escape beyond his reach. I stumbled into the bathroom, holding myself up by the sink. The person I saw in the mirror was someone I knew, someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. My eyes were tired and dark, my skin flushed from the nightmare. I splashed water on my face, the chill simultaneously cooling me and bringing me back to the present.
Slowly, the events of the night came back to me. Pain crept through me. I’d come full circle. After all my self-assurances that I could handle Mark’s reemergence into my life, I was right back to where I’d started. I’d be looking over my shoulder, waiting for him around every corner. Except now the chances of being found were much higher. A sob escaped me and I crumbled to my knees, the floor cold and hard.
Blake stepped into the room and knelt down a few feet away.
“I did this, Blake. I brought him back. All of this is my fault.”
“Who, baby?”
“Mark.” My voice was a whisper, swallowed by the sobs that followed. I hugged my body with my arms, trying to stave off the pain. God, the pain was so intense, coursing through my veins with every heavy beat of my heart. My stomach writhed at this memory of the physical and emotional torment the man had put me through. I’d forgotten what he could do to me, after all these years. I tried to catch my breath and chanced a look at Blake, afraid of what a mess I was.
He winced, his expression tight with concern and restraint. His hands fell to his knees, fisting anxiously. “Tell me what to do.”
Silence fell as I contemplated the request. I could barely hold myself together as it was.
“Do you want me to leave?”
“No,” I rushed. “Please, don’t leave. I… I don’t want to be alone.”
I suppressed the next wave of tears that threatened at the thought of not having him with me. I wanted to reach out to him, to remind him how much I needed him, but I was firmly cocooned inside myself, unwilling and unable to let anyone close in my current frame of mind. Still, the thought of going through this alone was unbearable.
“Then I’m not going anywhere.” He shifted, leaning back against the bathroom wall, studying me intently.
The sound of his voice washed over me and I relaxed a little. I took a deep breath and wiped away the errant tears.
“Talk to me,” I said.
“About what?”
“Anything. Tell me something…happy. I want to hear your voice.”
His face relaxed, his eyes softening with it.
“Our story is the happiest one I know. I never thought I’d meet someone like you. You’re beautiful, smart. And strong. God, you’re so
Similar Books
