The sock drawer.How clichéd would that be? But just in case, I open it up.
There's something there, all right. Two somethings. My cell phone, minus the SIM card, and his. He must have forgotten to take it with him. My phone is useless because I don’t have anything small and narrow enough to pop out his SIM card, so I press the power button on his instead.
Ugh!Of courseit's locked.Everythingin this stupid house is locked except for the bathroom door.
But emergency calls can still be made on cell phones without needing a passcode. The number pad on the screen stares at me, daring me. Am I really going to turn him in like this? Ishouldcall the police. It would serve him right. He abductedme!
With shaky fingers, I dial it out.
9...
I can love your body and make you want it, but I need your mind. That's what I want most of all.
I jerk around. I could have sworn he was behind me saying this.
1...
And you'll give it to me, too. As long as it takes, that's how long I'll wait.
He's not here. It's all in my mind.
1...
But don't ask me not to worship you. To love you.
My lips tremble. "Shut. Up. Amos."
There. Now to just press the call button.
Press it.
Press the button, Mercy!
Amos's voice whispers in my ear.Don't you want a family, Mercy?
My lungs stutter on an inhale. I can't bring myself to do the one thing that would change both of our lives forever. I can't do that to him, Stockholm syndrome or not. But I can't stay here, either.
I need the keys to the door.
Keys...keys...
In a fit of anger, I throw the covers off the bed and turn everything inside out. "Umph," I cry as I yank all the drawers out and dump the contents onto the floor. "Where are the stupidkeys?"
Screeching doesn’t help, but it makes me feel better.
When I'm done, the room is a total disaster. It's been thirty minutes, and still nothing. He could be back any minute now. I collapse onto the floor, belatedly noticing my stuffed rabbit underneath a pile of shirts. I ignore it and draw my knees to my chest, resting my head atop them as my tears dry. With every beat of my heart, my ears ring with the river of blood rushing through them.
Calm down, Mercy. This is doing you no good.
Closing my eyes, I will my blood pressure to lower. I'm still hungry. And, surprisingly enough, feeling abandoned. Lonely. Why do I miss him?
The front door slams.
My heart jumps.He's back.
I hear his boots sound against the tile floor of the hallway.
Is he still mad? He hasn't said my name yet.
