Page 34 of Chasing Amanda

It hadn’t been a sound sleep. But whenever she woke, Mark was there, whispering in her ear and promising her she was safe.

Because of him, she felt safe and always went right back to sleep.

Mark had still been awake at four, watching the same ESPN broadcast that had been on earlier. One glance at his face told her he wasn’t paying any attention to the TV. His mind was elsewhere.

Apparently, he’d finally succumbed to sleep.

Now, it was almost nine o’clock. She tiptoed into the bathroom, then dressed carefully in a roomy sweater that didn’t hurt too much when she slipped it over her head. With her cell phone in her back pocket, some cash in her front, and her keys, she steeled her courage and left the apartment silently.

She’d never been afraid to leave her house before, and she wasn’t going to start now.

Outside, she squinted in the sun’s reflection off the windows across the street. Hugging herself, she turned toward Weybosset. It was Sunday, and the city was quiet. A few cars drove by, trailing white exhaust in the frosty morning air. A jogger approached her, steam rising off his bare shoulders. She stiffened, fearful, but forced herself to continue past him. He barely acknowledged her.

She made it the half-block to the little store on the corner. Inside, she paused to breathe. You’re okay. Knock it off. You’re okay.

She had eggs and bread at home, so she purchased bacon, an onion, a can of mushrooms, and a couple of potatoes. With those in hand, she headed for the Dunkin’ Donuts a couple of blocks down and bought two large coffees before heading back to her apartment.

She felt strong and brave.

But when she peeked into her living room, Mark was gone.

She stared at the empty space.

Had he been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his getaway?

Had he spent the entire night counting the hours until he could leave her?

After last night, she’d thought maybe he’d make time for breakfast, if nothing else. After all they’d been through, he could’ve at least said goodbye.

Calling herself all kinds of idiot, she set her purchases on the counter, wincing at the stabbing pain in her back. She filled a glass with tap water and swallowed four more ibuprofens.

At the squeaky sound of the shower faucet and water pouring into the tub, she nearly giggled.

Of course he hadn’t left.

She sliced the potatoes into small chunks while vegetable oil heated on the stovetop. She’d almost finished when her phone rang.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” her mother said. “Dad and I thought we’d try to catch you before church. How was your week?”

She collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table and told her parents everything.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

After Mark heard Amanda return from wherever she’d gone, he stepped into the shower, letting the hot water massage the tight muscles in his neck and back. Nothing like sleeping in a chair to teach you to appreciate a soft mattress.

He figured he’d be sleeping in a lot worse places than a chair soon enough.

When Amanda had left earlier, he’d barely kept himself from following her. It was healthy for her to go out alone, and it definitely would not be healthy for him to stalk her like that little rat from the night before.

The detective had assured them that the stalker would be in jail at least until his arraignment on Monday.

He’d better stay in jail a lot longer than that.

Mark’s cell phone rang. Whoever it was could wait five minutes until he’d finished getting cleaned up.

He used a squirt of liquid soap that filled the tiny shower with the scent of flowers, bringing Amanda to mind.

Not that he minded that, but he wasn’t thrilled about smelling like a girl for the rest of the day.