Page 48 of His Pet

“I don’t see how that’s possible.”

My eyes shoot open, and I turn to Lorenzo. The seriousness in his eyes lets me know this isn’t some kind of joke. Or taunt. It’s a statement. A factual statement.

My stomach folds and bile rises up my throat. I swallow and breathe slowly through my nose.

“So you’re going to kill me then?” My voice cracks, and I pray he doesn’t answer. Or lies. Lying would be better.

Adrenaline pours into my veins, and my mind urges my muscles to move. Run. Danger. Hit Lorenzo over the head with a rock and run as fast as I can back to the cabin and find the car keys. I can’t believe how stupid I’ve been. I haven’t attempted to escape ever since the night he… I can’t even think about it.

“I don’t know,” he whispers, his gaze flicking over my face. He lands on my eyes. “I don’t want to.”

I don’t know what to say to that, so I just stare. He could do it right now. Dunk my head and drown me. And I came in herewillingly. I shove toward the bank, my instincts taking over, but Lorenzo grabs my arm and hauls me back to him.

He holds me against his bare chest, my back flat against him. Even though I can’t see him, I still shut my eyes. Shaky breaths rush past my lips.

“Amelia,” he says into my ear. “Please don’t do that. Not right now.”

“You’re fucking crazy!”

“I know.” His voice is barely above a whisper, and the river nearly drowns it out. He squeezes me and presses his lips to my ear. It should feel wrong, and I wish my body would recoil. I wish it would disgust me and make me want to fight. But it doesn’t.

“I wish I could take it all back… but I can’t. And I don’t know what to do about it.”

“I won’t go to the police. I won’t say anything to anyone, I swear to God.”

“Of course you would.” He kisses my ear again and spins me around. He grips my shoulders and eases his hold when he’s convinced I won’t try to get away. “You couldn’t keep something like this a secret your whole life. No one could.”

“Then I’ll leave Las Vegas.” My mind races, and my heart beats against its cage. “I-I’ve been wanting to anyway. Next year I planned to move to Poland. It’s beautiful there. I’ll move early.Now. I won’t even go back to my apartment or say goodbye to anyone. There won’t be anybody to tell.”

“You’relying, Amelia. You were not planning on up and leaving the foundation you care so deeply for. You’re too proud for that.” I open my mouth to speak, and he shakes his head. “But… you’re onto something. If you left, you would need to go someplace far. Poland would be a good choice.”

“Then that’s where I’ll go.” My shoulders deflate, and I remember the current when it threatens to drag me off. Lorenzo pulls me into him to steady me. “Please,” I say. “If you don’t want to hurt me, then don’t. Let me move away. Let me start anewlife. You can forget I ever existed, I swear I won’t come back.”

Despair threatens to take hold of my emotions, but desperation wins out. I’d hate to leave my friends without saying goodbye, and the thought of never seeing my father again sinks my heart.

But I don’t want to die.

“You don’t want to hurt me,” I say, knowing it’s the truth.

Lorenzo pulls his gaze from me to stare down the river. The beavers are no longer in sight.

When he turns to me, he doesn’t meet my eyes. He dips his head and crashes his lips to mine. I’m stunned, and before I can act, Lorenzo pulls away.

I search his face and see so many things before they vanish and his face becomes a hard mask. I want to touch it, rip the mask off and see everything inside of him, but when my hand lifts, he grabs it and eases it into the water.

He nods toward the bank. “I need to take you back.” His flat tone sends a shooting pain into my chest, and all I can do is nod.

We walk in silence back to the cabin, neither of us having anything left to say.

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