AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He dropped his hand, but the power of his touch still lingered.
“I believe you promised me an answer.” His gaze was intense despite the playfulness in his tone. He shielded how important it was, but I felt it in his words.
“I did. But I didn’t say when.”
“Fair enough. Don’t make me wait too long.” He winked, and I relaxed.
Indecision warred inside me. Choice. He’d given me a choice, and that was something I hadn’t had in a long time. I knew what I wanted to do, though I wasn’t sure if it was therightthing.
There was Ella. Time was so precious. Would it make me a terrible mother if I gave some of that to someone who was practically a stranger?
And even though I was no longer technically in the clutches of evil, was I really free? My life was still such a mess. It wasn’t exactly fair to bring another person into that.
Even if I came to terms with those things, was I ready? I’d trusted before and the worst had happened. I wasn’t sure I could handle all the emotions dating could bring.
This is your choice.
I could live my life trapped in hell and let Huxley continue to take everything from me. Or I could find out exactly what I was ready for.
On a deep inhale, I squared my shoulders. “I’d love to meet you at your riverside park. Come by the truck and give me directions.”
Andrew’s face lit, his smile twisting me into a knot. “See you tomorrow.”
Chapter Thirteen
Trish
“He wasoutside Paths a couple of days ago.”
Baker had been apprehensive on the walk home. Now I understood why.
I settled Ella in her crib, brushing her cheeks with my thumb. Her eyes drooped closed, and her breathing evened out.
I spun, Baker’s worried eyes right in front of me. “Did you hear me?”
“I did.”
“You don’t care that he was here?” She threw her hands up, her voice rising.
I glanced at Ella, a warning to keep it down. “I’m not jumping to conclusions.”
“He pretended to be on the phone, but he was scoping the place out,” she insisted. “And it was right after you’d come home.”
“What do you mean?”
“I ran into you in the foyer on my way out. You’d just parked the truck after work.” She tapped her index finger on the side of Ella’s crib at a rapid clip. Her eyes rounded and she grabbed my shoulders. “He followed you.”
I recoiled, shaking my head. “No. He wouldn’t—” I stopped myself from defending him. The thing of it was, I didn’tknowif he would or wouldn’t.
“Why would he follow you?” Baker whispered. She knew my history, every vile detail. Her fear on my behalf made me appreciate her friendship.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. There were so many possibilities that I could drive myself insane trying to work through them.
“You’re too calm.”
I peeled her fingers from my shoulders, linking them with mine. “I can’t jump to conclusions. I’ll go crazy with distrust for the whole world.”
“You should distrust the world.” Baker covered her mouth with her hands. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I know how hard you’ve worked with your therapist to find trust again.”
