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“They’ve been to the apartment… my p-parents…” Her voice breaks, and she reaches a hand up to her mouth, stifling a sob. I move toward her, but she holds out her hand, taking a step away from me. “Don’t,” she whispers. “I can’t.”
Knowing she doesn’t want me to comfort her hurts more than I’d like to admit. As hard as it is not to pull her to me, I respect her wishes and stay where I am.
“Do they think anything was taken?”
She shakes her head. “They’ve no idea. It’s such a mess they can’t tell. Every drawer’s been emptied and thrown around the apartment. All my clothes… my underwear…” she trails off and sits down heavily on the bed. “How can I ever be there again knowinghe’sbeen there? Knowing that man has touched all my stuff? I feel like this nightmare is never going to end.”
“Hallie, it’s going to be okay, I promise.” My words feel empty, and I wish I could say or do something to make this better for her. “He’s getting careless, though. He was seen on CCTV numerous times yesterday, and now he’s broken into your apartment. It’s only a matter of time.” I sit next to her, leaving a small gap between us.
She’s silent for a few minutes before turning to me. “Thank you,” she says quietly.
“What for?”
She shrugs. “Listening to me. Making me feel like I’m not going mad.”
She’s incredible. I can’t believe after everything, she’s thanking me.
“Look, what happened before—”
“It’s fine, Sawyer. It’s for the best anyway,” she says, cutting me off.
“What’s for the best?”
“That we don’t get involved. It’s too complicated.” She sighs. “My head’s all over the place. It wouldn’t be good for either of us.” Her words hit me hard like someone punched me in the stomach. “I need to concentrate on getting through this. Anything else is too much to deal with.”
I say nothing, not trusting myself to speak. If I do, I might beg her to change her mind, and from what she’s said, her mind is made up.
We’re silent for a few minutes, neither of us knowing what to say. When the silence becomes too much, I stand, bringing the tray containing the pizza to the bed.
“I cooked another pizza. I think this one is a little more edible.”
She turns to me and laughs before scooping up a piece. “Yeah, it looks a little better than my attempt.” We both eat a couple of slices, the silence more comfortable now. When we’re done, I gather everything back onto the tray.
“Movie in the den?” I ask as I stand up with the tray in my hand.
“Do you mind if I have a nap? I really do have a headache, and I think I’ll feel better if I sleep it off.”
“Of course not,” I tell her, concerned she’s not feeling well. “I’ll see if I can find you some Tylenol. I’m sure Brooke will have some in her bathroom.”
I put the tray down and jog across the hallway to Brooke’s bedroom, where I find a box of Tylenol in the vanity unit and take it back to Hallie. I pass them to her, and she swallows two down with a swig of soda.
“I’ll let you get some rest.” I pause, not wanting to leave her alone but knowing I have no choice. “I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”
“Go and watch a movie. You don’t have to sit in your room because I want a nap.”
“I’ll be in my room, Hallie.”
She sighs, lying down on the bed. Taking that as my cue to leave, I pick up the tray and head into the hallway, shutting her door gently behind me.
Closing my eyes, I drop my head back on the door. That didn’t go at all how I’d planned. She’s right, though. She is going through hell and doesn’t need me and my fucked-up feelings adding to her turmoil. Maybe if I hadn’t pushed her away at the motel, things would be different. I did push her away though, and now I have to live with Hallie’s decision.
I take the tray to the kitchen, leaving it on the countertop. I’ll clean up later when Hallie wakes. I want to be near her, just in case. With everything that’s happened this week, I need to be ready for anything. As secure as the cabin is, the closer I am to her, the happier I’ll be. After closing the window Hallie opened when the pizza burned, I quickly check the rest of the windows and doors are locked before heading back upstairs. Pausing outside Hallie’s room, I press my ear to the door. It’s quiet, and I force myself to walk away and into my bedroom.
About an hour after Hallie went to lie down, I fell asleep too.
Despite sleeping okay at Hallie’s apartment, I’m a light sleeper and easily woken. I hear a scream, and my eyes fly open. I jump off the bed, and my hand reaches for the gun holstered at my waist.
“Hallie,” I mutter as I raise my gun and slowly open my bedroom door. My eyes track up and down the hallway as adrenaline pumps through my body. Seeing the hallway is clear, I silently cross the space, stopping outside her door. She screams again, and I push the door open, hearing it smash against the wall. My eyes flick to Hallie, who’s sleeping, albeit agitated, on the bed. Quickly looking around the empty room, I check she’s alone—obviously having a nightmare. Holstering my gun, I climb onto the bed beside her and take her hand. My thumb strokes her skin, and the frown on her face intensifies. Her hand is sweaty, and she thrashes her head from side to side.
