AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Thirteen
The trip had been a huge mistake.
Elisa gulped in breaths and fought back angry tears during the ride home. Josh’s accusations echoed in her head and her hands shook. So little of the trip registered. Twice someone sat next to her then got up and moved. Scenery swept by the window in a blur. The thumping of the train banged in her head until every part of her ached and it hurt to open her eyes.
What felt like hours later, she got to the house. She stumbled and fought her body until she was back inside. Her raincoat slipped off her shoulders and down her arms. Her hair, which she’d tied back in a ponytail, fell in chunks around her face.
She sunk down, right there in the foyer. Her purse slid to the floor and her back pressed against the front door.
What am I going to tell Harris?
The question repeated in her brain. Part of her hated that he was always her first concern. She’d gone to college,worked as an accountant then a finance director at the hospital. Had responsibilities. Fought hard to make sure she could always support herself. Now, her life was about him . . . and Nathan. Their needs. Helping them succeed. How much she loved them.
The phone in her pocket kept buzzing. It matched the high-pitched ringing in her ears that refused to shut off. She let her head fall back against the door they’d spent months choosing because it had to be perfect. Because if everything looked perfect then no one would notice her falling apart.
The doorbell binged and she let out a scream. When the knocking started, a second scream rumbled up her throat and caught there.
What did Josh do? Who did he tell?
“Mrs. Wright?” The muffled question penetrated the door.
Elisa. Her name was Elisa.
She covered her ears with her hands and began to rock back and forth. Something was happening to her, like a slow dissolving. The control she’d fought so hard to maintain slipped away. She could feel it, lunge for it, but not grab it.
“Mrs. Wright?” Sounds of shuffling followed the second callout. “I know you’re there. We need to talk with you.”
We...
The noise crescendoed in her head. A cacophony of screeches and words shook her. She tried to block the sound. Counted backward from ten then tried a second time.
Then silence. The riot of banging and ringing ended. All the words bombarding her brain stopped. Still, she sat there. Quiet and waiting. It could have been hours or minutes.
She’d never experienced a panic attack like that and didn’t want a repeat, so she fought on. She struggled to normalize her breathing. In for three... out for three.
“Okay.” She said the word out loud as a test to see if her voice still bobbled.
Her thoughts tumbled and churned. None of them made sense except for one—Nathan. What time was it? At some point she had to get in a car and pick him up.
“Right.” She felt around for her cell phone but kept her eyes closed. “I can do this.”
Her internal clock said it wasn’t that much past noon, but what if it was? She couldn’t be late. She had to be the responsible, happy mom in the carpool line.
With her fingers wrapped around the cell, she took one last deep breath and opened her eyes, ready to check the time and get moving again.
Rachel stood right in front of her.
Chapter Fourteen
Elisa’s scream bounced off the walls. She slammed her back against the door and tried to get leverage, but the bottom of her heels slipped on the hardwood floor.
“What are you doing here?” Elisa wasn’t sure if she asked the question more than once or if it just kept repeating in her head.
“Okay.” Rachel held up both hands as she squatted down, pushed in closer. “It’s okay.”
Her voice, so low and soothing, only intensified Elisa’s panic. Pale with drawn features, Rachel looked two seconds away from calling an ambulance.
“No.” Elisa didn’t even know what she was saying no to, but it sounded right.
