AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Santi and Lorenzo.
My body stiffens. They may have taken me out of there, but I have no idea why. Are they prepared to do worse things to me? Why should I lay here, trusting him, after everything he’s lied about?
Char.
Why was she with them?
Lorenzo returns with a glass of water, quietly shutting the door. He places the glass atop the nightstand and walks over to the closet, throwing a shirt on. I stare at him for the first time since… St. Patrick’s Day.
My body doesn’t feel heavy anymore, like it did when I was strapped to that chair. But I’m definitely weak and tired. The dryness in my throat hasn’t gone away. I take the glass of water and the moment it touches my lips, I down it like I haven’t had water in days. Maybe ithasbeen days.
I have no idea where I am, but the urge to go home is suddenly so overwhelming that I shove the blanket down as Lorenzo climbs into the bed from the other side. Misreading my action as an invitation, he slides his legs under the covers.
The expression on his face stops me from leaving. He looks… more peaceful than I’ve ever seen him.
I’m so accustomed to seeing him in black that the white backdrop of the sheets and pillow make me feel like I’m drinking in a different person. His hair is more disheveled than usual. His features are relaxed. It’s never occurred to me until now just how much pressure he seemed to be under.
What pressures, exactly? What secrets is he carrying? How did he know where to find me?
Our gazes lock and my body stills when his lips tug into a faint smile. All the lies, all this time apart, and he still holds the same power over me. Every fiber of my being wants to be enveloped in his arms again. To feel his heartbeat sync with mine.
“How are you feeling?” he asks throatily. His voice, his gaze, everything about him is softer than I ever remember seeing. It does stupid things to my heart.
“I’m…” My voice is croaky, the dryness worse than I thought. Lorenzo glances at the empty cup and hops out of bed, grabbing it. He exits the room, leaving me dumbfounded. Partially because I’m not used to this attentiveness, but mostly because the feeling to escape has evaporated into nothingness.
When he returns and hands me the glass, I down it just as quickly as before while Lorenzo crawls back into bed.
“I was so afraid I’d lost you for good,” he whispers. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” The agony in his voice feels imagined. I’m so lost, and I’m not sure I’m prepared to go down this road, so I pivot.
“Where”—I pause to clear my throat—“Where are we?”
“This is a place Santi and I rented in Willowbrook.”
“But…”
“Yeah, that house was our primary location. In fact, I’ve only ever been here once before. But Santi and I always wanted a place we could escape to, if the time came.”
Escape to?
He responds to the quizzical look on my face. “There is… so much I need to explain to you.”
The foreign peace that was there moments ago is gone, replaced by pain and exhaustion. I simply nod, the inexplicable pull to him keeping me rooted to the spot, desperate to hear what he has to say. Although the knowledge that Char is here, and she didn’t seem scared, provides a sense of security.
He lets out a mangled sigh. “I…”
What’s he about to say? Will this change everything? Is it just another lie? How will I ever know?
I decide to start small. “What day is it?”
“It’s still Monday.”
My face falls. How can all of this have happened in a matter of hours? “Oh.”
“Hey, hey,” he says so soothingly, it has me second guessing he said it all. “Take it easy. You’ve been through a lot.”
“I’m fine, I’m… I’m so confused. You—you rescued me?” He nods. “How did you know where I was?”
He laughs humorlessly. “My father.”
