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“The short version is that an ex I sent to prison was recently granted parole and is looking for me. I’m pretty sure he wants to kill me, and I needed a place to hide while I figured things out. I really didn’t think anyone would come searching for me here.”
Her eyes go wide and I hold back a grin. It takes a lot to surprise Haven Bishop, and I feel a tiny sense of accomplishment.
“To be fair, I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t seen you on the security footage.” She briskly dusts off her hands, already shifting into fix-it mode. “Okay, so what can we do? Call the cops?”
I shake my head. “And tell them what? My ex is legally out of prison? I don’t have any evidence that he intends to harm me. Just one creepy, anonymous text that isn’t grounds for anything. It’s the kind of thing where I know it’s a threat, but I can’t prove it.”
“Hmmm, okay.” She purses her lips. “You have a point. At best, that’s more of, like, a stalking thing, which is tough to prove until the victim is already dead. Maybe there’s something Griffin can do…” She already has her phone out, ready to call Griffin Bishop, mayor of Haven’s Hollow and her cousin.
I reach out and cover the phone. “Haven, no. I don’t want to do anything but hide out here for a few days while I think. All I need from you is a promise that you won’t tell anyone where I am.” I can’t tell her about my plans to leave, if I even decide to go through with them. She’d definitely try to stop me, and probably call in the entire Bishop clan to make it happen.
Actually, that’s not the worst idea. But I won’t involve her or her family.
She frowns, like I’ve insulted her. “Of course I won’t tell anyone. Don’t be ridiculous. But there must be something you need. Do you have enough food?” She reaches into the bag she brought and plucks out a donut hole.
I actually can’t remember the last time I ate anything—was it the dry cereal?—but I threw some snacks in my bag when I packed. At the very least, I have chips and peanut butter sandwiches. “Yeah, I’m fine. Really, you don’t need to worry about me.”
She rolls her blue eyes. “Now you’re just being dumb. Of course I’m worried! Your psycho ex is out to get you. And he’s even worse than Annie’s.” She mutters the last part under her breath.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing. You remember my friend Annie, right? She owns the big manor on the bluff? Well, I thought she had the worst ex in the world, but I have to say, yours takes the cake. Chad is a twunt, but he’s not likely to kill anyone. What did your ex go to prison for?”
“A twunt?”
She waves a dismissive hand. “Twat cunt. Tell me about yours.”
I gnaw my lip. I loathe talking about this stuff. “In the end, it was drugs, mostly. They couldn’t pin assault or human trafficking on him, even though I was a direct victim of physical and emotional abuse, and I don’t think I was the first. In the end, I didn’t want to testify, so I sent the cops my phone, which had a lot of evidence on it, and disappeared. Changed my name, my life, everything. Came here and made a fresh start.”
“What?” I’ve surprised her again.
“It’s true,” I say. “The cops were able to use the photos and videos on the phone as evidence of a pretty big drug operation. I figured he’d be in prison way longer, but he’s a white guy who behaved well, so naturally he got paroled.”
Haven wrinkles her nose. “Sometimes the justice system just sucks.”
“You’re not wrong. Although—"
Her phone cuts me off with a loudding!and we both jump in surprise. She glances at it and sighs. “Dammit. I have to go. But are you sure you’re going to be okay? Should I come back and check on you? Bring you some supplies? Maybe even wine? I bet I could get my hands on a Salmanazar.”
“I don’t even know what that is.”
“It holds nine liters, which is the equivalent of about twelve normal bottles.”
“Good God. Who would need that?”
“At the moment, it sounds like you do.”
I shake my head. “I’m fine. Just act normal and pretend you don’t know where I am, okay?”
She nods. “All right. I’ll give it a few days. But if I don’t hear from you soon, I’m coming back and we’re going to fix this. Together. I don’t let my friends suffer alone, Libra.” She gives my hand a squeeze and I nod.
As soon as she’s gone, I slump deeper into the chair. I feel hazy, dazed, just like I did when Evan forced me to try his various drugs, leaving me too numb to stop him from making me do whatever he wanted. My skin is dull and waxy, my head hurts, and I feel awful. It takes all my energy to drag myself to the kitchen for a glass of water, and once I start drinking, I can’t stop. It’s like I’m dying of thirst.
After downing four full glasses, I stagger to the bathroom; my bladder feels ready to explode. When I finish and wash my hands, I assess myself in the mirror. My hair is greasy and limp, and I’m way too pale. It looks like I have the flu, pneumonia, and meningitis all at once.
What the fuck is wrong with me? And how could I have lost so much time? What’s going on?
Exhausted and confused, I stumble back to the bedroom, where another surprise is waiting for me.
