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“I thought…”
He snickers. “You thought? This ought to be good. What did you think?”
Fear clogs my throat until all I can do is croak out, “Uh, you seemed nice.”
“Nice?” he asks, barking out a bitter laugh that makes tears spring to my eyes. “Is that all it takes? No wonder somebody is following you around. You’re an easy fucking target. Don’t you know what could happen when you let a stranger into your apartment? Especially now that you’ve told me nobody even cares if you’re in trouble.” The note of concern in his voice is enough to make me think for a second he might be doing this out of worry, but that thought disappears faster than it popped into my mind when he leans in and almost squashes me into the corner, thanks to his sheer size.
“You know nothing about me. And look at you, so small and weak. It would take nothing for me to overpower you. To hurt you. To kill you.”
That’s what breaks me. That’s what makes me scream loud enough that he takes a step back, and it gives me just enough room to slip past him and scramble for the door.
“What are you doing?” He grabs me before I can get out, pulling me away from the door. I would scream again, but I can’t breathe. I gasp for air, struggling for a single breath.
He’s going to kill me. He could be the man who’s been following me all this time, and I let him in here. Why did I do that? What was I thinking?
“Dakota.” I barely hear him over the pounding in my ears. “Dakota!” He turns me around, gripping my arms tight and holding me in place. “Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Let me go,” I gasp, trying to twist my way out of his grip. “Just let me go, please!”
“Stop this.” He still sounds so angry, and all it does is make my pulse race faster than before. I’m going to pass out if this doesn’t stop soon. As it is, the world is starting to go gray and fuzzy around the edges.
“Hey.” He loosens his grip, now rubbing my arms instead of holding them so tight. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you like this. I only wanted to scare some sense into you. You are too damn trusting… You’re okay. I promise. You’re safe with me.”
“How… do I know… that?” I can barely get a word out at a time. My breathing is too shallow. I can’t calm myself down. Because, oh my god, he could kill me. Why would he even say that if he didn’t mean to do it? That’s not the kind of thought a normal, sane person has, is it?
“I’m sorry. I went about that the wrong way. Take a breath. Try to relax. Nobody is going to hurt you. You’re safe now.”
I want to believe him. I want to be safe and protected. When I force myself to look up at him, to lock eyes with him, they’re not so hard and angry anymore. He’s softer now, quieter, even gentle. The way he was back at the café when he convinced me to go through with this without even trying.
“That’s right,” he murmurs, his eyes darting over my face while his hands gently rub my arms and shoulders. “One breath at a time. Check in with reality. Right now, you’re in your apartment with someone who won’t hurt you and should have handled that better than he did. I’m sorry. It doesn’t mean I want to hurt you. Okay?”
“Yeah.” I’m still a little breathless, my heart still pounds, but I can think again. I’m not operating completely on instinct, like an animal ready to chew off its own foot to get out of a trap.
“Come on. Let’s sit down.” He leads me to the sofa like I couldn’t get there on my own and has me sit, then goes to the kitchen and opens the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water, which he uncaps on the way back to me. The bottle looks like a toy in his huge hand.
“Now, sip this. Take your time.” I accept the bottle gratefully since the caffeine in my iced latte would probably only make me more jittery. A few sips of cold water revive me a little, clearing my head.
When he sits beside me, I tense up before I can help it. “You’re safe with me. I promise,” he repeats again. Something about the way he says it, the calm reassurance delivered in that deep voice, unravels the last of my tension. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I really didn’t. Sometimes I forget to check myself. I was concerned for you, that’s all.”
Concerned for me. When was the last time anyone was concerned for me? “Thank you,” I murmur before taking another sip.
I’m shaking, though. I can’t stop shaking. When a little bit of the water splashes out of the bottle, he gently removes it from my grip and places it on the coffee table. “Come here. It’s okay.” He holds his arms out, motioning for me to come closer. When I hesitate, he goes all the way, picking me up like I weigh nothing and settling me into his lap.
Here’s a plot twist I didn’t see coming. On the one hand, being this close to him when I don’t even know him is sort of weird and a little uncomfortable.
At the same time, it’s also sort of nice. I don’t have to worry about anything when I’m like this, wrapped in this man’s strong arms. Now the rest of the tightness in my chest loosens, and I can breathe freely again. No fear, no panic. Just… relief.
“You’re not alone anymore,” he murmurs, stroking my back until I lean against him, resting my head on his shoulder. “That’s right. Relax. You’re safe now. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
“How can you be so sure?” I ask in a soft voice.
“Trust me. I know what I’m talking about. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You have my word on that, Dakota.”
And I believe him. I probably shouldn’t, but I do. Just a minute ago, my heart could have exploded in panic. Now, it swells with relief as a sense of peace washes over me. I’m so tired, weak from it, especially after coming so close to a full-blown panic attack.
“Close your eyes,” he murmurs, still stroking my back. I hope he never stops. “Get some rest. I’ll keep watch over things. You don’t have to worry about anything. Not anymore.”
I open my mouth, prepared to thank him—but sleep catches up to me before I can do it, pulling me under the instant my eyes close.
