AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Orly rested her head against his chest and he tightened his hold on her. “I loved meeting your friends. You were right about them. They were nice and kind, and everything you said they would be. I just hate that I had to bring you and them into all this. The murderer. Russell. I have this horrible feeling that the more people I tell about them, the more people are going to get hurt by them. I wish I could just wake up and it all be over.”
Luke sighed, wanting nothing more than to give her exactly what she wanted. “And I’m going to do everything in my power to make that happen.” She’d been alone and on her own long enough, and he vowed he’d never let that happen again. Even if something were to happen to him, Luke had no doubt his friends would step up and keep her safe.
He kissed the top of her head, letting his lips linger against her hair. “Ready for bed?” He asked. She yawned, and he smiled. “Go on up,” he said. “I’ll turn out all the lights, lock up, and be up soon.”
Orly pressed a kiss to his cheek, then another to his mouth. It was a sweet, chaste kiss, but Luke felt it all the way down to his toes. Even when she was being soft, this woman was still lethal, and he loved every second of it.
He watched her leave the room and walk up the stairs before going about turning off the lights and making sure all the doors and windows were securely locked. He set the alarm and made his way up the stairs. He could hear Orly moving around in her room and he couldn’t help smiling as he went into his own bedroom. Having her here was still new to him, but nothing had ever felt more right. He loved that she was making herself at home and that she didn’t hesitate to cook what she wanted and ask for things she desired. Luke wanted her to have it all and he was only too happy to make sure she got it. Besides, it wasn’t like he wasn’t benefiting. The meals she made were delicious and looking out into his yard, seeing her garden and those blooming flowers, it finally felt lived in.
Orly had done something to his house he had long since wanted to do, but was never quite sure how to do it.
She made his house a home.
Chapter 18
The next few weeks, Orly enjoyed her time at Luke’s house. She really missed nursing, and working with patients, but going back to work while Russell was looking for her wasn’t safe. And since her account was still frozen, she couldn’t withdraw any of the money made from her YouTube channel without being tracked by Russell. She’d brought up the idea of finding a job that paid cash until she could go back to nursing, but Luke wouldn’t hear of it, saying it would be too risky. A news program had recently aired her photograph again, and Luke didn’t want to chance her being recognized by anyone.
Not knowing how long she’d be stuck in this limbo, Orly made the best of it by spending time in the garden, trying new recipes in the kitchen, and catching up on her favorite reality TV shows. In the evenings, and on Luke’s days off, they cuddled on the couch watching movies or playing board games on his dining room table. It was an easy sort of life that Orly found to be both relaxing and unnerving, because she knew it wouldn’t last. Russell was still looking for her and she had no idea what the murderer in her head would do next. He’d somehow managed to find her in Roanoke, which still creeped her out whenever she thought about it. She felt bad not telling Luke and his friends that small detail, but he hadn’t actually done anything to her and she still had no idea who he was or what he looked like, so it seemed like a moot point.
One night after Luke had worked late and had fallen asleep on the couch while they were watching television, Orly decided to go up to bed on her own, not wanting to wake him. He’d been staying with her until she fell asleep almost every night, but they hadn’t actually done anything more than kiss. She wanted to and she could tell that he did too, but neither one of them wanted to rush things.
She went through the house locking all the doors and windows, then did her usual bedtime routine before getting under the covers and turning out the light. The house was quiet, so she left her door open a crack to let the light in from the hallway. She’d left it on, not wanting Luke to wake up disoriented in the dark, and she also hoped it would help keep any nightmares away.
Orly had no idea how much time passed or if she’d even fallen asleep, when something disturbed her. She didn’t remember having a nightmare, but she was suddenly and abruptly wide awake. Through the closed blinds, Orly saw it was still pitch black outside. The hallway light was still on and Luke was still asleep downstairs as far as she could tell.
With her mouth feeling like she’d been chewing on cotton, Orly started to sit up to get a glass of water. That was when a wave of heated light swamped her mind, forcing her back down. Her head hit the pillow with the weight of a ton of bricks. She clutched at the sheets as swirls of hot lights swam in her vision. The low hum of the air conditioning unit outside her window grew louder and more intense, like a speeding train barreling down the tracks heading right through her. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Her whole body shook uncontrollably. A moan sounded from her lips. The pain in her head intensifying until it felt like the top of her skull was going to snap off. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before and she had no idea what to do.
The shaking got worse. If she hadn’t been holding onto the sheets now crumpling under her fingers, she would’ve already been on the floor. There was only one explanation for this that she could think of - the murderer was in her head again, only he had to be high on something, and was transferring the effects of the drug onto her. Oh God, it would kill her. It was already far too strong and she wouldn’t last an hour like this. Her mind wasn’t just exposed, it was taking everything in at warp speed, making sounds come at her faster and louder than she could receive them.
She tried to think of something, anything to ground her, but everything was moving way too fast. All her thoughts, even simple ones, were a blur she couldn’t hold on to. Oh, God, Luke. It’s all over. She hadn’t meant to call out to him, but the words fled from her mind faster than she could register them and then almost in that instant she heard his reply.
Hey, what’s wrong?
She felt his panic, but his words were almost indecipherable, like he’d spoken from a very long tunnel where she was the one moving at light speed. She could barely breathe, let alone answer. There was nothing she could do but lie there, shaking violently, alone in her room, waiting for her mind to go black. This would either kill her or she’d pass out. Whatever was causing this reaction would far outlast her ability to endure it.
Luke, help me. There was nothing he could do for her. She just didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t want to succumb to the idea that she was about to die.
Orly, what’s going on? Talk to me.She hadn’t heard him come up the stairs, but his hands closed around her arms. She couldn’t see him but she felt him standing over her. The panic in his voice fed into her own, but his words were still a jumbled mess as if she was submerged in a hot tub with thousands of jets all bubbling at the same time.
She needed something, anything to focus on. But there was nothing. Even the darkness wasn’t dark, but rather a fast blinking of light and dark, causing her eyes to hurt and spasm. She screamed, but had not idea if she’d actually made any sound. Luke said something to her out loud, but his words all blended in with the cataclysms of sounds barreling at her. She was alone in this hell.
Breathe. The word came through in an almost inaudible voice, but she grabbed onto it with all she had.
Breathe. There it was again. Who was that? It was so distant and soft, but somehow it was penetrating all the other sounds in her head.
Breathe. The repetition gave Orly something to focus on outside of herself. Whoever that was had found a way to break through to her, and very possibly save her life.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
The word kept coming at her rhythmically, almost like a metronome keeping time while someone played the piano. It was soothing and grounding, and it was the only thing keeping her mind from spinning out into oblivion.
