Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Beneath me, all soft and sweet, her nails scraping down my back…
CHAPTER NINE
Carmen
“Break a leg!” I called to Sofia as she made her way to the train platform.
She turned back, giving me two thumbs up and a big but wobbly smile.
She really wanted this gig.
I hadn’t seen her so nervous in a long time.
I wanted it for her too. Even if the filming meant she would most likely need to move to California, and I was not thrilled at the idea of living on my own.
I left the train station to do a job before heading back home to an empty house.
Or so I thought.
But Hamster didn’t run to me like she usually did to go pee.
And the place smelled like fresh coffee.
“Sof?” I called, tone tentative, because if she was back already, it was not good news.
“Nope,” a different voice entirely called back. Male. Newly familiar.
My stomach flipped.
“Try again,” Rune said as he moved into the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the jamb as he raised a cup that declared Misogynist Tears to his lips and took a sip. “I took the dog out and then walked her around town to blow off some energy.”
“What?”
“She tried to eat a street hot dog. So I bought her a burger too. She took herself upstairs afterward to, I imagine, sleep. So I made myself a pot of coffee while I waited for you.”
“How did you get in?”
“Think you girls put a little too much faith in your door locks. I got in in under two minutes. In a neighborhood like this, you might want to invest in some extra deterrents.”
“That’s what Hamster was supposed to be for.”
“Unfortunately, Hamster remembers a face. Stopped barking the second she saw it was me. Besides, I can’t see her actually biting anyone.”
He wasn’t wrong.
She was all bark. We had a repairman come over once, and she barked viciously while backing through the house to hide next to the washing machine.
“I could call the police. You broke into my house.”
“You could. I did. But you’re not going to.”
He was right about that.
Because as inconvenient as his little drop-ins were, and as much as my mind and body were at odds about his presence, he’d been harmless so far.
If he wanted to hurt me, I figured he would have already. There was no reason to complicate things more than they already were by bringing the police into it.
“Why are you here again?” I asked, sounding about as tired as I felt.
I hadn’t slept in days. I would pass out, then jerk awake flooded with adrenaline, my mind whipping up fears and anxiety until I was too nauseated and dizzy to fall back to sleep.
“Because we’re not done.”
“Trust me, we are,” I said, storming past him to make my way to the coffee machine.
What I really needed was a drink to deal with him again. But I got chatty when I drank. And I didn’t want to say something stupid. So coffee was going to have to cut it.
I could feel the impact as Rune turned, his gaze falling on me, watching me as I picked a mug, then added some cream and sugar to my cup before pouring the coffee.
Only after I had my first sip (which was perfect, damn him), did I glance up to find him watching me.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
“That’s not really my policy when someone tries to murder me, baby.”
“I’m not going to try again.”
“I know.”
“And yet you’re here again.”
“Because I can’t put this to bed until I have answers. Give ‘em to me and I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“Why are you being so fucking stubborn?” he asked, but without any heat. He was more exasperated than angry. “You’re clearly pissed at me about something. Tell me what.”
“So you can, what? Apologize? I don’t want your apologies. There’s nothing you could do to make this better. You ruined… everything.”
My voice caught, betraying me, making me turn my back on him as stupid tears flooded my eyes.
I didn’t know he moved until his next words were asked from right behind me, his tone soft, coaxing. “Carmen, what did I ruin?”
He was too close.
He was sucking up all the air.
I couldn’t breathe.
The mug slammed down with a crack on the counter just before I turned and ran toward my room.
I wouldn’t do it.
Break in front of him.
I didn’t even let my sister see me falling apart. I damn sure wasn’t going to let the man who was responsible for all the tears witness them.
I heard the old steps creaking under his weight as he followed me upstairs, could feel my heartbeat syncing with his footsteps as they drew closer and closer to my door.
But he paused there as I finally lost the battle with my grief, dragging an animalistic cry from somewhere deep inside as I dropped down on the edge of my bed.