Page 45 of Catch My Fall
“Love you too.” She blows me a kiss before the video feed cuts.
I glance back over at Alec who’s continued fixing the camera to the wall beside the front door. He oozes strength and power. There’s no wonder he was made for the Marines.
In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t here with me, and whether our story turns out as Whitney and Kevin’s character’s did, I have no doubt it’s going to be epic.
18
“You make such a pretty fucking whore, bitch. And we’re gonna use you like one, too…”
Austin’s cruel words have my eyes snapping open as I blink against the dark. I fumble for the lamp on the table beside the bed and my heart steadies when the room is flooded with a soft, orange glow.
It’s okay… Just a dream. I’m alone, I reassure myself.
I swing my legs out of bed and rub my eyes.
I’ve tossed and turned for hours, willing myself to fall asleep. Hell, I even tried counting sheep but even that didn’t help. I’ve never been able to sleep in a new place. Everything just feels off, so foreign that it takes me a while to settle, but somehow I managed to drift off, only to be plagued with memories, again.
Giving up on sleep, I decide to head outside, I figure some fresh air might do me good. I pull on a thick knitted cardigan that falls below my knees before padding quietly through the house so as not to wake Alec. He spent three hours outside this afternoon making the house secure, a camera covering every inch of the house’s surroundings.
I head through the kitchen and out the back door, clicking it shut behind me. A stiff breeze has me pulling my cardigan tighter around me, goose bumps erupting on my bare legs, the wooden decking cold beneath my bare feet.
I breathe in the cool air, loving the sound of the gentle lapping of the water only a few metres away. It’s so peaceful here I think I could stay here forever.
I turn towards the swing seat beside me but fight back a scream when I see the dark silhouette of a man sitting on it.
“Oh my God!” I gasp, placing my hand on my chest to still my racing heart.
“Sorry,” Alec says. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
My heart settles at the sound of his smooth as velvet voice. “It’s okay.”
Even through the dark, there’s an LED lantern hanging off of a hook from one of the wooden beams of the porch, the light illuminating his gorgeous face. I see his eyes sweep over me, trailing down my bare legs and it’s then I realise I’m only wearing a pair of sleep shorts, a strappy tank top and no bra under my cardigan.
My skin heats under his gaze and I only hope he can’t see the blush that is undoubtedly staining my cheeks.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asks.
I shake my head as I make my way over to sit next to him, the seat swinging gently under my weight. I draw up my knees and hug them, resting my cheek on my knee. “I find it hard to sleep in a strange bed that’s not my own.”
“You slept fine last night,” he points out.
“Because I was in a moving car. How the hell was I supposed to know you’d carry me to bed?” I ask, and he chuckles. “You didn’t have to give me the master bedroom by the way, it’s your house, it should be yours.”
“I wanted you to experience the view when you woke up. It’s the only room in the house that overlooks the water. And besides, you’re my guest, it should be yours.”
I smile at his words and the sincerity in his stormy eyes. “I had a nightmare when I finally managed to drift off.”
His eyes fill with sadness. “Are you okay?”
I shrug. “It wasn’t the worst I’ve had, I just hope there comes a point when they stop.”
“I wish there was something I could do to chase them away. I hate that you’re suffering.”
“That’s not your responsibility, Alec. God knows you have enough of that already,” I say, forcing a smile. “I um, I was looking at all the photos in the living room earlier. Your parents seemed nice.”
My change of subject catches him off guard as he looks down to his lap. “They were.”
“Was the reason you stopped coming here because they… died? Is that what you meant when you said they’re gone?”