Page 40 of Fracture
“Okay,” she breathed, not feeling okay in the slightest.
Vinnie let himself out without a glance in her direction.
If that didn’t sting…
Lorelei stared at the door, listening to the lock engage, then to Vinnie’s steps carrying him away from her. She tried to breathe normally, but she was panicking. The same as she did when she woke up from her nightmares and he wasn’t there.
Fear was a fucked up thing. She didn’t remember so much of what happened to her, but her body knew she was alone. She had no help, no one to protect her or help her or save her.
“There’s no one coming,” the man said in the nightmare that morning. Taunting her. Reminding her she had no one.
And there she was again, no one around to help. Broken ankle that would stop her from running away.
Her ribs hurt like they hadn’t been healing for a week. Her lungs screamed for air. Her brain felt like the blows to her head were fresh.
Footsteps echoed in the hall, and a few seconds later, the key engaged in the lock. Vinnie or a stranger? Did someone pretend to be the driver and take Vinnie? Come to finish the job they started with Lorelei?
The door swung open, and Vinnie appeared. He glanced her direction, then turned away. He locked the door and carried the grocery bags to the kitchen, ignoring her and the panic she was sinking into.
Lorelei forced herself to breathe, drawing in deep breaths to slow her racing heart. She picked up the spirometer and breathed into it, using her panic attack as a motivator to get better.
Vinnie put the groceries away, then retreated to the bathroom. Again.
Without a word. Again.
That was not going to work for her.
As soon as he came out, she pushed herself off the couch and blocked his path to the kitchen. His apartment was small, and there were only so many places he could hide.
He stopped when he saw her in his way. He looked around her, like he was going to move past her, but she put out a crutch to block him.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Lorelei demanded.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you avoiding me. Keeping your distance from me. Not touching me or talking to me or being in the same room as me. Where’s the guy from the hospital? The one who held me when I had a panic attack? The guy who held my hand so I didn’t freak out? Where’s that guy?”
“I’m right here, Lorelei.” He sighed, still not meeting her gaze.
She shook her head. “No. No, you’re not. You’re some other guy. Some guy who’s a stranger. Some guy who wants to be a stranger.”
“You have no idea what I want. And I am a stranger. You don’t know me.”
Lorelei laughed, the sound foreign and rusty. “You really think I don’t know you? Hell, I don’t know myself, but I know you. You’re the one who’s acting like you can’t wait for me to be anywhere but here. Maybe I should grant you that wish and get the hell out of here.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he growled.
She moved past him to his bedroom, the one that had all her things in it. She picked up a shirt and threw it in her bag.
“What do you think you’re doing?” He was at the door to his room.
“I’m leaving. I can call Karli to come get me.”
“You’re not leaving.”
“Why not?” She spun to face him, ignoring the pain in her head with the quick movement. “The guy I chose to stay with isn’t the same one who’s standing in front of me. That guy made me feel safe. Like nothing would happen to me.”
“I took advantage of you.”