If looking at her was bad for my health, not seeing her was worse and panic gripped me.Words tumbled out of my mouth, desperately trying to pull her back.“Tell me about these turtles.”
Her giggle sent shivers across my scalp.“Turtles?”
My smile was probably a little bit dopey.It could have been exposure therapy, or how safely domestic the morning felt, but for the first time since seeing her in the exam room at the clinic, her presence didn’t feel like a threat.Instead, it seemed that something broken within me could heal—unfinished business put to rest.
“Aren’t you here to save turtles?”I asked.
She laughed with her whole body; it pulsed through me with the beat of my heart.Healing, indeed.
“That’s hilarious, I love small towns.What a fun little game of telephone,” she remarked.“I’m here for the marsh over by Emmett’s.”
First name basis.
A hook snagged on my brain, a whisper of a feeling I had no right to feel.Suddenly, the conversation felt a little less homey, and my intentions were more questionable.
I pitched my shovel to fill it with a new batch of snow.“Gotcha.”
“I haven’t checked for a turtle population, but I’m sure I’m saving those too.Did someone mention them?It wouldn’t be a bad angle.People love turtles.”
“I think one of the high schoolers did the other night at the stables.”
Without stopping in my work, I bore the pressure of her considering me.“Do you know the principal at the school?”
“Brock Lewell, yeah he’s a decent guy.He let us use the school parking lot for a pop-up vet clinic day last summer.”
“That’s great.Do you think he’d let me do a water supply presentation?”
I straightened, the handle slipping from my grip remained where it was, held up from the weight in its scoop.“Now that’s clever.I bet he would; he’d probably welcome it.”
“Fantastic.I’ll get that set up.Take care, Rem.”
“See ya.”
Ten minutes later, by the time I’d finished clearing the snow, I was breathing deep.Frozen breaths and steam floated up from my bare forearms where I’d pushed my sleeves up.I’d filed through the confusing bit of emotions that had arisen from our conversation, placing them back neatly where they belonged.Confirming that, while unexpected, they were harmless.
I was halfway up the drive when I spotted a mug waiting atop a metal stool just outside of Alicia’s door.
I sipped it as I went around to my side entrance.The coffee with cream was almost too strong.Acidic and bitter.Just the way I liked it.
Chapter Twelve
Remi
Thefireinmywood burning stove cast an orange glow across my television screen.I’d seen this nature documentary a few times already, but the cinematography was beautiful, and the narrator’s voice was soothing.My shift at the clinic had been exhausting, and this time would have been better used finishing my charts, but my cat, was curled up on my lap.Her contented purring lulled me into a deep relaxation, weighing down my eyelids.
I was just dosing off when my phone buzzed with a text.It was a video from my best friend, Owen, of his husky, Bandit, burrowing into the snow.White clumps gathered around his head like a mane.But then in the last few seconds of the video, Owen accidentally caught another one of his dogs, Indie, charging at his six-foot fence and then launching himself up it and over to the other side.Off screen Owen exclaimed, “You have to be fucking kidding me.”
Chuckling, I typed out a response, half-aware—maybe sightly more than half—of Alicia moving on the other side of our shared wall.It wasn’t thin enough for me to know exactly what she was doing, but I could determine she was in her kitchen.Her voice came through too muffled to hear, but I assumed she was talking to Furgie—it was a bit higher and sweeter than her normal tone.My lips twitched in something like a smile.
Then all at once, everything went loud.Furgie’s bark was like percussions.Something large fell to the floor.But it was Alicia’s scream that echoed in my mind.It harmonized with the ringing in my ears.My heart punched against my ribs.Bliss launched from my lap as I stood.I rounded my chair running for my front door.There was more barking, and something else crashed against the wall.
I couldn’t breathe.
That terrified sound coming from Alicia had robbed me of everything but my need to get to her.To put my body between her and whatever threat she was facing.Whoever he was, I’d tear him apart with my bare hands.My vision was actually red.
I burst into the pitch-black night, barely any light spilled from our windows.Gripping her doorknob, I turned it.It was locked.It didn’t matter.I threw my shoulder against it with all my weight.Splinters of wood flew from the frame as I forced the locked latch open.It hit the wall and swung back at me.
Alicia let out one more scream then fell silent at the sight of me breathing heavily in the shattered remains of her entryway.She was crouched under the countertop, while Furgie barked on the other side of the living room wall.
