“Where is he going?”
“Back to deal with paperwork. You’re going to have to go down to the station at some point and make a statement tomorrow. Right now, let’s just get through the night.”
“Will you stay with me? Please. Just hold me. If I don’t stay here tonight, I don’t think I’ll be able to again.”
“I’ve got you,” he said. “I’ll always have you.”
“No, no, no!”Fredrick shouted. She couldn’t move. Not yet. Not until she moved in with him!
He was the one who was saving her. Not her boyfriend or his brother, but him. Karl Green. He was just ready to confront the guy when the sheriff pulled in.
Why couldn’t he ever get anything right?!
He let out a scream, then slapped his hand in front of his mouth.
Meredith wouldn’t like that.
He moved to his bathroom and opened the cabinet again, pulled out two bottles of pills. Would it hurt to take one and remove the edge?
No. He was doing well on his own now for months and he’d continue. Meredith would want it this way.
33
DONE THE SAME THING
The next morning, Clay was up before Meredith, showered and in the kitchen. He hated putting on clothes from yesterday but wouldn’t leave her to run home and get anything either.
He knew if he brought her to his house, she wouldn’t want to return.
It was as he said—she had to do this now to not let it consume her.
He was fully aware of what it was like to have something take over every part of your being.
Control your actions. Your words. Your thoughts.
He refused to let her light be dimmed by something beyond her control.
“Morning,” she said.
He turned to see her come down in gray pants, a purple sweater, with a white shirt under it. The cuffs and collar were peeking out.
“Hey,” he said, moving over to give her a kiss. “How did you sleep?”
She hugged him tight. Almost as tight as she’d clung to him in his sleep.
He stayed awake staring at the ceiling the whole damn night trying not to think about what could have happened if he hadn’t put the camera on her window.
If she wasn’t even in his life.
He wouldn’t have known any of this and it could have been a random act of violence that he’d witnessed way too many times.
Those thoughts didn’t sit well with him.
“Once I fell asleep I was good. It doesn’t look as if you slept though.”
“I’ve had worse nights,” he said. He handed her the coffee he’d just made in her ugly floral cup, then put another cup under and hit the button for it to brew again.
“Thank you for staying with me. I don’t think I could have done it alone and then I would have regretted that. I don’t want to have regrets.”
