Heat turns to cold, my skin pebbling despite the heat of the shower. I suddenly feel too exposed with the open door at my back.
I slap my hand against the wall to turn the shower off despite the suds still in my hair, darting out and wrapping a towel around my body.
Running a second one over my hair as I step out into the bedroom, I pause, turning to look around. My skin feels itchy, prickly.
As if I’m being watched.
The curtains are closed. The door locked.
You’re being ridiculous, Emmy.
Huddling under a soft green blanket, I curl my legs under me on the couch and start flipping through channels, searching for something mind-numbing.
When I get to the end, I start again.
I nearly throw the remote into the screen at therat-a-tat-taton my door. Jerking upright, I hold my hand against my racing heart. It thuds against my palm. “Who is it?”
Maybe—
“Pizza delivery?”
Deflating, I scramble up.
My hand pauses as I reach for the doorknob. “Just leave it on the mat! I’ll… tip through the app.”
“Sure. Have a good night.”
Wincing, I wait for a few minutes. Until my stomach growls.
Yanking the door open, I reach for the box.
Pause.
My eyes travel upward.
From the sleek, black leather shoes, to the familiar white shirt. His favorite brand.
Further. Pale blue eyes watch me steadily. There’s nothing human in them.
Not anymore. Not for me.
Arron smiles at me, holding the pizza box in his hand.
“Hello, wife. We need to talk.”
51
Emmy
My hand whips out to slam the door closed, but he’s bigger and faster.
Arron wraps his hand around my weaker left wrist, pushing me back into the apartment as he keeps a tight hold on me.
Scream.
I inhale, but his open hand crashes into my right cheek, knocking the air from my lungs as I collapse down onto the couch with a strangled grunt.
Arron follows me down, yanking me upright and pushing me back into the couch with his hand on my throat. That charming, public-persona smile is still on his face, but his eyes look dead as I wrap my hands around his and try to pry him off, my nails digging into his skin. “I’ve spent a lot of fucking time and money tracking you down, Lia. You owe me a conversation, don’t you think? That’s all I want. One conversation, and you’ll never see me again.”
