“Is there anything I can get you?” Bonnie asked gently.
“No. I’m okay. Really. I should get back to Chett. He’s asleep.”
Bonnie didn’t want to leave her. But at the same time, she couldn’t do much to help. Sarahwassafe here. Her ex was in prison. It would just take time for her to trust that. “Call the counselor on shift if you need anything.”
When Sarah headed upstairs, Bonnie stepped out of the building, and as soon as she did, she groaned. It was so dark. And now she had to walk home. Shereallyneeded to buy a car. She was moved into her apartment, settled in at work, so she had no excuse not to.
Wrapping her jacket tightly around her body, she started walking, fast steps to get her home as quickly as possible. There was no one on the street, and she wasn’t sure if that made her feel safer or not. Every time a car passed, she sucked in a deep breath like she was preparing for them to stop and harass her.
Jesus.That’swhat her life had become here. But it would get better. People would get used to her being home. She just had to have faith.
A car turned onto the street, and she shot a glance over her shoulder…only to frown. Why were they driving so slowly? Were they doing it on purpose to tail her? Scare her? Who?
She almost laughed because there were so many possibilities. Dean’s parents. The reporter. Anyone in this town who had a fight to pick with her.
The sudden ringing of her phone made her jump. She pulled it out to see Noah’s name on the screen, and as soon as she put it to her ear, the car sped past.
“Noah.”
“Hey.” There was a short pause. “Are you okay? You sound shaky.”
“I’m fine.” Not really true. But then, she hadn’t really been fine since returning to Amber Ridge. She’d been riding the highs of being close to family and the lows of the harassment. “I’m just walking home from work.”
“Now? It’s dark out.”
“I had to work late.”
“Where are you? I’ll pick you up.”
Even though her brother couldn’t see her, she was shaking her head before he finished speaking. “No. I don’t live far. I’m almost home.”
She actually would have loved for Noah to pick her up. What shewouldn’tlove was to be a big fat inconvenience.
“Bonnie—”
“Did you call to tell me something?” She rounded a corner.
Noah sighed. “I called to check in and see how you’re doing.”
“I’m good. Work’s been…busy. Though I’ve been waiting for a call from Zane all week that hasn’t come.” Maybe she just needed to accept that he didn’t want to do the classes. He’dtoldher he didn’t want to, and she couldn’t make him.
“Why have you been waiting for a call from Zane?”
“I asked him to do some self-defense classes for the shelter out of his gym.”
“Does he offer self-defense classes?”
“Well, no, but he could.” And she was pretty certain he’d be good at it. She rounded another corner. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Actually, that’s the other reason I called. I’m heading to the bar with some of the family. Come.”
She stumbled over a bump in the sidewalk. The thought of stepping into a busy bar made fear curl in her belly. Stepping intoanybusy place felt hard. That probably made her weak, didn’t it?
“I’m kind of tired, Noah.”
“Come on. Jesse and Becket too.”
So basically, all the men in her family would be there to protect her. But the thing was, she didn’t want to be protected. “Maybe in a few weeks, when I’m more settled.” And a bit braver.
