“Sarah, can you look at me?”
The other woman did, but her gaze was unfocused, her pupils large.
“I want you to breathe with me, okay? Deep breaths. In.” Bonnie filled her chest with air. “And out.”
At first, nothing changed. Bonnie continued, and eventually Sarah joined her, syncing their breaths. And slowly, focus started to seep back into Sarah’s expression.
“There you go.” Bonnie squeezed her thigh. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”
“I got a letter from Jeremiah. He shouldn’t know where I am, but the letter arrived at the shelter! Shelley gave it to me this morning.”
Bonnie frowned. Why would she give it to her? Weren’t all letters from prison marked? Unless he got someone outside the prison to send it?
“It didn’t have any prison postmarks on it,” Sarah said, reading Bonnie’s thoughts. “But it was him. His handwriting. And signed by him.”
How the hell had he pulled that off? She mentally shook her head. That wasn’t important right now. “What did it say?”
Tears filled Sarah’s eyes. “It said he wants his family back…and that he has a surprise for me.”
That son of a bitch.
Bonnie had so many questions, but first, she needed to make sure Sarah was okay. “Chett’s father is in prison, Sarah. We can even ask our town sheriff to confirm that and find out how that letter got to you. And you’re right, he shouldn’t know where you are.”
“Shelley’s looking into a new shelter for me and Chett. I don’t feel safe.”
“Good. You’ll be out of his reach again.”
“But what if he finds me a second time? What if he gets out and—”
“Look at me.”
Sarah did.
“He’s not getting out. He has a life sentence. And even if he did, the shelter is secure. Okay?”
Sarah didn’t nod or agree, she just looked at Bonnie like she was too scared to believe her.
“What do you need?” Bonnie asked.
“Um…maybe just a few minutes to collect myself. I don’t want Chett to see me like this.”
“Okay. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
This time Sarah did nod. And even though Bonnie hated doing it, she slipped back under the door and let Sarah have a few more minutes alone.
How had this happened? How had her ex found her? He shouldn’t have that kind of reach. But then, all he really needed was a friend or family member to visit him. They could have gotten the letter to Sarah.
And maybe he’d hired someone to find her?
Argh. She hated this.
She’d just stepped into the hall when a text beeped from her phone. She pulled out her cell, and her neck prickled at the namein the first line of the text. A name she hadn’t seen on her cell for years.
Unknown number: This is Jane White. I wasn’t sure if I should write this, but honestly, I can’t keep it inside any longer. I need you to leave. You can spin the story however you like to your family, but you are the reason my son is dead. You left him that night when he needed you, and he got behind the wheel and never came home. And now, like nothing happened, you’re back. Smiling. Dating.
Her breathing grew labored, a mixture of anger and sadness and…something else. Something that hurt more, tangling in her belly.
She wasn’t sure if replying was the best thing to do, but she was sick of letting these things go without saying anything.
