If Larkin had even one brain cell, he would realize there’s no way Eloise needs to study for this diploma, but I doubt he paid attention to her grades in school. He only paid attention to her looks and spent his time plotting how he was going to arrange to abduct her.
I take my time looking over her paper. I don’t need to. I could see all her answers were correct in seconds. But I like the way she bounces around the room, giddy.
I finally look up and smile. “They’re all correct, Little one.”
“Yes!” She jumps up and down.
My heart is full. I love how far she’s come in the time she’s been here. Night and day. She still has nightmares most nights and wakes up gasping. I finally put a monitor in her room to easily hear her.
It’s especially helpful if I catch her before the bad dreams progress into a full-scale panic attack. I prefer to rush into her room while she’s in the whimpering phase of the nightmare and wake her before she starts screaming.
Life would be much easier if she slept in my bed, but we haven’t broached that topic yet. I think it’s been good for her to have her special corner in her own room. It’s allowed her some independence.
Eloise stays up reading about half the night most nights. I don’t mind a bit. For one thing, she’s a grown adult who should be permitted to make her own decisions and sleep whatever hours she wants. For another thing, I suspect she’s more afraid of the dark than she likes to admit, and reading is easier to do in the dark than sleeping. She sleeps much sounder after the sun has risen.
What we have not done is leave the apartment. She’s been here two weeks without setting foot out the door. In fact, most of the time, she runs from the door and hides in the corner in her room when someone comes over. I can sense her anxiety every time I need to open the door, let alone step into the hallway.
Which is why I have a plan for today, and I’m not sure how she’s going to react. “I think we should celebrate,” I declare.
She claps her hands together. “Ice cream!”
I chuckle. “We can get ice cream if you want.”
“Get it? There’s some in the freezer.”
“While we’re out. Let’s go to the park. It’s beautiful out. We should get fresh air.”
The smile fades from her face, and she glances toward the window. “I can see how pretty it is from right here. It’s lovely.”
“Eloise…” I reach out a hand, but my girl doesn’t take it. She backs up and crosses her arms, narrowing her gaze at me.
I nearly chuckle. She’s never been defiant before. This is interesting. It might be even more important than my initial plan for fresh air. I lean against the couch cushions and cross one leg over the other. “Who is this naughty girl, and what have you done with my Eloise?”
She narrows her gaze further. “It’s not safe. Maybe after you catch Larkin.”
I shake my head. “That excuse doesn’t fly with me, Little one. If I thought someone was looking for you in Seattle, I would never take you outside, but you know Larkin is in Virginia. Someone from my team is always monitoring his whereabouts. You’re in no trouble with the law, as he made you believe. Plus, you’ll always be safe when you’re with me.”
She lifts her chin defiantly. “Well, I don’t want to. Maybe tomorrow.” And then my normally adorable, pleasant, rule-abiding Little girl turns and stomps all the way to her room.
I’m glad she can’t see me because I can’t possibly maintain my serious Daddy expression. It falters quickly as I stifle laughter.
Alas, I can’t let her run over me, so I rise and follow her. She may have retreated, but she didn’t shut her door. She’s sitting in her favorite corner with two dolls in her lap and a book open.
I’m not sure what she’s reading now. She finished Moby Dick a long time ago. She devours books. Soon, I will run out of reading material for her, and we’ll have to?—
Aha. Perfect.
“Angel… I know you’re not actually reading that book. It’s upside down.”
She winces and flips it around, not meeting my gaze.
“I bet you’d like to get some new books to read.” She has an e-reader, and she uses it sometimes, especially at night, but she prefers to hold a paper book.
She lifts her gaze over the top of the book to glare at me. “Is this a trick?”
“Yes. Let’s go to the library.”
Her eyes widen before she can control her reaction. She jerks her gaze down again. “I’m fine for now. There are still a lot of books in your office that I haven’t read yet.”
