“Please, Mom,” the word slipped out, broken and terrified. “Let me out.”
CAM
Ipulled into my drive, cut the engine and closed my eyes for a moment. Two hours until Natascha dropped the girls off meant there was plenty of time to get some yard work done.
I grabbed my work gloves from behind the seat and climbed out of the truck, already mentally cataloging what needed doing.
That’s when I heard it.
A distant thudding sound, rhythmic and desperate. Like someone hammering on wood.
I froze, listening. There it was again. Coming from somewhere behind the house.
I moved down the side yard, the sound getting louder. More frantic. Definitely not construction. Not a woodpecker. This was deliberate. Human.
My heart kicked up a notch as I reached the back corner of my house. The sound was coming from Emily’s yard. From her shed.
Then I heard the voice.
“Help!” Muffled, broken, laced with terror. “Please, someone help me!”
Emily.
My heart slammed against my ribs as I ran to the gate. I grabbed the bolt and yanked. It stuck, the rust fighting me. I swore under my breath and pulled harder, throwing my weight into it. The metal scraped and finally gave way, the gate swinging open.
I ran across her yard, reached the shed and grabbed the door handle, lifting the latch and yanking it open in one motion.
Emily stumbled out, her momentum carrying her forward. She hit the grass hard on hands and knees, her whole body shaking. A sound ripped out of her throat that was half sob, half gag, and she dry heaved once, twice, before collapsing forward.
My brain went blank for a second. Just pure white noise at the sight of her curled in on herself, sobbing so hard she couldn’t breathe.
I dropped to my knees beside her, my hand hovering over her back. She was shaking so violently I could see it. Tears and snot and grass stains and she couldn’t catch her breath between sobs. Holy fuck.
“Emily.” My voice was low and steady even though my pulse was hammering. “Hey. You’re okay. You’re out now.”
I touched her back, light and careful. She didn’t flinch away, so I kept my hand there, feeling the tremors running through her.
“You’re okay,” I said again, just something to fill the silence while she cried. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
She made a sound that might have been words but came out as just broken noise. Then, before I’d even registered she was moving, she threw herself at me.
The impact knocked me straight onto my ass. Her arms went around my neck and she buried her face in my shoulder, her whole body pressed against mine as she sobbed. I barely registered the jarring thud of hitting the ground before I wrapped my arms around her.
She clung to me like I was the only thing keeping her from drowning, and I had no fucking clue what to do except hold on.
I shifted my weight so we were more stable, pulling her closer without thinking about it. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, her tears soaked through my shirt, hot and wet against my skin.
“It’s okay.” The words were meaningless but necessary. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
I kept one hand moving on her back and brought the other up to cup the back of her head, my fingers tangling in her hair.
“Breathe.” My voice stayed low, steady. “Just breathe. In and out. That’s all you have to do.”
She tried. Her chest expanded against mine as she struggled to pull in air past the sobs. It took a few attempts but slowly, gradually, her breathing evened out. The violent shaking eased into trembling. The death grip on my shoulders loosened slightly.
“That’s it. You’re doing good. Just keep breathing.”
The wind had died down to almost nothing. The sun was warm on my back. Somewhere down the street, a dog barked. Normal suburban sounds while Emily fell apart in my arms.
