He slowly eased back to look at me. "He's not going to stop on his own."
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
"We've been playing defence this whole time. I know you're scared of what happens if we push back, but we can't just wait around and hope he gives up." His expression changed. Still calm, but serious in a way that made it clear he wasn't trying to soften the truth for me. "I can't stand here and keep watching him do this to you."
That hit something deep in my chest. I didn't want to break down again, but I came dangerously close.
His voice stayed quiet. Even. But I could hear the weight behind it. "I just want you safe, Ro. That's all. I don't want him to hurt you anymore."
My throat tightened, and the sting hit the back of my eyes before I could stop it. I blinked hard and kept my gazelocked somewhere off to the side. I couldn't let this break me again.
Because I could tell he meant it. Every word. Eli wasn't trying to push me or trap me into anything. He was trying,really trying, to protect me. To give me a way out of this nightmare.
But I was too damn scared to take it.
He let out a breath. "I'm not going to make you do anything you're not ready for. But we can't keep waiting for him to do something. We need a plan."
All I could do was nod. I didn't trust my voice not to crack again.
He wrapped his arms around me again, holding firm but careful. He seemed to know I was one wrong word from slipping back into the panic.
I pressed my face into his shoulder and tried to breathe. I didn't know how much strength I had left... But I hoped like hell I could find enough of it to deal with this before it was too late.
Eli
27
The onions hissed when they hit the pan, the sizzle loud in the quiet flat. I gave them a quick stir, then set the spoon aside while I reached for the garlic.
In the other room, Rowan sat slumped on the sofa with a throw blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He stared blankly at the muted telly, but I didn't think he was taking any of it in. He hadn't moved in twenty minutes. Not even to sip the tea I made him.
I turned my attention back to the cutting board and pressed the side of the knife flat against the garlic, crushing it with more force than necessary. The skin split with a satisfying pop, and I tossed the cloves into the pan before the onions had a chance to burn.
Marcus had shown up a few more times in the past couple weeks. The knocks always came some time after I left. Different days, same pattern. Somehow, he knew when I was here and when I wasn't. And every time, Rowan shrank further into himself.
I hadn’t made any headway convincing him to go to the police. We had enough proof to bury Marcus, but Rowan was still too scared to do anything. Too convinced that pushing meant lighting the fuse. He was shutting down again, and it killed me to see him like this. No matter what I said or did, Icouldn't pull him out of it.
I added another splash of oil to the pan and kept my hands busy. If I watched him too long, I'd break something.
I went on autopilot as I finished stirring the pasta into the sauce and let it simmer while I grabbed a few dishes. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was familiar and grounding. Who knew if it would help, but it was all I could offer tonight. I scooped a portion onto a plate, then grabbed a fork before heading for the sitting room.
Rowan never once looked up. His eyes stayed glued to the television, to the point that I wondered if he was even seeing it at all.
I kept my voice soft as I set the plate on the coffee table. "Here. Figured you could use something hot."
No movement at all.
After a moment, I crouched down to his level and tried to get his attention. "Ro, you need to eat. You've not had anything all day."
His eyes flickered, just a bit, but not toward me. He blinked like he was trying to process what I said, then his gaze drifted elsewhere. Even tracking a conversation cost more energy than he had.
I held back a sigh and stood up. None of this was his fault. I knew that. But Christ, I hated feeling this useless. He’d become a ghost of himself again, and I hated that I couldn't reach him.
A sharp knock cracked through the air and made me flinch.
Rowan jolted with a full-body start that snapped him out of whatever frozen state he'd been locked in. His eyes darted to the door, wide and panicked. But then he went still again with that fixed, hunted look that had become so familiar these past weeks.
It could've just been Mrs Cavanagh checking in. She'dtaken to doing that every now and then to see how Rowan was holding up. But she also knew what was going on. I'd told her about Marcus lurking around and asked her to keep an eye out when she was home. She wouldn't just knock. She'd text me first.
