Why is it not working?
My line of vision narrows, black spots dancing in front of my eyes, as the ringing in my ears intensifies and my breathing becomes ragged. Snapshots of that night pop into my mind.
The looming darkness.
The creak of the steps.
The shadow of the person coming out of my house.
My trashed place.
Deny it all you want, but you’re mine.
You’re mine.
Min—
“Jessica!”
The sound of my name pierces through the loud buzzing in my ears. Blinking, my vision comes into focus, and I’m greeted by Matthew’s worried face. He takes me in, quietly assessing me. Callused fingertips press into the back of my neck. There is a bite to his touch, but I welcome it as he pulls me out of the car and into his arms.
“Hey, it’s fine.” His lips brush against my temple. “You’re fine.”
Letting out a shaky breath, I sneak my arms around his middle and burrow my face in his shirt. His spicy scent surrounds me, another link to reality.
Matthew is here.
I’m not alone in the darkness.
It’s fine.
I’m fine.
My fingers fist his shirt, holding on for dear life.
I’m fine.
Matthew pulls me flush against him, his fingers sprawling across my back. I’m not sure how long we just stand like this, holding on to one another. It could be minutes or hours, but he doesn’t rush me or let go.
“I’m good.”
Sucking in a shaky breath, I pull back, wiping at my face before I lift my gaze to meet his worried eyes.
“Really. It’s just…” I glance away. “The light didn’t turn on. But I guess I just didn’t come close enough and… Damn, I’m acting crazy.”
I bite the inside of my cheek so hard that I can feel the coppery taste on my tongue.
Matthew’s fingers slip under my chin and turn me to face him.
“You’re not acting crazy. You’ve experienced trauma, and your body is still in fight-or-flight mode.”
Logically, I know he’s right, and yet…
“I hate it. I just want things to go back to normal. I don’t want to keep looking over my shoulder or be afraid of walking in the dark.”
Matthew opens his mouth, but no words come out. Pressing his lips together, he just stares at me for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I have an idea.”
An idea?
