The paralysis that threatened to cripple her at any moment was mercifully being held at bay by her brain screaming at her to leave. She kept looking over her shoulder every few seconds. No sign of Eric.
Finally,finally, she reached the parking lot, her car waiting patiently amongst one of the middle rows. She peeled away and hurried as quickly as possible across theuncomfortably open area, not breathing until her hand had wrapped around the slightly too-hot handle and yanked the door open.
She dipped into her car. Before she cranked the engine, she looked around, checking her mirrors, expecting to see his lurking reflection.
Nothing.
Letting out a slow breath and telling her hands not to tremble, she turned on her car and drove out of the parking lot, going as fast as she could without attracting attention.
After a few minutes of breaking the speed limit, she pulled down a dirt road that dipped into the woods. A moment later, a cute, tiny house appeared in front of her. She was renting the small Airbnb on the outskirts of town, far away from the crowd. She found it comforting, even if it was a little on the small side.
At the moment, she couldn’t care less. She sprinted into the house and glanced around. She had left dirty dishes in the sink, and she knew she was supposed to throw the linens into the laundry before she left. She was supposed to have three more days here, so it hadn’t even occurred to her.
It didn’t matter. She would eat whatever cleaning fees the host charged her. She wasn’t staying here a moment longer than she had to. She was going to throw all of her belongings into her suitcase and get out of here like a bat out of hell. A shortened vacation was better than Eric somehow stumbling across her. She had gotten lucky once. She doubted she would get lucky twice.
She hurried into the small bedroom in the back. Despite only having been here a couple of days, it looked as though a bomb had exploded in her suitcase and thrown clothes all overthe bed and floor. She grabbed them as quickly as she could and threw them back into the suitcase haphazardly. Her first pass through the house was so frantic and erratic that she missed nearly half of her belongings. She had to force herself to go slower the second time, even as her heart was thundering and her mind shrieked at her to move as quickly as possible.
You can take a few minutes,she told herself, trying to still the spiraling thoughts threatening to drown her at any moment.He didn’t see you.
The words didn’t soothe her as much as she had hoped. Breathing out, she shook out her limbs and continued moving through the house.
Finally, when she was certain she had gathered everything, she sat down on the suitcase to zip it closed, the messy lump of clothes piled in making it difficult to shut. She didn’t care. She could leave. And she was never coming to this damned town ever again.
She opened the door and began to haul her suitcase out.
Only to find Eric standing on the front porch, hands stuffed in his pockets, that smirk playing on his lips.
“Amber,” he said. “Good to see you.”
Her mouth opened, but words wouldn’t come. Her mind went blank, fear grasping her and holding on tight. She swallowed, that terror grasping her and digging its talons deep into her.
“No hello?” he asked when she remained mute, frozen still as a statue. “After all these years? Least you can do, seeing as you ran out on me.”
The words and the dangerous bite to them broke her from her stupor. She grasped the door and tried to slam it in his face.He stopped it without looking and flung it back open, causing her to lose her balance. She stumbled back, nearly tripping over the suitcase. Eric’s smirk didn’t reach his eyes as he stalked into the house.
“I thought you’d be happier to see me,” he said.
Her car keys were still in her pocket, pressing against her thigh. If she could just get around him, she could make it to the car and drive away, suitcase be damned.
Words still failing her, she tried to dash around him toward the open door. She almost made it. But then Eric lashed out, grabbing her by the elbow and jerking her back with so much force that he nearly yanked her arm out of its socket.
“Oh no,” he hissed, slamming the door shut and locking it. “You’re not going anywhere.”
He pressed her against the wall, then stuffed his hands into her pockets until he extracted the car keys. Smirking, he dangled them in front of her before tucking them into his own jeans.
“Just let me go,” she said, her voice coming out small and timid.
“And why would I do that?” he asked. “We have unfinished business. Did you think I would forget about you just because you snuck off in the middle of the night?”
She gritted her teeth, trying to shove him away so she could escape. Her palms slammed into his chest and did absolutely nothing. He didn’t even rock backward with the force.
Eric barked out a laugh. “Come on, Amber,” he said. “We both know you’re too weak to do anything.”
Her eyes narrowed. She thrashed, trying to wrench herself out of his grasp.
“Let. Me. Go.” She snapped.
Her hand flew up toward his face, and he caught her wrist in a vice-like grip. His eyes burned.
