“It’s alright. You’re dreaming,” that same someone told her, their voice gentle and deep. Something brushed the top of her head. It took a second to identify it, but her heart fluttered once she did—warm fingers stroking through her hair. “You’re alright.”
Shivering, Loren glanced up. Her first thought was that it was the moon she saw, glowing through the oppressive dark. Make thattwo, both filling her with peace, while that familiar voice vibrated down her spine.
“It’s alright,” he repeated. “I’m here.”
The words conveyed more than comfort. They were a promise. A vow.
I’m here.
Loren felt her eyes drift shut, her body heavy. A second later, she was asleep, so deeply it was as if she’d never woken up at all.
* * *
Loren was shivering. Once she opened her eyes, she realized why—she was curled into a ball, on top of the covers.
Icy daylight streamed in through the gap in the curtains, falling over her like a spotlight. When she finally found the strength to move, she fully expected to find someone right beside her.
Instead, there was nothing on the blue comforter but her own puddle of drool.
Puzzled, she stumbled into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Then, she got dressed, this time in the other sundress. The dull, brown cotton hung down to her toes, giving hersomeprotection from the cold.
But not enough to erase the building dread that she was alone. The bottom floor of the house seemed just as deserted. For the first time in two days, there was no aroma of cooking breakfast. No cheerful Sonia to greet her with a plate and a smile.
The only things waiting for her on the center island were exactly two pieces of toast and a note.Be back soon. Stay here, Bill.
Bill.Loren shivered as her fingers traced the firm, steady handwriting. A glance out the window revealed the driveway was empty, save for the green pickup. He took the patrol car today, though she wondered where he could have gone so early, when the sun had barely risen.
Puzzled, she downed the toast in a few bites and padded into the living room, feeling as out of place as a mouse smack dab in the middle of the cat’s den.
What should she do? The only likely option seemed to be to start on the massive pile of schoolwork the school assigned her.
Some of it was stuff they had already covered, though the new material didn’t seem that hard. Loren finished it all in no time—way too soon to fill the hours of empty space that stretched on and on...
By the time lunch rolled around, she made herself a peanut butter sandwich, feeling guilty with every single bite. He didn’t seem to be keeping her prisoner—at least not the whips, chains, and forced starvation version. Of course, he meant for her to feed herself while he was gone… Right?
Not that it mattered. By late afternoon, he hadn’t returned.
Loren sat in the kitchen, drumming her fingers against the center island. Waiting. When she heard a sudden knock on the door, she raced for the foyer.It was only then that a part of her realized he wouldn’t have to knock to get inside his own house.
As she hesitated, whoever stood on the other end opened the door without an invitation.
“Well, well, well.” The husky purr accompanied the familiar green eyes that took her in with one calculating sweep. DefinitelynotBill McGoven. “I was wondering what kind of loser would take both Advanced MicrobiologyandCalculus.”
“N-Naomi?” Loren blinked as if just doing so would transform the hostile blond into someone else.
No such luck.
“The one and only,” the blond snapped, pushing her way inside. “You gonna invite me in, or do I have to freeze my ass off?”
“T-This isn’t my house,” Loren stammered. Judging from the pile of paperwork she held, she figured thatNaomiwas the person the school assigned to deliver her work.
“I know,” Naomi said, glancing around the spacious entryway with a sniff. “Yoursis all covered in that caution tape shit. What the fuck did youdo?”
Loren flinched. It had to be all over the news by now that her father was dead.
“You must have done something pretty bad for apolice officerto take you in,” Naomi added suspiciously, fingering a lock of blond hair.
Apparently, the fact that Officer McGoven lived on the Baker farm wasn’t much of a secret.