Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“Yeah,” I say softly. I’m still clutching Slater’s shirt over my sliced hand. “I wish...I just wish I remember them. I look, and I feel such a strong sense of familiarity, but I just can’t get the memories to surface.”
“You know,” Damon says, turning towards me a little. “Maybe they’re not going to. Maybe you’re putting so much pressure on your mind to remember, that you’re not listening to your body. Your heart, Ellie, is the best part about you. If you stop fighting what you know, and what you don’t know, and just let your heart and body guide you, you might just find it’ll lead you to what feels right, and the rest will fall in place.”
I blink up at him.
Because, maybe...just maybe, he’s right.
My body and my head always feel two different things.
Sometimes my body warms with comfort and warmth when I’m around these guys, but I fight it, I fight it because...well...because I don’t trust myself.
“I’m not sure I trust my body anymore...how will I know it’s telling me the right thing?”
Damon looks down at me, and oh my, he’s so incredibly handsome. “Because your body won’t lie to you, Ellie. If you trust it. When you saw this house, what did you feel?”
“Home,” I say immediately.
He smiles down at me, “Exactly. And I’ll tell you something for nothing, this is your home. Your body knew that. Your mind knew that. Your heart knew that. You are the one fighting against yourself. Listen more, think less...”
Slater appears in my line of vision, with a first aid kit in his hands. “Time to clean up.”
His eyes scan over the photos, and then meet mine. And I just stare at him, and try to forget my mind, and just listen to my body. My body, oh, my body says run to him, curl yourself into his arms, and never let go.
And that scares me.
Because...Damon might be right. My body just might have the answers my mind is refusing to give me.
And that’s terrifying.
“Okay,” I say, shaking the thoughts from my mind, and walking over to where Slater is now sitting.
We’re also joined by Lincoln, Finn, Malakai and Maverick.
A group effort, I see.
I give them all a weak smile and my cheeks flush, as I sit down beside Slater.
“Give me your hand,” Slater says, moving closer, so close his big body presses against mine when I give him my hand. My breath hitches, and I pray he didn’t notice.
Sitting this close to him makes me almost...giddy.
And nervous.
Like a teenage girl.
I swallow. My body is telling me far more than I think I’m ready to hear.
Slater starts cleaning my hand, and I grit my teeth to stop from wincing. I’ve dealt with worse, far worse. But I still hate pain. Pain reminds me of the life I lived, and I don’t like living in that nightmare any longer than I already do.
“Okay, Ellie,” Malakai says. “Know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but we need to know as much as you’re willin’ to share. That bastard got a little too close tonight, and we can’t risk it happening again. That okay with you, sweetheart?”
I like Malakai. He’s big, and really scary, but he’s kind. So kind.
“Okay,” I say, nodding. “I’ll answer as much as I can.”
Malakai smiles, and it’s comforting, because it makes me feel safe.
“You said you don’t know his name?” Maverick asks, glancing at me.
“No. I don’t know his name. But...one time...he did make me call him Paul. I asked if that was his name, and he got angry. I don’t know if it was some sort of...mental thing, or if it has anything to do with him and who he is...”
“Got to help. We’ve looked into Riley, but found nothing. You don’t know where you were kept?” Malakai asks.
“No,” I say softly. “And when Riley helped me escape, it was on the terms that I didn’t know where I was. So, he got me out, but I didn’t see anything. We just drove, and drove, and then I got on a plane in Los Angeles and flew home. Where we came from, I simply do not know. I don’t even know if Riley ever went back, or if that was even his real name. I just know he helped me. But he made sure I couldn’t trace it back to them. So he was protecting him...and I have my suspicions as to why.”
“Why?” Lincoln asks, his voice not as warm, but not hard, either.
“Because I think Riley is his son.”
They all stare at me.
I go on. It’s about time I started letting some of this out. If they don’t find him, he’ll find me...and I know this time he won’t let me escape. I know it.
“Riley wasn’t around, at least, I don’t remember him being around, until the last few years. He kind of just showed up, like he trusted him to see me. Riley was...I don’t know...broken kind of. He did everything he could to try and get Masters approval...”