just…”
He pulls me back to his chest, shushing me, “I like it. We should have just hugged it out much sooner and saved ourselves a lot of trouble.”
I stand, locked in his arms and listening to the waves crashing to the beach, and for the first time since waking up, I smile.
~*~
‘You’ll get to see outside, but you’ll never be outside again.’
I wake up screaming. I try to gasp in some air but I can’t stop myself from screaming, it just pours out of me.
The light goes on and then someone grabs hold of me. I start to hit at the person and manage to crawl away, and then I’m up and running. I race down a passage, knowing there’s someone behind me. “Amy!” A man shouts, and it spurs me on to run even faster.
I take the stairs two at a time, my foot slips and I tumble down the last two ending up on my knees. I don’t give up. I can’t let him catch me!
I race towards the front door and struggle with the locks, my fingers fumbling, knowing freedom is just on the other side.
I finally manage to unlock the door and yank it open. A cool breeze welcomes me into the dark night.
I’m free! I made it!
An arm goes around me, and I’m taken down to the ground by the full weight of the person behind me.
“It’s me, Amy!” He shouts … and then, “It’s Noah.”
He wipes the hair from my face and I look up at him. He’s panting for air, just like I am. His arm is tightly around my waist, and he keeps brushing hair from my face. “It’s me, Princess.”
“Noah?” My voice sounds small and strangled even to me.
He leans closer, his full body weight pressing into mine, as if he’s scared I’ll run again. “You’re safe, Princess, you’re safe.”
There’s so much pressure in my chest, it hurts. I suck in a breath of air and it sounds strangled.
“He said I’ll never be outside again!” I rasp the words out and then hot tears follow.
“You’re outside!” Noah takes hold of my chin and turns my face into the night. “You’re outside, look at the ocean.”
Through blurring eyes I see the moon reflecting far on the ocean. “I’m outside,” I repeat Noah’s words.
He starts to get up and the full force of the panic attack slams hard into me again. I grab hold of Noah around his neck and cling to him. “Don’t go! Don’t leave me. Please, Noah!”
His arms go around me and he holds me tightly to his bare chest. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. Let’s go sit over there,” he whispers, and he starts to lead me to some lounge chairs on the deck.
“I’ll stay with her,” he says to someone else. I don’t look to see who it is. I only focus on holding on to Noah. He’s the only one that makes me feel safe.
I’m safe with Noah.
~*~
Chapter Twenty-Five
Noah~
This sucks. I glance over to where Uncle Garrett is standing, a torn look on his face. I know he wants to comfort her, but Amy’s coming to me to be comforted. Holding her gives me some relief from the crushing guilt that’s been weighing so heavily on me. I made a wrong decision to not listen to Amy, and I’ll do everything in my power to never hurt her, or let her down again.
“I’ll stay with her,” I tell Uncle Garrett and then take Amy to the lounge chairs. Before we get to a chair I feel something wet on my arm. I glance behind Amy and the second I see the blood, I yank my arm away.
“Fuck, you’re bleeding.” I grab her hand and pull her towards the house. I see the questioning look on Uncle Garrett’s face and I quickly explain, “Her back is bleeding.”
Uncle Garrett looks into the house and must be talking to Aunt Kris when he says, “Amy’s back started bleeding again.”
I follow Uncle Garrett in, pulling Amy behind me. Aunt Kris has a worried look on her face when she says, “Can you take her to the bathroom. I’ll be there now. I’m just going to get a fresh bandage.”
I take a silent Amy upstairs. When we get to the bathroom I put down the toilet seat so she can
He pulls me back to his chest, shushing me, “I like it. We should have just hugged it out much sooner and saved ourselves a lot of trouble.”
I stand, locked in his arms and listening to the waves crashing to the beach, and for the first time since waking up, I smile.
~*~
‘You’ll get to see outside, but you’ll never be outside again.’
I wake up screaming. I try to gasp in some air but I can’t stop myself from screaming, it just pours out of me.
The light goes on and then someone grabs hold of me. I start to hit at the person and manage to crawl away, and then I’m up and running. I race down a passage, knowing there’s someone behind me. “Amy!” A man shouts, and it spurs me on to run even faster.
I take the stairs two at a time, my foot slips and I tumble down the last two ending up on my knees. I don’t give up. I can’t let him catch me!
I race towards the front door and struggle with the locks, my fingers fumbling, knowing freedom is just on the other side.
I finally manage to unlock the door and yank it open. A cool breeze welcomes me into the dark night.
I’m free! I made it!
An arm goes around me, and I’m taken down to the ground by the full weight of the person behind me.
“It’s me, Amy!” He shouts … and then, “It’s Noah.”
He wipes the hair from my face and I look up at him. He’s panting for air, just like I am. His arm is tightly around my waist, and he keeps brushing hair from my face. “It’s me, Princess.”
“Noah?” My voice sounds small and strangled even to me.
He leans closer, his full body weight pressing into mine, as if he’s scared I’ll run again. “You’re safe, Princess, you’re safe.”
There’s so much pressure in my chest, it hurts. I suck in a breath of air and it sounds strangled.
“He said I’ll never be outside again!” I rasp the words out and then hot tears follow.
“You’re outside!” Noah takes hold of my chin and turns my face into the night. “You’re outside, look at the ocean.”
Through blurring eyes I see the moon reflecting far on the ocean. “I’m outside,” I repeat Noah’s words.
He starts to get up and the full force of the panic attack slams hard into me again. I grab hold of Noah around his neck and cling to him. “Don’t go! Don’t leave me. Please, Noah!”
His arms go around me and he holds me tightly to his bare chest. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. Let’s go sit over there,” he whispers, and he starts to lead me to some lounge chairs on the deck.
“I’ll stay with her,” he says to someone else. I don’t look to see who it is. I only focus on holding on to Noah. He’s the only one that makes me feel safe.
I’m safe with Noah.
~*~
Chapter Twenty-Five
Noah~
This sucks. I glance over to where Uncle Garrett is standing, a torn look on his face. I know he wants to comfort her, but Amy’s coming to me to be comforted. Holding her gives me some relief from the crushing guilt that’s been weighing so heavily on me. I made a wrong decision to not listen to Amy, and I’ll do everything in my power to never hurt her, or let her down again.
“I’ll stay with her,” I tell Uncle Garrett and then take Amy to the lounge chairs. Before we get to a chair I feel something wet on my arm. I glance behind Amy and the second I see the blood, I yank my arm away.
“Fuck, you’re bleeding.” I grab her hand and pull her towards the house. I see the questioning look on Uncle Garrett’s face and I quickly explain, “Her back is bleeding.”
Uncle Garrett looks into the house and must be talking to Aunt Kris when he says, “Amy’s back started bleeding again.”
I follow Uncle Garrett in, pulling Amy behind me. Aunt Kris has a worried look on her face when she says, “Can you take her to the bathroom. I’ll be there now. I’m just going to get a fresh bandage.”
I take a silent Amy upstairs. When we get to the bathroom I put down the toilet seat so she can
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