Page 34 of Psycho

I wasn’t even halfway home. This was barely the tip, and it had taken me thirty minutes just to walk down from there.

This would no doubt take me all night just to get home.

Frustration blurred my vision, and I bit my lip to keep from crying.

I didn’t care that my relationship with Garrett was over.

He had been nothing more than a means to an end, and perhaps I deserved to be left stranded in the middle of the night. Because I’d been using him to stave off the loneliness I felt, and maybe, he knew it too.

I shook my head.

It didn’t matter the reason we were together.

It only mattered that he had tried to hurt me and left me here.

At least, that was what I was trying to tell myself.

A flash of light came to my left, and I straightened, watching the light of what looked like a truck approach me with caution. I was half-tempted to hide in a bush by the side of the road, but whoever it was had already seen me.

My eyes roamed about the place, trying to find something I could use as a weapon in case the person meant me harm, but I found nothing. I could use nothing but a piece of rock about the size of my fist, just three feet away from me.

I edged closer to it as the truck slowed down near me, my heart feeling like it was about to lurch out of my throat and land in a messy heap on the ground by my feet.

The driver’s side was to me when the truck came to a stop. Had I not been internally freaking out, I might have noticed how familiar the truck looked, and when the window rolled down, I stood frozen in surprise.

“Brody? What are you doing here?”

He grunted. “Get in. I’ll drive you home.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How did you know I was here?”

He didn’t say anything for a beat. “I didn’t. I like to come here sometimes to get away from the noise. I saw you walking. What are you doing here?”

I didn’t answer him, though I had a feeling he knew—or at least, he could guess. His eyes hardened a bit before he let out a small sigh. “Get in, Lainey. It’s late, and you don’t want to be caught walking around here in the middle of the night.”

I hesitated, unsure why I felt he was lying to me, but I didn’t know what he was lying about. And I was tired. I didn’t want to keep walking around in the middle of nowhere.

Without another word, I moved around the front of the truck and got inside the passenger side.

“Thank you,” I said, putting on my seatbelt.

I shivered.

I didn’t even realize I was cold until I got into his truck.

Brody offered me his usual response by grunting and turning on the heat for me.

I looked off to the side, tears stinging my eyes and my bottom lip trembling.

I wasn’t emotional, but I supposed everything had caught up to me now that I was safe. The numbness was gone, and in its place was an emotional wreck.

I didn’t think I would miss the numbness, but I did, and I didn’t know what to do with myself when all the emotions rushed in.

I sniffed, and a tissue was held out in front of me. Brody didn’t say anything, which I appreciated.

I grabbed the tissue and wiped my eyes and nose as we quietly drove home.

It didn’t take all that long.

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