Page 35 of Psycho

I both wanted to get home as quickly as possible and for the drive to go on.

What would Brody do if I asked him to keep driving? To just get me out of there?

Just get me out of here, please.

Sometimes, it felt like I was screaming, and there was no one around to hear.

Or perhaps there was someone, but they just didn’t care.

I blinked as more tears flowed down.

I didn’t move when he finally pulled up to the worn-down white trailer.

The porch light was on, and I looked over at it, not moving and not saying anything. Brody didn’t seem to be in a rush to get me out of there.

“Do you want me to deal with him for you?” Brody asked gruffly.

I smiled a little, even if this wasn’t a smiling kind of situation.

“How do you know it's a boy?” I asked thickly.

“Why else would you be walking in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere?”

His fists clenched around the steering wheel.

I looked at it, feeling more emotions well inside of me. I didn’t think there had ever been another person who was angry on my behalf before.

I shook my head.

“I’m okay,” I said.

He shook his head. “No, but you will be.”

“No, Brody. It’s okay. I don’t want you to deal with him. He’s not worth it.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. “We wait long enough, and I wouldn’t have to deal with him.”

What did that mean?

I was just too mentally—and physically—exhausted to ask.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to him. “Thank you. For showing up when you did.”

I had my hand on the car handle when he stopped me. “Wait. Give me your phone.”

He held out his hand, and I gave it to him without thinking about it.

It didn’t have a lock in place because I barely did anything with it, and Brody got in, putting in his number.

I watched him curiously.

“You are to call me if you ever run into trouble, understand?”

I opened my mouth, but he cut me off with a sharp shake of his head.

“No matter what, Lainey. Understand? I don’t care if it’s in the middle of the night.”

I nodded and took my phone back, unable to say anything.

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