Page 79 of Rapunzel Is Losing It

I waited until the door had fallen shut behind her and counted to sixty before I picked up my phone.

Cordelia • 11:58am

You’re mine.

Victor • 11:59am

Yes

Cordelia • 11:59am

I won’t let him touch you.

I didn’t waitfor Victor’s next reply. Instead, I scrolled through my contacts and called the one person who could frame a narrative like nobody else. He picked up fast enough to make me think he must have been expecting this call - and he would do just about anything to stay on my good side.

“Silas? I have a proposition for you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The gloved handmuffled each sound, but I kept screaming. Screaming for my mom, for help, for mercy. She didn’t move. Of course she didn’t move. I’d seen the bullets tear through her chest.

“Grab the girl, Nick.”

I was hauled off my feet like I weighed nothing. Like I wasn’t supposed to stay with my mom. They couldn’t just leave her there.

I kept screaming until something hard came down on the back of my head and knocked me out.

And then there was light. So much of it.

I blinked against my bedroom, shooting upright.

“You’re alright. You’re fine.” Victor’s voice barely broke through the images still flooding my mind. The four words that had changed the complete trajectory of my life.

Victor crossed the room but I threw my hands up to stop him before he could touch me. I could still feel the imprint of the gloved hand over my mouth.“Grab the girl, Nick.”

“Not real. Not real,” I mumbled, shaking my head.

“I’m very real, zhizn’ moya.” He crouched down, tilting his head in search for my gaze, but my eyes were still roaming over every corner of the room. Nobody. Nobody was hiding in the shadows. Nobody was going to grab me.

“Not you,” I breathed.

“There’s nobody here. It was just a bad dream.”

“No,” I lowered my shaking hands, “I can hear them even after I wake up, Victor. I don’t have nightmares. I have memories.”

“But both are just in your mind.” He shifted his weight onto the mattress, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted him closer. I needed to soak up his warmth.

I scooted aside and lifted the edge of my tangled blanket. Victor didn’t need a verbal invitation. He hadn’t even settled yet when I slung my arms around him, slotting against his side. I rested my head on his chest, finding the steady rhythm of his heart and letting it slow my breathing.

“You’re alright,” he whispered against my crown, rubbing slow, soothing circles into my back.

We lay there for a few minutes, until my pulse eased and my thoughts cleared. And I became very aware of the fact that I had invited Victor into my bed and was resting my cheek against his chest. And it didn’t feel wrong. Not having him around was worse. This? This was meant to be. Him coming home, lying next to me, his perfect earthy scent engulfing me.

“Did you just get home?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied, voice rumbling low in his chest, “I came straight from the airport, sent Irina off and was about to check on you when I heard you scream.”

“I’m sorry, you should go get some sleep,” I tried to push off him but his arms locked around me.

---