Page 97 of Until Tomorrow Comes
“Zack, we’re over. I left yo—” Her words are cut off and the sound of glass breaking has me gripping the steering wheel so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t break.
My phone vibrates, and I see a second call coming through. Declining Alan’s call, I text him and Coop again.
Me:
He doesn’t know I’m on a call listening. Not hanging up. Call 911 and someone get there. Now.
Cooper:
Will be there in 10. Thea’s phone is dead & at your house, I’m calling police now.
Alan:
10 minutes out too, maybe less.
I don’t bother responding. There’s nothing I have to say that will change anything. Plus all I can wonder is why Thea isn’t with Kat in the first place. That’s the whole reason I agreed to leave.
Instead of going down that route, I listen to everything going on all while cursing at myself for not listening to my gut.
I shouldn’t have left Kat.
32
Kat
Breathing in through my nose, I fill my lungs and hold my breath for a long moment before letting it out. All the while staring up at the man who put me through hell.
I thought that I would never forget how it felt to be on the receiving end of his hand. That, while I had become numb during the course of our relationship, the sting of his abuse would be etched into my brain for the rest of my life.
But now, when his palm meets my cheek, the pain nearly blinds me. Although that probably also has to do with the fact he hit where I was already cut from the alarm panel.
Zack towers over me, breathing heavily and glaring down at me.
“Do you know how embarrassing this has been?” He reaches for me, yanking me by my hair until our faces are barely inches apart. “Do you know how many strings my father has had to pull to keep your attention seeking stunt under wraps and out of the news?”
I keep my mouth shut, knowing that he doesn’t actually want a response. He tightens his grip, pushing to his feet, and pulling me up with him. I stumble, my back hitting the wall.
Over his shoulder, I see my phone on the kitchen island. It’s lit up and, from here, I can tell the call with Jackson is still active.
Hope blooms in my chest knowing that he would have sent for help.
Zack snags my attention back to him, letting my hair go only to hold me in place with a hand around my throat. My eyes widen and I scramble to grab hold of his wrists.
“Stop.” I scratch at him, but he only tightens his grip. Gasping for breath, I fight to stay focused. Desperation has me lifting my knee hard, meaning to collide with his crotch, but he moves at the last second. Even still, it’s enough for me to rip out of his hold.
Ducking out of his reach, I move quickly toward the kitchen. Grabbing my phone and rounding the island.
Zack collects himself, spinning on his heel and glaring at me.
“That was a mistake.”
I shake my head, checking in both directions and trying to think of something. When I look back at Zack, his attention has dropped to the phone in my hand. My heart skips and I know immediately stalling isn’t an option anymore.
“Give me the phone.” He says through clenched teeth. Faintly, I hear Jackson calling my name through my phone. The sound of his voice has me shaking my head, swallowing thickly, and praying my voice doesn’t break.
“Leave, before the police get here.”
Jaw clenched tightly, he takes a step closer. Jackson says my name again and this time Zack hears.
