“Oh, it’s real,” Aurora assures me. She glances over her shoulder, peering up at the massive gl
oomy red brick building. “This place just has a way of fucking with your head.” She shudders then faces me. “This place always has a way of bringing a person back. Even when they’ve escaped in the past.”
My eyes follow hers up the building, working past the iron trellis to the second story and center on one of the barred windows.
And the whole time I keep thinking that maybe I’m not as sane as I thought I was.
Chapter 24
~AFTER~
Aurora’s words flit through my mind.
You’re her. The one that got away.
I don’t understand. Can’t wrap my head around it. If I’m the one that got away, how did I end up back here?
More words from Aurora that make no sense bounce around my brain.
Somehow this place always has a way of bringing you back.
Pacing the length of my room, I growl in frustration and rake a hand through my hair. Maybe the tiny flashes I get have something to do with me getting out. Maybe they do have importance then. Maybe they are telling me something. I replay Dr. Watson’s words in my mind, “I’m trying to help her remember. Not make her forget. ” Maybe that’s what happening to me. Maybe now that I haven’t been given any sedatives my memory is returning. Now I’ll know why I’m here and what happened.
The click of the lock on my door turns and snaps me to attention and banishes all of the questions from my mind for the moment. Damien stands in the doorway, his back straight as a board, a frown on his lips, and a haunted look in his radiant blue eyes. “You have to come with me,” he informs me in a cool voice.
Seeing him after he’s ignored me for so long shakes me to the core, and I can’t do anything but remain in my spot and stare at him. Part of me is angry at him for accusing me of loving Dr. Watson, a man I don’t even know, and the other part of me wants to be folded in his arms more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my entire life.
“Damien, I—.”
He continues regarding me in a cool manner and simply says, “Let’s go.”
I’m not going anywhere with him until he tell me what’s wrong or what I’ve done to upset him. I fold my arms across my chest. “No.”
He slants his eyes. “Excuse me?”
“I said no,” I huff. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me what’s going on.”
He doesn’t give me a chance to say anything else. In one swift movement, he lunges for me, grips onto my arm, and yanks me out the door into the quiet hall. He keeps one hand on my arm and locks my door with his free hand then tries to escort me down the hall. I drag my feet, try to run in the opposite direction, but he’s much stronger than I am. He tightens his grip on my arm and jerks me forward. “You have an appointment with lover boy and I don’t want to get in trouble for you being late because you’re being difficult,” he snaps.
His words blow holes into my chest. Lover boy? Lover boy? “You’re my only lover boy,” I tell him then I lift my free hand and dig my nails into his arm. He growls, stunned by the pain, and releases his hand from my arm. “Stop this! Stop this right now Damien Allen!” I scream and spin on my heel, running away from him down the hall.
I don’t make it very far. He’s next to me in a second, yanking me by the arm again. “You’ve already ripped my heart out of my chest Adelaide.” His tone is rough, gritty, and laced with pain. “Do you want to cut it up and feed it to me as well?”
“You’re being ridiculous!” I shriek and swat at his hand. “I’ve done no such thing! I never would!”
“I thought when you promised me you’d love me forever, you’d stay true to your words. And you didn’t,” he says harshly as he continues to drag me down the hall. “You’re a liar.”
“No!” I shake my head. “I am not! You’re wrong! You’ve got this all wrong!”
Damien stops. His body tenses. Then he looks over at me with a miserable tortured look in his stormy seas of blue. Pain etched across his beautiful face. “When I said I’d love you forever, Addy, I meant it.”
“So did I,” I snap. “I shouldn’t even have to assure you of it.” Pulling my arm from his grasp, I dash out in front him, taking his face into both of my hands. I gaze into his blue eyes that are rolling all over the place. “Look at me.”
He won’t.
“Damien, look at me!”
He brings his eyes to mine and I can remember the first time I gazed into them, that hot summer day in June, that seems like forever ago. I remember going home and closing the front door behind me and giggling like a little girl because he asked me if I wanted to go for a ride. Most of all, I remember thinking that if I could stare into the depths of his gorgeous blue eyes for the rest of my life, I’d be the happiest girl on the planet.