- RORY -
The first thing I do when I shut the bathroom door is turn around and flatten against it. I'm alone. I'm safe. All of that just happened—the nightmare, the intruder, the shadow, the chase. And Luci happened. All of Luci.
But now we're here. I found him. He's with me. I'm safe. Raya and Dex are safe.
I look down at my hand again that's pink and puffy around the black stitches and feel that sinking regret in the pit of my stomach for something so stupid I inflicted on myself. My head drops back against the door and eyes close, the mess of nerves everywhere finally the only thing I have to concentrate on. It feels like my whole body is jumping under its skin. Even my eyelids seem to have little live wires running through them that make it hard to just keep them closed.
I release a deep breath, realizing my breaths are only beginning to become less shallow. The fight or flight response is still on alert, prepared for more that it needs to face.
