Page 6 of Broken Butterfly
“We won’t be here.”
“Goddammit, Fallon!”
“If you love her, Ry, let me do this for her. Give her the time she needs.”
I know he’ll do the right thing.
“I don’t like this one damn bit,” he finally says.
Good. He shouldn’t, but I know he won’t stop me. He and I could always say a page’s worth of thoughts in just a few words. If he pushed me to bring her back, I would. I know he won’t because he truly does love her. He wants what’s best for her even if it hurts him. It’s one of the reasons why I admire him.
“Fallon, please tell me that she’s okay.”
“She’s in a real dark place right now. If pushed, she might not come back from it. I can give her the time and help she needs to deal with everything.”
Ryder exhales again. “If anything happens to her, I will hunt you down myself. Fuck, I’m going to regret this. Call me tonight and let me know how she is.”
“I’ll be in touch,” I say, and hang up.
I walk back upstairs carrying the bottled water and banana I got from the kitchen pantry. Matt and the other frat brothers have wisely retreated out of sight. When I open my bedroom door, I see Elizabeth curled up in my bed, fast asleep. I put down the water and fruit on the table next to my bed and sit down in the armchair across from where she’s sleeping. I laze back, propping a knee on top of the other leg, and watch her sleep. Her face is relaxed but I can tell she’s dreaming from the way her body twitches and jerks. She has always been the most beautiful girl in the world to me. She’s always been my obsessive fascination. I would love to be inside her head right now, to live in her mind’s chaos. I’m fucked-up like that.
I feel my phone vibrate and I see a reply to my earlier text.
Unlisted: Can’t talk now. I’ll call you later.
I hear Elizabeth moan, then gasp as her eyes fly open, her green eyes wide in alarm. She blinks a few times when she sees that it’s me sitting across from her. “Fallon?”
“Hey, kitten.”
She sits up and rubs her eyes. “How long was I out?”
“Not long.” I point to the water beside her on the table. She picks it up, twists the top off, and guzzles half of it. “We’re going on a trip,” I tell her, and her face fills with confusion.
“What?”
“We’re leaving. Get up.”
“Leaving for where?”
“Consider it an extended vacation. Trust me,” I tell her.
“Fallon, I have no clothes or shoes.”
I rise from the chair and hold out my hand to her. Elizabeth looks up at me with a scowl.
“I have classes, Fallon. I meet with a therapist twice a week. I can’t just up and leave.”
“Trust me.” My eyes never waver from hers as I keep my hand outstretched in front of me.
It takes a few minutes, but she finally takes my hand without another word.
“Oh, kitten. We’re going to have so much fun, you and I.” The devil inside of me grins.
Chapter 3
Day 1: Finding Myself
It Begins…
