Page 197 of Once Upon a Fable

I had no answer, but I believed this was the best thing...for both of us. He’d get his asylum back; I’d go home to my house. We would both move on and forget.

Inhaling hard, ignoring the prickle behind my eyes, I turned and headed toward my already packed backpack waiting by the door.

“I’m not lonely while you’re here. That’s why you can’t go. Why you can never go. You’re mine.”

Argh, what if I was making a mistake?

Gem...stop it.

You’ve lost sight of reality. This man kidnapped you. He sexually forced you. He—

Yeah, yeah. I know, I know.

I sniffed and balled my hands.

But he also looked at me for help. Trusted me in his dreams. Ate from my hands. Moaned at my touch.

Gah, stop it!

Time to go.

With jittery fingers, I pulled the straps and heaved the weight onto my back. Liquid threatened to slip from my traitorous eyes as I buckled and cinched my belongings into position.

Don’t you dare.

Do not cry over this.

You tried.

You did more than most.

It’s obvious you can’t stay.

I gritted my teeth. My jumping thoughts were right. Josh deserved to know I was alive. I’d been missing for three weeks. If he wasn’t so young, I’d fear he’d have died from a heart attack from all the stress. My mother would be panicked, but thanks to Dad’s death, she was sort of numb to disasters these days. However, I still owed her a hug and an assurance that my ‘crazy career climbing pebbles,’ as she called it, hadn’t cost me my life as she’d morbidly predicted.

I’d found a man in a valley.

I’d tried to help that man.

I’d developed feelings for that man.

I was turning my back on his well-being to protect mine.

I was selfless and selfish.

I was being a good daughter but a horrible friend.

A considerate sister but a disgraceful nurse.

Life was never easy.

Planting my hand firmly on the door handle, I yanked it wide. Starlight and midnight flooded into the kitchen, embracing my dash into its inkiness.

Unlike the last time I ran, Kas wouldn’t be able to chase after me.

There would be no sex in a thunderstorm. No talking in a Jeep. No falling against all common sense in the rain.

You know you have no choice, Gem.