Page 88 of Chasing Hope

Fearing history will repeat itself.

“Maybe one day,” is what I settle on.

He nods, still holding my hand. “I’ll be here, waiting for the day.” He pauses. “And Dove?”

“Yes?”

“I’ll always believe you.”

That’s what scares me.

Chapter 28

Evie—Age thirteen

Ihave a bad feeling.

A really, truly,horriblefeeling.

It’s been months since the monster has come into my room, and in those weeks I started to feel safe and enjoy spending time in my room again. But something happened, and the monster that hasn’t peered at me through soulless brown eyes in months…is back.

Leering at me like I’m his.

Eyeing my body like he owns it.

Gazing at me like he can take what he wants.

The switch was noticeable at dinner, a switch that was only perceptible to me, it seems. Everyone was over, we were gathered around the dining table, and I had the unfortunate luck of being seated beside him.

But looking back now, was that bad luck or his manipulation?

Mom and Dad were engrossed in conversation with our neighbors from across the road, Matteo and Caleb were talking about the hockey game they have this Saturday, and I was laughing.

I was happy.

I felt…okay around him.

Until I laughed at something Caleb said to Matteo and felt his hand slide along my thigh beneath the table.

My entire body froze.

My lungs stopped expanding.

My heart stopped pumping blood.

It took every ounce of my strength not to cry.

This can’t be happening, I thought.He hasn’t touched me in months and now of all places at the dinner table?

He’s never touched me at the dinner table when he was at the house. I was hoping it was a mistake, was hoping he would remove his hand from my thigh…but he didn’t. It just kept climbing higher and higher and higher until my head grew cloudy, pins and needles encased my limbs, and I floated away.

It had been so long since I flew away, and yet the second his hand grazed my body he had always tried to claim as his own, I was gone in a second.

That was when Matteo cocked his head and said, “Dove?”

Like a savior, the monster removed his hand the moment Matteo placed his attention on me.

Those green eyes were like a tether, a rope that I could use to pull myself down to earth. But once I was back, all I wanted to do was die. I know what comes next, what’s in store for me.