Page 4 of Rock the Boat
Frowning, I drank without thinking. I told myself to be careful of this man named Dom, but I was thirsty, and my need for water overrode my good sense. When the cup was dry, I released the straw, my brow still furrowed. “We were…there was a person with a knife. I was…Matthew was right there with me.”
Dom dropped his gaze to the ground. As soon as he did that, I thought the worst. “No! Oh my god, no!” Tears seeped out of my eyes, and I couldn’t breathe.
Grabbing the sides of my face, Dom leaned in closely. He smelled of peppermint and spice. “Nell, I need you to listen to me. There was no one with you when I got to you. I don’t know who this Matthew person is, but I can try to find him for you.”
“Matthew Black. My fiancé. He was with me that night when we were attacked.” We? No. I don’t remember if Matthew was attacked. Everything was so fuzzy, and I wasn’t sure what I remembered and didn’t remember any longer. He had to have been attacked too.
Something crossed Dom’s face, but it was gone before I could focus and figure it out. I wished I could place him, but I couldn’t remember where I had seen him before. He was familiar and yet a stranger at the same time. “I’ll see what I can find,” he assured me. “Now, get some rest, and I’ll be in later to check on you.”
It felt like all I was doing was resting. How long had I been out of it? Did my parents know where I was? I knew Matthew didn’t, but Dom would find him. Unless Dom was someone I couldn’t trust. Had I been sold to some black-market dealer who would take my kidneys and any other organs?
Against doctor’s orders, I remained awake, trying to figure out what to do next.
Two hours later, Dom opened my door quietly and entered. “You look more awake. How are you feeling?” He stood next to my bed but did not attempt to examine me.
“Who are you really?”
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he sighed. “My name is Dom Zanders. I’m a doctor. I own and run this clinic.”
“You look young for a doctor.”
“How old do you have to look to be a doctor,” he countered with a smile. He had a nice smile.
“Older than you.”
“I’m thirty-eight. I finished premed and then went to medical school at Duke. I did my residency in Raleigh, and now, I’m here in Boston. What’s your story?”
My story? I didn’t have much of one. I was a shut-in and lived for school…until Matthew. “I’m about to graduate with my Ph.D. in chemistry. I met a guy named Matthew, and he asked me to marry him a month ago. We were going to be married next week.” I stopped. My wedding. I needed to get in touch with my parents and Matthew.
“Nell, calm down.” Dom’s voice was soothing and even.
“I need—”
“Breathe. I have to fill in some blanks for you, but I need you to calm down first.” He took a deep breath in, and I found myself following suit. When he exhaled, I did the same. “Better?”
I kept breathing. I no longer felt the panic closing in on me, but I still needed answers. “How long have I been here?”
He glanced away before meeting my gaze once more. “Three weeks.”
“How?”
“Calm, Nell, calm.” When I dipped my head as much as I could without causing myself pain, he continued, “I found you bleeding heavily. You barely had a pulse. Your throat, arm, and stomach had been cut. To be quite honest, I’m surprised you were still alive. You should have been dead, but you were hanging on. I brought you here and nursed you myself.”
“Why? Why not take me—”
“I couldn’t take you to the hospital. This was the only safe place for you.”
“Who are you? Do we know each other?”
His head fell back, and he shook it slowly. “I’m your neighbor’s nephew. I used to come over every weekend and check on Aunt Irene. I fixed your bike chain a time or two. I didn’t know it was you until I found your driver’s license.”
I remembered him. I was in my freshman year in college and on the way to the library to do some research when I realized the chain had come loose. He fixed it in about ten minutes, and I was on my way. “Why? Why bring me here and not the hospital?” The more he explained, the more questions I had, and my head was swimming. Safer? That didn’t make sense to me.
He sighed. “I know you have no real reason to trust me, but I’m asking that you trust me with this. I will tell you everything, but I need you to get better first. If you are up for it, I can help you out of bed, and you can walk a little bit.”
By the time I returned to my bed, I was exhausted. I laid down and fell into a fitful sleep, full of dreams of that night, of Matthew, of the wedding I did not have, and of the future. When I woke up, I was surrounded by darkness, and the moon was peeking through the blinds.
“Are you all right?” Dom asked softly.
