Don’t Let Me Break by Linda Verji

 

 

CHAPTER 9

 

There it is. There’s the door.

Exhilaration and relief racing through her, Marley stumbled towards the door. Finally, she was getting out of here. Finally, she was waking up.

She’d been trapped in her dreams for what felt like an eternity, unable to see or hear anything. All she had for company was fear, panic and memories of the attack that had driven her deep into her dream.

At first all she did was curl up in a ball of terror. However, soon visions of her life outside her dreams started to seep in. She’d been through so much to fix herself. She wasn’t as broken on the inside as she used to be. People now thought of her as a quiet, pleasant and hardworking woman, not a freak of nature. She even had friends now and a job that she really, really liked. Also, Kenny was waiting for her outside. She had too many things to live for on the outside.

Slowly, she uncurled. The fear disappeared and was replaced by the certainty that this wasn’t her place. That she needed to get out. That she needed to wake up. But that was easier said than done.

Her sleep was like a dark, foggy forest with no visible exit. She’d wandered around, looking for the door out with little luck. Worse, the shadowy, faceless monsters inside the forest seemed determined to trap her in here with them. They kept whispering to her to stop looking because she’d never find the door. But she kept looking. And today, she’d found it.

It was a bright, red door. Glimmering in the darkness like a beacon of fire and calling her name. With certain steps, she marched to it then yanked it open. Immediately, a bright white light overwhelmed her. She had to take a step back and shield her eyes to keep from being blinded. But soon, she opened her eyes again.

Beyond the light there was nothing but white.

When Marley was younger, she’d turned away from that white nothingness several times and walked back into the forest. Back then, her reasoning was ‘better the forest you know than the white light you don’t’. However, the years had taught her that the white light was nothing to fear, that real life wasn’t that bad.

So determinedly, she closed her eyes and plunged into the white light.

It felt like floating. Like she was a light feather slowly drifting back to earth. There was no wind, no sound and no pain as she fell. Just blessed peace. When she gently landed, she took a deep breath then opened her eyes.

She woke up to find herself in an unfamiliar bedroom. The room was large and decorated in a masculine style; beige drapes, gray walls, navy carpet, black armchair, black vanity, and black wingback bed. It definitely wasn’t hers or Kenny’s room.

Where the hell am I? Marley sat up in the bed and looked around. On the floor was a tote-bag, a black dress and red stilettos. It was definitely not what she’d been wearing or carrying when she’d been attacked. The bag was hers though. The dress wasn’t hers and she didn’t recognize it. However, the stilettos were very familiar. They looked like the ones Kenny had bought a few weeks ago to celebrate a raise.

Why the hell were Kenny’s shoes on the floor of this strange room? A second later, it hit Marley. Hazel was here.

Oh no! Instant panic seared through Marley, and tears jumped to her eyes. Please tell me that she didn’t have another one-night stand.

Her teary gaze raced to her body, and she realized that she was wearing a pajama top and panties. The last time Hazel had done something like this, Marley had woken up naked and in the arms of a tattooed football player so this was a vast improvement.

Her insides shivering in fear, Marley shifted around on the bed trying to determine if she’d had sex. Nope! Her body felt normal. No strange twinges or aches. She got out of the bed and took off the top. No strange bruises from a rough handling. No sex had been had… at least not today.

Still, that wasn’t enough to lift Marley’s mood. It didn’t matter whether Hazel was an angel or devil when she had Marley’s body. Just the fact that she’d appeared was horrifying because it meant that Marley wasn’t in control of her own life. That she was just as broken as always. And she hated it.

As a tear slid down her cheek, Marley picked up the bag and rummaged through it. Inside, she found her own clothes, a pair of sneakers and her phone. She pulled out the phone and checked the date. A smidgeon of relief pulsed through her when she realized that she’d only been gone for a day or so. There were twenty-six missed calls from Kenny and several more from her coworkers. She called Kenny first.

“Hazel Carter,” Kenny screamed into the phone as soon as she picked it up. “Where the hell have you been? Get your hoe ass back home right now or-”

Her voice shaky and low, Marley cut her off, “Kenny, it’s me.”

Even without an introduction, her sister immediately recognized her. “Marley?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh my God, Marley, you’re awake. Where are you?” Panic dripped from her voice, Kenny’s rushed on, “Tell me where you are. I’ll come pick you.”

“I don’t know where I am.” Her voice trembling and teary, Marley explained, “I woke up right now and found myself in a weird bedroom.”

“That bitch!” Kenny exploded. A second later, she calmed down and worry took over. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“No, I don’t think she did anything.”

“Good.” Relief in her voice, Kenny asked, “Is anyone there with you?”

“No-” Marley paused for a beat then added, “At least not in this room.”

“Is there a window?”

Marley glanced at the large, floor-to-ceiling window that took up most of the left wall. “Yeah.”

“Go check outside it,” Kenny ordered, “See if you recognize anything.”

With her older sister still on the phone, Marley walked to the window. When she stared outside all she saw was a swimming pool and the adjacent lawn. She still couldn’t tell where she was.

“That’s okay,” Kenny reassured. “Turn on your phone’s GPS.”

That was a great suggestion because Marley soon found out that she was at The Sky Way Apartments which was a thirty-minute drive from their place.

“I’ll come get you,” Kenny offered.

“That will take too long and I want to get out of here as soon as possible,” Marley said. “I’ll just call a cab.”

“What if the owner of the house tries to make you stay?”

“Then I’ll call you and the police.” Even though she was a bundle of fear and panic, Marley tried to sound confident as assured, “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

Reluctantly, Kenny ended the call.

Immediately after, Marley called for a cab. Once she knew one would arrive within ten minutes, she darted into the en-suite, rushed through her ablutions then came back into the bedroom. She changed into the t-shirt and jeans that were in the tote-bag and put her braids up into her ponytail. Feeling more like herself, she quickly stuffed the skimpy dress and stilettos into the tote-bag. She hiked her bag over her shoulders, grabbed her sneakers and headed for the door. Careful not to make unnecessary noise, she slowly opened the door.

Eerie silence met her as she stepped out into the hallway. Her heart in her throat, she glanced left and right to make sure there was no one. No one appeared. She dragged in a deep breath then crept down the hallway towards the arch that presumably led to freedom.

Unfortunately, just as she got there, she heard the snap of a key turning. She froze on the spot.

Please don’t open, she pleaded internally. Please don’t open.

The door opened.

Oh no! Afraid to turn and see what kind of wolf owned this den, Marley just stood there like a statue with her back to whoever had appear.

“You’re awake,” a voice called out.

The voice was so familiar that Marley turned at its sound only to come face-to-face with her worst nightmare. Though the suit had been replaced by a white t-shirt and jungle-green joggers, the man standing at the door was still undoubtedly her boss.

She gasped. “Mr. Levy?”

She was in Sebastian Levy’s house? Hazel had brought them to her boss’s house?

Oh Jesus! Marley’s heart dropped right to her stomach. Waking up at a stranger’s house would’ve been horrifying but it would still have been better than this. How could Hazel do this to her? How had that witch even managed to get herself into Sebastian’s house in just one day?

“Mr. Levy?” Sebastian’s mouth crooked in a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Walking towards her, he added, “It’s strange to hear you call me that after all the babes you threw at me last night.”

Babes? Marley’s eye widened even more as she stared at her boss in absolute shock. Hazel had called him babe? Had she tried to pick him up or was it the other way round? And where and how had the picking up happened? Had any of their coworkers witnessed it? Oh my God! This was her boss.

Sebastian stopped in front of her. “Were you just going to sneak out without letting me know?”

Marley answered with silence. This was horrible. So, so, horrible. In just one day, Hazel had royally screwed up Marley’s career. How would she live this down at work? Did she even still have a job? Should she start sending out applications?

“Did I say something wrong?” Sebastian frowned. “Why are you crying?”

I’m not, Marley thought right before she realized that she was actually crying. With her free hand, she swiped at the wetness on her cheeks and eyes.

Now concerned, he asked, “Are you okay?”

No, I’m not okay. Her voice strangled, she stammered, “I’m so- I’m sorry.”

His eyebrows rose. “Huh?’”

“For- for whatever I did last night.” Marley lowered her gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry.”

She expected him to berate her for whatever crap Hazel had done. But instead, he just studied her in silence. Though she couldn’t see his face, she could feel his gaze burning into her, and it increased her nervousness.

When he spoke, his voice was oddly soft. “It’s okay. You didn’t seem like yourself last night.”

That’s because I wasn’t. Still not meeting his eyes, she stumbled over her words. “I- I have- I have to go.”

“You have to go where?” he asked. When she didn’t respond, he prodded, “Home?”

She nodded.

“Why don’t I make you breakfast first?” he offered. “Then I’ll drive you home.”

“I al- I al-” She sneaked a glance at him. “I already called- called a cab.”

He frowned. “Already?”

She nodded.

“Then at least let me get you a jacket,” he offered. “It’s cold today.”

While she stood out in the hallway, he walked back into the room he’d just exited. A minute later, he came carrying a black jacket.

“It’s a little big for you but it’s better than nothing,” he offered as he held out the jacket to her.

While he held her bag and sneakers for her, she shrugged on his jacket. The garment smelled just like him; a cross between masculine, expensive, clean and soothing. It made her want to bury her nose in it just so she could get a better whiff.

Once she’d zipped it up to her neck, she reached for her purse and sneakers. “Thank you.”

Just then her phone rang. It was her cab.

Still watching her like she had him completely baffled, he offered, “I’ll walk you down.”

Please don’t, she wanted to say. Instead, she found herself whispering, “O- okay.”

The silent walk to the elevator and the equally silent ride down to the ground floor was just as awkward, tense and uncomfortable as she expected. Though the looks Sebastian kept giving her said he had many questions, he didn’t say a word. As for her, she wasn’t the type to start a conversation… especially when she was nervous. And so the tense silence persisted until they got to the ground floor.

As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Marley spotted the cab waiting in front of the building entrance. Though she ached to run to it just so she could get out of Sebastian’s presence, she forced herself to match his steps.

Outside, Sebastian opened the cab’s door for her.

“Thank you.” Marley got in.

Before closing the door, he said, “See you at work on Monday.”

It was a simple, innocent statement, but Marley brain interpreted it as a threat. See you at work on Monday. Did he mean that she should prepare to pay for her sins on Monday? Absentminded, she gave the cab-driver her address. See you at work on Monday. Did that mean he’d report her to HR on Monday? Should she start looking for a new job?

As the cab started moving, fresh tears jumped into her eyes.

Why did Hazel have to come back? Why couldn’t she just stay gone? Tears streamed down Marley’s face as she started out into passing traffic. She had worked so hard over the last two years to get her life back on track, and in just one night that girl had crushed it in her fist like it was nothing.

This was typical Hazel. She did crazy things then Marley had to deal with the consequences.