Chapter 13 #2
Orion immediately goes on alert. His posture straightens, and he sets the envelope down, placing a finger to his lips to signal for silence.
My heart thuds painfully. I watch him cross to the light switch, flicking it off to keep us hidden from whoever might be outside.
The sudden darkness in the room sends my senses into overdrive; every little sound seems amplified.
“Lock this door behind me,” he whispers, nodding toward the bedroom door. “Stay put.”
My voice trembles, but I manage to speak. “Be careful.”
He offers a tight smile, then reaches behind his back.
To my shock, he pulls a gun from under his jacket.
The faint metallic gleam catches the dim light coming from the hallway.
My stomach drops. Of course he’s armed. He’s my bodyguard, I remind myself, but seeing the weapon in his hands drives home the seriousness of the situation.
Orion edges into the hallway, moving silently.
I peer around the doorway, heart hammering.
“Lock the door,” he repeats, motioning with his hand.
Reluctantly, I close the door and twist the flimsy bedroom lock with a click.
It feels woefully inadequate to keep out any real threat, but it’s all I have.
Adrenaline surges through me as I listen for sounds of struggle or confrontation.
My ears strain, picking up only the pounding of my own heart.
I inch closer to the window, careful not to expose myself, and peek outside.
The yard is dark, illuminated only by the glow of a distant streetlight.
A silhouette flickers at the brink of my vision.
I yank my head back, pulse skyrocketing. Is that Jason? My entire body trembles.
Seconds tick by like hours. I hear the distant sound of Orion’s footsteps, a creak of the back door. A hush falls, broken only by a muffled rustling outside. My imagination runs wild. Could it be a raccoon? A neighbor out late? Or is it Jason, lurking, waiting for the chance to catch me alone?
The door to my bedroom rattles softly. I nearly jump out of my skin until I realize it’s Orion. I scramble to unlock it. He steps inside, still holding the gun at his side. He’s breathing a bit heavier, but he looks composed.
“I checked the perimeter,” he says quietly, eyes flicking around the room to be sure we’re still secure. “No sign of anyone. Might’ve been a stray cat or an animal rummaging around.”
I let out a long, shaky exhale, relief washing over me in a dizzying wave. “God, I’m paranoid,” I mutter, though a part of me isn’t sure if it really was an animal or if he’s just trying to spare me the worry.
Orion lifts a hand, gently resting it on my shoulder. “You’re not paranoid. You’ve got every reason to be uneasy. But I’m here, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
I look up, my gaze snagging on the gun in his hand. Swallowing hard, I nod. “Thank you.”
He slips the weapon back into its holster, hidden beneath his jacket. His presence calms me in a way I can’t quite explain, like an anchor in a storm. Finally, he looks around the room, exhaling slowly. “Let’s finish up here. The sooner we’re out, the better.”
I agree. We gather the last few items—letters, random scribblings Jason once left in my mailbox. Each piece feels like a fragment of a nightmare I desperately want to forget, but I remind myself it’s important to have this evidence. The legal system thrives on proof, after all.
When we’re done, Orion carefully packs the items into a small envelope.
I linger by the bedroom window, still peering through the narrow gap in the curtains.
The parking lot remains empty, the shadows still.
My heart rate finally starts to settle, though an unsettling residue of fear clings to me like a stubborn stain.
“Let’s go,” Orion says, his tone gentle but firm. “We’ve got what we need.”
I nod and follow him out, switching off the lights as we move through the apartment. Each step away from this place feels like a step away from the ghosts of my past, from the suffocating grip Jason once held on my life.
We pause at the front door. Orion checks the lock, then double-checks it.
I appreciate the thoroughness, the way he leaves no detail to chance.
As we step into the cool night air, I chance a glance back at the apartment.
The windows stare back at me like vacant eyes, revealing nothing but darkness inside.
I can almost picture Jason’s face in them, but I push the image away.
Orion nudges me softly, offering a reassuring smile. “You okay?”
I inhale, then exhale slowly. “Yeah,” I say, surprising myself with how steady I sound. “I’m okay.”
He presses a hand to my lower back, guiding me toward the SUV.
We climb inside, and as he starts the engine, I find myself whispering a silent goodbye to the life I had here.
Maybe I’m running away, or maybe I’m finally moving on.
Either way, it’s progress, and with Orion at my side, I feel like I might just make it out of this mess in one piece.