Page 24 of Scared Love

checking in on you the past couple of weeks. I don’t know

what it is but he doesn’t miss a day. He’s here like clock

work. He comes in around 10:00 A.M. and leaves about

9:00 P.M.” Once the nurse leaves, he finally walks up to the door and

leans against it with his hands in his pockets. He just stares

at me. He doesn’t say anything.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“My name is Vince,” he replies.

His voice is deep and it’s very soothing… I could listen to

him read a phone book. But, for some reason, the way he

talks just makes me feel safe, almost like I’m at home again.

But how does someone make you feel safe? Am I just

already too far gone?

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“But why are you here? The nurse said that you’ve been

visiting me, I don’t understand.”

“I found you in the warehouse. I wanted to help you

because I couldn’t let them do what they did to you or to

anyone else and I couldn’t let it keep happening to you,” he

sighs. “But I just left you there. I thought you were dead.

I’m sorry.”

“How did I get out? There were so many of them! Anyone

that crossed them ended up dead.”

“I guess someone called it in. But, baby girl, I’ll explain

everything when we go home.”

“Home? What do you mean we?”

“I have a safe place for you.” A safe place? I repeat it in my head. I haven’t been safe in

years.

“Are you going to hurt me?” I choke out, worry

seeping in.

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