Page 99 of The Blackmail of Denise Randall

Me: U eat every couple of hours… what r u? An infant?

Keaton: I have an INFANT-ITE hunger…for u ;)

Me: Lame! Stop it.

I’m falling so hard for Keaton Sloan. I don’t even know how a relationship with us would work. We are in completely different places in our lives. I don’t even know if I want to live here in Lumberton permanently, and Keaton isn’t leaving.

I hear a noise and look out the window. I see the cat from the other night scamper across the street, which reminds me of the more serious matters I have. I can worry about my love life and Keaton Sloan another day. A more pressing issue is Trevor Reynolds and who he was talking about the night he came here. I still hear his voice sometimes.

“Come on out, sweetheart.”

A shiver runs through me. I decide after being outside in the heat for our picnic, I could use a shower. I walk to my bathroom slowly, listening for any noises. Being back in the guest house alone brings back those memories.

“My boss is a very generous man.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and try to block out his voice. I open the bathroom door and step inside. Quickly, I close the door with a little too much force and lock it. I let my robe fall to the floor, and then step into the shower. The steam rises as the water cascades over me, and I wish it would wash out his voice inside my head.

“A very generous man I might add.”

Roughly I scrub the shampoo into my scalp. I’m so aggravated that I can’t shove that memory from my mind. I hate that this is my life, and that since I was fourteen, it’s been something every year. Why couldn’t we ever be a normal family? I close my eyes to let the water rinse the shampoo away. Closing my eyes invites the voice back in my head, amplifying it. Reminding me of that dark night and how the voice traveled through the darkness and into my mind.

“He paid me in full to come over here.”

The water from the shower and my tears blend together. I feel the heart palpations begin.

“I’m not supposed to touch you though. But if you make this job more difficult, then I might have you as a bonus for my trouble.”

How far would he have gone? The water is steaming hot, but my body trembles. I wash quickly, scrubbing harshly. I focus on my breathing, as I try to stop myself from trembling and sobbing. I’m safe. I’m home. He is locked away. He didn’t hurt me that night and now he never will. Thank goodness Keaton arrived.

My thinking is becoming irrational. I need my medicine. I feel myself losing control. I continue practicing my breathing and trying to think of something else. I think of all the different kinds of dogs there are as I stumble out of the shower.

Lab. Poodle. Beagle. Pug. German Shepard. Husky. Golden Retriever. Chihuahua.

I hiccup a few times. My knuckles turn white as I grip the sink.

Bulldog. French Bulldog. Rottweiler. Dachshund. Doberman. Great Dane. Shih Tzu. I sigh. I unfasten my robe and refasten it tighter around me. A muscle twitches in my arm, and I give myself a little shake. Stupid panic attacks! I’m so sick of this shit.

But I realize something. I didn’t lose control. I did it! Despite everything, and how much I really wanted to take something, I got myself under control. I’m really proud of myself. For the first time, in a long time, I’m proud of me.

As I walk back into my bedroom, I hear my phone ding. I pick it up and read a text message that Keaton is on his way. I quickly dress and rush back to the bathroom to apply my makeup. Normally I would crawl into bed after an attack like that. ButI’m so tired of feeling like everything is out of my control.

My mind begins to wander back to my earlier thoughts before I had a panic attack. This is all too coincidental. Someone close to us must be behind this. I run through everyone in our circles. Unfortunately, none of it makes any sense and nobody comes to mind.

There’s a knock at my door and my heart rate increases. This time for a good reason. You can do this. You have control. Looking myself over once more in the mirror, I blow a kiss to my reflection. I practically skip to the door as I sing out, “Coming.”

I throw open the door. No Keaton. I step out and look around. Nobody. A light breeze blows, but other than that, there’s no movement or sound. An eerie feeling begins to creep along the back of my neck. I take a deep breath to try and steady my nerves. I step back inside the door. As I begin to close it, I notice a single rose with a small envelope at my feet. My eyes quickly scan my surroundings again. Nothing.

I keep my head up, scanning the area, as I bend down to retrieve the rose and envelope. Once I have them, I close and lock the door. Inside the envelope is a thick, ivory colored card that has “@TheFashionPrincess …Until we meet again.” typed on it.

Knock! Knock!I jump and let out a little shriek.

“Denise? Are you okay? Denise!” Keaton’s voice holds an edge of alarm.

Throwing the door open, I jump into his arms. He holds me tightly against him as he tries to calm me by whispering words of comfort. I finally control my breathing enough to tell him about the rose and note.

“What does that mean, Keaton?”

“What’s TheFashionPrincess?”

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