Page 70 of Protecting Hailey

I felt weak just thinking that way. I didn’t want to be scared. I didn’t want to be dependent on my boyfriend. But my body didn’t care what my mind wanted. It jumped whenever the floorboards creaked.

“Let’s go sit down. Maybe watch a movie.”

I nodded and let him turn off the lights and choose something as we sat down on the couch. Only a few minutes into the film, my mind wandered, imagining shadows down the hallway.

Christian covered my hand with his. “What are you thinking about?”

I didn’t want to dwell on my fears, but we did promise to always be honest with each other.

“I just can’t seem to get over it tonight. The fear… it just won’t go away,” I explained.

He pulled me against his chest and pressed his cheek to the top of my head. “That’s natural, Hailey. You went through something traumatic. Hell, I was scared and I wasn’t the one trapped in there. It will take time for your body to relax. You don’t have to force it.”

I kissed his forearm, which was wrapped along my chest. “Thank you. I wish I could just forget about it.”

Christian kissed my neck and shivers ran down my skin. I pulled his head down for a kiss and closed my eyes. His body hardened behind me and my stomach clenched. “That’s definitely one way to distract me.”

He grinned through the next kiss. I could barely hear anything now over the beating of my heart.

Christian’s head snapped up.

“What’s wr—”

He put a finger to his lips, and I stopped talking. He checked his watch and then reached for his phone. “There’s a motion in the driveway. Someone’s walking toward the front door.”

My shoulders tensed, and my heart beat faster.

“It’s Ingrid,” he said, staring at his phone.

I sighed.

We were both a little on edge.

“I’ll get the door.” Christian got up from the couch and turned on all the lights. He answered the door only seconds after Ingrid rang the bell.

“Hi,” she smiled. “Is Hailey home?”

I spotted Ingrid in tight black jeans, a crop top, and wedge sandals. I pushed back my hair and tied it into a ponytail. “Hey, Ingrid. What brings you here? Everything okay?”

“Yes, fine. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I was in the neighborhood and thought I would shoot some ‘Hailey at home’ reels. It’s important to connect like that with your audience.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah. Is that a problem?”

“Sort of. I wasn’t expecting to be on camera tonight. Can we schedule something for tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, sure, of course. I’m so sorry.” She bit her lip. “I hate to ask, but can I get a glass of water? I came from the gym and forgot my reusable mug. I’m parched.”

I looked at Christian, who narrowed his eyes at Ingrid, but I answered, “Yeah, sure. Not a problem. I’ll just get you some water.”

Ingrid followed me into the kitchen, and a cold shiver ran down my back. I needed to get over this fear of someone hurting me when I wasn’t looking.

“Is bottled water okay?”

“Do you have something from Europe? I prefer European waters.”

“Ah…” I searched my fridge but found just a plain bottle. “It’s not European, but it’s cold.”

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