Page 11 of A Sinner's Virtue
“Zoe, what’s happening?” I keep my tone even. Calm. While maintaining my distance. I don’t want her to feel cornered right now.
She’s scared. Whatever’s happening, she’s fucking terrified and I’m praying it’s not of me.
“No. No, no, no, not again,” she chants over and over as her body sinks to the floor.
“Zoe, I want to help you but I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s happening.” I crouch down in front of her, slowly moving forward on my knees. I have a feeling I know what she’s talking about, but I hope that I’m fucking wrong…
Her eyes focus on me and she frowns. “I can’t. I can’t do this.”
“Do what?” I ask her. “What did I do?”
“You shouldn’t be here.” Her voice is barely a whisper.
“I am here, though, and I’m not leaving you like this,” I tell her. “I want to help you. Tell me what to do.”
“I need my phone… Where’s my phone?” Her eyes flick around but she doesn’t move.
“Where’d you have it last?”
Zoe points to a room behind me. I push up to my feet and walk that way. I find her phone on a coffee table. I swipe it up and rush back to where she’s still sitting on the floor in the foyer.
The gun’s not far, so I reach out and pick it up before going back to Zoe and handing her both items. She looks at me inquisitively. “Why are you giving me this?”
“Because you’re afraid, and I don’t fucking like it,” I tell her.
Zoe looks down at her phone and then at the gun. I don’t know what she’s thinking. What has her this fucking scared. I also don’t know why I care so much. That last one is the one that bothers me the most. I don’t know this girl. Other than the fact I know how good her pussy feels around my cock.
“I usually call Izzy when I feel like this. She helps,” Zoe says.
“Okay, call her.”
“I don’t think I need to.” She peers up at me. No matter how small and unthreatening I try to make myself, she’s still so fucking tiny.
“Why?” I ask her.
“You’re not… You’re not going to hurt me.”
“No, I’m not. I will never do anything you don’t want me to do, Zoe. I’m not that guy.” Though I would love to know the name of that guy. The one who hurt her. Because it’s evident that someone has.
Chapter Six
He’s not that guy. I know that, right? I’m certain that he isn’t. He did let go. He’s not forcing me to do anything. That’s not what has me wanting to take him up on the offer he brought to my door, though. It’s the way he’s looking at me right now.
Or should I say the way he’s not looking at me? He doesn’t have that same look Flynn used to have whenever I had an… episode. Marcel doesn’t appear disgusted. He also doesn’t seem to be searching for a way out.
When I pushed on his chest and he didn’t let go, I was taken back to a time I’d do anything to never remember. I can’t control when the flashbacks come on, and I can’t stop them once they start. But Marcel stayed. He could have easily gotten up and left. He doesn’t owe me anything.
Flynn did that a few times. Just left me in the midst of a panic attack, his logic being that he thought I needed space. I didn’t. I needed help. Understanding. Patience. But I would never admit that to him.
Marcel doesn’t appear to be in a rush to leave. And he gave me my gun back. Just handed it to me like it was nothing. With that one gesture, he made me feel like I had control. I’m not an idiot. I know he could easily overpower me and take it back if he wanted to.
“Why didn’t you leave?” I ask him.
“Why would I leave you when you clearly need help?”
I lift a shoulder. “You don’t know me.”
“Maybe not, but I’m also not an asshole. I’m not going to just leave you alone if you’re panicked or scared.”
