Page 36 of Master of My Heart

The question made her cringe. Chase. But he wasn’t her boyfriend. And he wasn’t in her life anymore. “No.”

He frowned slightly, but only nodded in response.

“Jayson!” Liz called from the hallway. “Do you know what time it is?”

Jayson looked at the clock. “Shit. We need to get moving. You have an audition to get to.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “Sabrina, I promise I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe from now on.” He squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. “And help you learn to be the strong woman I’m sure you can be.”

She didn’t respond. She wondered if she had any strength left in her.

Jayson kissed her cheek and then got up and left her room, closing the door behind him.

She crawled out of bed and started dressing. Her room. She liked the sound of that. Yes, she’d had a room at Ramon’s, but there would be no men bursting in at all times of the day or night here, wanting to have or hurt her.

This is good. This is very good. Concentrate on the positives. Forget the past. That’s the only way you’ll make it.

She glanced out the window at the gray morning and smiled. Having lived in the desert her entire life, cloudy days were beautiful to her. This new life had started out good.

Someone knocked softly on the door and Sabrina opened it. Liz stood there holding out a large, foil-wrapped cylinder. “I made you a breakfast burrito,” she said. “You should eat before your audition.”

Sabrina looked back and forth between Liz’s kind face and the burrito, her jaw trembling and eyes watering. She couldn’t speak.

Liz’s bright eyes widened. “Did I offend you?” she asked quickly. “I’m so sorry!”

She shook her head and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. “No, not at all. You... I...” She exhaled slowly. “You’re so nice.” Her voice cracked over the lump in her throat. “I—” She pressed her lips together to gain some semblance of control and took a deep breath. “No one’s made me breakfast since my parents died.”

“Your parents are dead?” Liz asked, her voice just above a whisper, eyes watering slightly.

Sabrina nodded. “About five years ago.” She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to contain the pain in her heart. Blinking hard, she cleared her throat. “Guess I should be over it by now, huh?”

Liz gave a little shrug. “I don’t know if that’s really something you get over. I can’t imagine losing my parents. How did they die?”

Sabrina hesitated. “They were... They were murdered.”

Liz’s blue eyes widened more than Sabrina could have imagined possible. “Omigosh! Oh, Sabrina!” The burrito nearly slipped out of Liz’s hands as she stepped forward and grabbed Sabrina, hugging her hard.

She stiffened, not knowing what to do, then relaxed a little, hugging Liz back.

“You poor thing,” Liz whispered.

“Hey, we gotta—” Jayson walked around the corner and froze when he saw them. “Everything okay?”

Liz pulled away, sniffing and wiping away tears. “Yeah.” She glanced at Sabrina, who swallowed hard.

“What happened?”

Liz looked at her, but Sabrina looked away. “Nothing,” Liz answered. “Is it time?”

Jayson nodded, still looking back and forth between the two women.

Liz took Sabrina’s hand. “I’m here if you ever want to talk, okay?”

She nodded, not knowing if she’d take Liz up on the offer, but grateful for it nonetheless. Sabrina turned to pick up her jacket from the dresser next to her, wiping tears away. They were now more from the kindness of her two new friends than sorrow over the death of her parents.

She took a couple deep breaths and went out to the dining room where Jayson and Liz talked softly. When he looked at her, she knew Liz had told him... and Sabrina was okay with that.

Liz held out the burrito again and the three of them headed out.

Chapter Fourteen

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