Page 124 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

“Cutie pie, it’s okay,” Kai’s sleepy voice calls out from a light year away.

That’s when I wake up. Soaked from fear, my head spins around to find Kai, but it only finds Bonsaï.

“It’s nothing, Marianne. Just a bad dream,” I stammer, turning on the bedside lamp. It casts a warm glow across the room, trying to chase away the shadows but failing to banish my fears.

My breathing is erratic, and my heart is like a wild animal trying to escape its cage. I sniff and wipe my tears. My stomach twists into knots. I tiptoe toward the window, peeling the curtains apart to spy on the outside world.

There’s no sign of Eric or his car. Or Kai. Or anybody. Only the ocean and the night.

Chapter 25

Oh, Happy Days

The morning light pours out the opened curtains and makes me groan. I wiggle deeper in bed and grab the eighth tome of Kiken’s Fantasy.

“Whatcha doin’ this morning, Seito?” I ask my beloved manga book character.

I linger in bed, fingers tracing the well-worn pages of Kiken’s Fantasy, savoring the familiar world. A comforting silence fills the room, broken only by the distant squawking of seagulls.

But as the day passes, I’m reminded that this isn’t my dream vacation. Sun, beach, reading, ice cream, and coffee all lose their appeal without Kai by my side.

Another day goes by in a blur. Sunscreen, lounging, frozen margaritas, reading.

I miss Kai more with each passing moment and believe he may be gone forever. Dead, in jail, or back home while I wait like a stupid girl.

The sweltering sun beats down, relentless as my thoughts. I lift the brim of my wide hat and squint at the dazzling horizon, wonderingif Kai is out there somewhere, caught up in dangerous situations. My heart throbs with unanswered questions.

In the evening, I trade margaritas for a mojito that does little to cool my nerves.

No signs of Rory or whatever his real name may be.

Did I imagine all of this?

A sick figment of my imagination or a hallucination brought by… Brought by what? I haven’t taken my anxiety meds since the night I sewed Kai up like a ripped rag doll.

A third day speeds by.

On the fourth day, the ocean lull beckons me, murmuring a melody of solitude. If Kai doesn’t come back in five days, I’ll rent a boat and travel the world. My fingers twitch, craving the touch of anything real. I abandon the comfort of my beach chair, stepping into the heated sand that slips between her toes like tiny secrets.

I may have dreamed it all. Lying in my hospital bed in the psych unit, the content of my stomach being pumped out to make me live another day.

The sharp ring of my phone slices through the air, shattering the dreadful web of my thoughts. I fumble to retrieve it from the depths of my beach bag. The name flashing on the screen causes my heart to stutter: Nina.

“Hey, Nina.”

“Hey… Is something wrong, chickadee?”

“No,” I lie. But I’m sick of lying. And not being myself. “I mean… Kai is…”

“On a business assignment?” she finishes for me.

“Yeah,” I reply, my voice hollow.

Nina’s sigh is a balm and a burden. “You sound miserable. Come back to reality, chickadee. Get your mind off him for a bit.”

I glance at the horizon, the water shimmering with promises it can’t keep. “I’m trying.”

“Try harder. Go out tonight. Have fun with new people.”

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