Page 141 of Dark Love

“That’s messed up. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. But it doesn’t matter. I want her here. No, I need her here. There’s something about her… I think we’re meant to be together.”

Stupid. I shouldn’t have ever let him come. And I certainly shouldn’t have let him go down in that pit.

“How did you feel when you first saw Dahlia?”

What? “This isn’t the same thing.”

“Why isn’t it? Didn’t you rescue her?”

“From a guy in a bar. Not a pit where she was tortured. Need I remind you, a pit way too similar to the one your father would throw you in on occasion.”

“He only threw me in a pit twice before I figured out how to get out, then he moved on to something else.” Payne turns to check on Imogene.

She’s got her head down, ordering our food.

“Payne.”

“How did you know?”

Payne is like a dog with a bone. He’s not going to let this foolish idea go. “The first words she said hit me in the gut. And every time I see her, I want to be with her more than the moment before.” It’s like an unhealthy addiction. Only Dahlia isn’t broken like Imogene.

Dahlia’s perfect.

“See, I knew it. I sunk down into that pit and knew she was mine and I’m never letting her go.”

No.

No.

No. How do I fix this? Payne wouldn’t go to therapy… not that I believe in therapy. Talking about your feelings seems like a waste of time. Kill the person and get over it. But there’s no person left to kill and no one else to tell him this is a stupid idea.

“Why were you at the club seeing Shock? Did he forget to do something like pay his taxes again?”

That was a mess. He almost ended up in prison. “Dyce gave me a name.”

“Dyce? She hasn’t talked to you in years.”

That’s because she doesn’t like me.

“The last time she gave you a name… What are we going to do?”

“’We’ aren’t going to do anything. You can’t leave Imogene.”

Payne’s head snaps back to Imogene. She’s watching the television, but checking for Payne every few minutes. “Temperance suggested that Imogene needs a friend as well as therapy.”

And why would he call me about this? “Then have her call one of her friends. Surely, they will come over.”

“Imogene refuses to talk to anyone she knew before. She doesn’t want them to see her like this.”

Women make my head hurt. “Then what are we supposed to do?” I’m certainly not going to take the place of this woman’s girlfriends.

“I was thinking… who better to understand what Imogene is going through than someone who might have—”

He’s talking about — “ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

“Hear me out for a second.”

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