Page 109 of Safe With Me

I wanted romantic vacations, sweet dinner dates, and nights of falling asleep on Mike’s chest, content with each other and the world around us.

I prayed for a chance to embrace a wonderfully simple life in the little town I’d come to think of as home.

Fear had ruled me for so long, and I was very much over it.

I nursed a cup of tea and tried reading one of Peyton’s books, but after I couldn’t focus past the first page, I put it down. I eyed it for a moment, thinking of the bookcase Mike had offered to build for me and all the other ways he’d made my life beautiful since I’d arrived.

Like Ally had said, someone wanted my life because it was that good.

So I couldn’t let them have it.

A soft knock on the door made me jump. It wasn’t Mike’s usual knock, but maybe he was being quiet? Maybe he’d tell me that Ted was in custody, the threats were over, and we could spend the rest of the day in bed, celebrating.

Even though I’d known that wasn’t it, I was disappointed to find Amber instead of Mike when I looked through the peephole.

“Hey, Amber,” I said, trying and most likely failing to sound chipper. Not knowing when and where the next letter of hate would come from had zapped my motivation to pretend to be cheery for anyone.

“Mike asked me to check on you while he sorted out some stuff at the station. Can I come in?”

“Um, sure,” I said, moving aside.

I watched her stroll in, confused as to when Mike could have had the chance to ask her to stop by when he’d left in a rush before eight this morning.

“When did you speak to Mike?” I asked as Amber settled on my couch.

“I ran into him on his way to work. We usually hang out on his days off, but I guess they brought him in for overtime or something.” She stretched her arm across the back of the couch. “This is a cute place. The side table is adorable.”

“Thanks,” I said, pulling out one of the dining room chairs to take a seat. I could have sat at the end of the couch, but for some reason, I wanted to keep Amber at a distance.

She surveyed the living room as if she were taking inventory.

“Mike put that together for you, right?” She pointed to my side table. “He used to do that for me in my dorm room. I’d gotten the stuff from IKEA,” she said, laughing to herself. “You’re supposed to be able to put anything together, but I could never figure it out.”

“I’m the same. I could never follow the instructions.”

“Mike would always have time to put all of that together for me. He was always there. He came to my wedding and was the first person to call me after my divorce was final. He’d even take me to this cool donut place outside of town to cheer me up.”

She leaned forward, an eerie smile drifting over her lips as she rested her elbows on her knees.

“Has he taken you there yet?”

“No,” I said as Amber chuckled to herself.

“Well, I guess it’s nice that some places are sacred. That he doesn’t share them witheveryone.”

She stood from the couch, examining the photos on the wall.

“Are these your friends from Philly?”

“Yes. That was the last Phillies game I went to. Mike said to keep that quiet here.” I forced a smile. “Can I get you anything?”

“Some water would be great. Thank you.”

I went to my refrigerator, bending to grab one of the bottles on the bottom shelf. While I appreciated Mike asking her to stop by to check on me, I didn’t feel the least bit at ease in her presence.

Maybe Mike thought of her as a close friend, but there were more-than-friendly feelings on Amber’s side. That slight vibe of resentment I’d picked up on had been correct, and I didn’t have the energy for it.

“Here you go?—”

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