Page 110 of Safe With Me

I crashed into the refrigerator, my forehead colliding with the handle as I tumbled to the floor. Pain seared across my temple as I clutched my head, feeling for a bump from whatever had just fallen on me. I ran my finger along a wet cut on the back of my head, stumbling as I tried to push myself up. I clenched my eyes shut as the room spun, making the throbbing on both sides of my head even worse.

I found Amber standing over me as my eyes fluttered open, holding a large knife to my throat. My vision was hazy as my sorehead slowly caught up to what was happening. My eyes strained to focus, but the hate burning in Amber’s gaze was impossible to miss.

Terry and Kathy had just given me a brand-new knife set that had fit perfectly on my kitchen counter next to my refrigerator. From what I could make out through my blurry vision, Amber had grabbed the biggest one. It dwarfed her tiny hand as she clutched the handle.

“This is adorable. A Russo’s Contracting mug.” She eyed the jagged piece of the ceramic mug in her hand before she threw it in the sink. “Does Mr. Russo give these out to all his employees or just the ones who fuck his son?”

My heart hammered in my ears, the adrenaline now pumping through me muting the pain enough to feel the panic. I’d wanted to be relieved when Mike said they’d picked up Ted, but even though I’d been waiting for him to find me here, something had told me all of this wasn’t him. I never would have expected tiny Amber to be the one stalking us this entire time.

“Do you know what it’s like to be invisible, Lila?”

She tilted her head, bringing the tip of the knife to my neck. Her eyes were dark and vacant as she narrowed them at me.

“For my entire life, I’ve loved Mike Russo. Even when we were little.”

She knelt over me, pressing the blade deep enough into my skin to feel the hard, sharp edge of the tip. My pulse beat against the cool metal, as one slight move left or right would probably leave a deep gash.

“When he moved back to town in high school, I knew we were meant to be. Girls fell at his feet, as you can imagine. But he was more into his video games and building stuff than dating anyone.”

Her smile was almost wistful as she continued.

“I went to visit him at college with Aaron and met the girl he was dating at the time.” Her jaw shook as it clenched. “I was so fucking mad. All those years, I was right there, throwing myself at him, and then he dates the first whore he meets in college? He told us that weekend he never wanted a girlfriend because women were an itch to scratch, nothing more. But I knew it was because his mother fucked him up.”

She lifted a shoulder, still holding the knife to my throat.

“So I didn’t care so much. Because while all those women drifted in and out of his life, I stayed.”

“Why…why did you get married, then?” I stammered as I tried to both stop the damn room from spinning and figure out how to push her away without slitting my own throat.

“Mike said he never wanted to get married or commit to anyone like that. And I liked Darryl well enough. It stung when he cheated on me, though.”

She clicked her tongue against her teeth.

“But I guess he knew that he was my placeholder. Coming back to town was a good thing because I got to see Mike all the time again, until this lost little bitch from Philly showed up.”

Her throat worked as she peered down at me.

“The tragic damsel in distress who can’t even walk to her own car at night.”

She jutted her lip out.

“Now, he wants arelationship. You must have some kind of golden pussy to make him call you his girlfriend andsweetheart. Makes me sick.”

“Why did you do that to Keely? You hate me, fine. But she’s only a kid.”

“Oh, that little brat.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve never seen a kid so damn fixated on her brother. But it came in handy this time. Or I thought it did. I expected you to leave right after thatwhen you saw everyone freak out, not wanting to endanger apoor, sweet child.”

I took in a shaky breath as I prayed for footsteps at my door. The only sound filling my silent apartment was the thud of my heart against my rib cage.

Amber was little but surprisingly strong, and quick enough that I’d never seen her coming.

Which was how she’d managed to spy on us all this time.

“But instead of doing the respectable thing and leaving, you fucked Mike against the wall outside of his apartment. I was right under the stoop. The window was cracked just enough to hear you moan like the trash you are.”

A wave of nausea rolled over me. She’d seen everything. All this time, I’d thought the eyes I’d always felt on me were Ted. It sickened me to think how much she could have witnessed between us.

“Maybe that’s why he loves your pussy so much. It’s always so readily available.”

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