Page 24 of (Un)Spoken

She shook her head and pointed her finger up at me. “You’re changing the subject again.” For a moment, Victoria looked up at me, then to her finger in the air. With slow but steady movements, she opened her hand and placed her palm on my chest. The impact of her touch burned, and I wanted so much more. “I won’t push, not if you really don’t want to talk, but if you do….” She sighed, darting her eyes up to meet mine. “I’m here, Adam. Always.”

I reached up, capturing her hand on my chest before she could pull it away. “I’ll make you a deal, Tor. I’ll let you in, but only if you do one thing for me.”

“What’s that?”

“Make that list.” My thumb brushed the back of her hand, relishing in her soft skin. “Do the things that scare you. Be brave, Tori. And if you need someone to help you face your fears, make me your first call.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I like how your eyes light up when you’re facing something new. It’s quickly becoming my new favorite sight.”

Her deep, chestnut eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought I’d gone too far, crossed that fragile line we’d been toeing for days.

But she surprised me when all she said was, “Deal.”

FOURTEEN

“Deal.”

One word, and my walls started to lower of their own volition. Staring into the depths of Victoria’s eyes, I felt safe, safer than I’d felt in months. Maybe it was because of the strength she was willing to lend me. Maybe it was because of the soft understanding in her eyes. It didn’t matter. All that did was that the words came out easier than they had in months, even more smoothly than when I told Dr. Kedir my darkest fears and secrets.

I sighed, settling down onto the rocky terrain. I pulled my legs up, resting my arms around them. Victoria settled next to me moments later, leaning into me, gifting me her strength. “It, uh…” I cleared my throat. “It started right after my first trip up here.”

The words flowed out as if I was telling someone else’s story. I told her all about my last acting job and what had brought me to Saint Stephen’s Lake for the first time. The high I felt when that film was done, sure that it was a new chapter in my life. About my move to New York, wanting to try different projects and push myself to new heights.

Butthat all came crashing down after only a few weeks. I thought the first envelope was a joke, some obsessed fan who was desperate for my attention. In fact, I didn’t take the first five to heart. It wasn’t until my email inbox got bombarded with messages that I started to think this was more than a fan.

My entire body shivered as I talked about my last night in the city. While I hid some of the details about the break-in, for once, I didn’t shy away from how weak and vulnerable I felt, telling her how, even now, living in an entirely different area code, I still checked the walls daily to make sure there wasn’t a message waiting for me.

Victoria stayed quiet the whole time I spoke. We stayed sitting on the shore, my eyes alternating between hers and the ground below us. But Victoria never wavered, never faltered. The only reason I knew she was affected was because she would flinch, her hand moving closer to mine. Just the smallest reaction let me know she was in this with me, that she was hanging on to my every word and hating what I had gone through.

There was a part of me that expected her to turn away in disgust. To judge me because I was unable to face this invisible threat. To tell me I was foolish not to hire guards and live my life behind my gated home, keeping away from the rest of the world.

But when I met her eyes, there was no hint of pity, no other emotion than empathy. It was a welcome relief and made me continue, even when I wanted to stop and erase this painful period of my past.

“And then, I decided to come here,” I sighed, thinking about the broken man who had shown up on Cole and Alex’s front porch—the one so haunted by invisible demons that he left his home without packing a single item. “Ineeded to get away from everything that was plaguing me. As much as I miss being in front of the camera, I needed this break. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can breathe.”

Victoria’s eyes darted to the side, and her lips twisted like she was holding back. “What?” I asked.

She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to meet my eyes. “I’m glad you have a place like this, somewhere you can come when you need a break. But…” She chewed on her lower lip.

“Tell me, Tor.”

“I don’t want you to get upset with me.”

“Hey,” I said, taking my fingers to tilt her chin up to meet my eyes. “If I didn’t want your words, I wouldn’t have opened up to you. Don’t hold back on me, trouble. Tell me what you think.”

She sighed. “Breaks are meant toend. You’ve already said this isn’t your real life. One day, you’re going to want to go back to making movies, to acting. As I think you should. You’re way too talented to wallow away up here.”

“You think I’m talented?”

“Of course, that’s what you focused on,” she groaned, turning to place both of her hands on my chest. “I’m just worried about you, Adam. You said you have no idea who’s targeting you, that you don’t want to go back until you know more. But what if that never happens?” She shook her head. “I hate the idea of this invisible person ruining your life and getting away with it.”

“What would you do?” I asked, genuinely curious about her response.

“I don’t know,” Victoria answered. “I’ve always wanted to be this brave person, but at some point, it became easier to let my dreams stay just that—dreams. There’s no risk ifyou don’t try.” Her hands bunched in my shirt. “But you’re not me, Adam. You’ve already done the scary thing. You’ve worked so hard for so long. What did you tell me?” She smiled. “Be brave.”

“Be brave,” I repeated. “I…I’m getting there.”

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