Page 140 of On a Fault Line

“Same,” I mouth. “I saw Rex in the lobby.”

He nods. “Yeah, we’ve been hanging out more, since you’re never here.”

Guilt circulates through me. It must suck to have high hopes of being close to your roommate and then being disappointed when the image you created in your head doesn’t exactly match reality.

I’m nearly positive Rex would make a better roommate for Luke than I am right now. We weren’t even supposed to technically be roommates. I was supposed to be sharing space with another female.

Turning to my brother and sister-in-law, I show them the gift. Graham fixates on the two.

“One, two, three,” he says softly. “And these only started appearing when you moved into this apartment?”

“Yes.”

“And no name attached or note?”

I shake my head. “No. And today was the only sign of who was sending me things.”

“And he obviously wanted you to know he was the sender.”

“It appears that way,” I say, my voice quivering. “What does he want from me?”

Graham hugs me to his side. “Do not worry, Penny. That man can’t hurt you. I would never allow that.”

Angie hugs me as tears cascade down my cheeks. Graham pulls out his phone from his pocket and sends a text to Nic, I assume. But no matter how hard my brothers try to protect me from physical danger, there is no one capable of shielding my mind from Mark’s influence.

He is a poison that needs to be eradicated out of my psyche.

“You are safe, Penny,” Angie says soothingly.

“No, I’m not,” I say a bit too harshly and feel guilty for it. “Mark’s haunting me from behind bars just like he promised me he would when I went to visit him. He’s playing a sick game. I felt it at the waterfront during the photoshoot, and I feel it now. He’s watching me. He’s going to win.”

Graham sighs. “Only if you let him get to you. He’s grasping at straws. He knows that his life is over and he’s desperate.”

Moving from Angie’s embrace, I walk into the kitchen and find Luke loitering near the side. I’d kind of forgotten he was here. He’s being quiet and not trying to lighten the situation, which is just odd for him.

“You okay?” he asks, his tone deep.

I shake my head, afraid to talk and allow my voice to quiver. I open the fridge and discover that I don’t even have anything to drink. This makes sense since I haven’t been here in days.

Settling for a cup of water, I force it down my throat, nearly choking on it.

Graham joins me in the kitchen. “You need a distraction.”

Turning to him, I look him in the eyes. “Am I going to have to testify?”

“Fuck, no.”

“Then why can’t I shake this feeling that Mark Tanner is going to be released on some technicality?”

“He won’t, Penny. I won’t ever allow him to get to you.”

Leaning into my brother, I rest my head on his chest. “I trust you. I do. But I also know that on the margins of my brain lurks the evil ghost that is Mark. It’s like he’s waiting for me.”

After a minute, Graham and I separate.

“So, I originally came here to see your place and to offer to take you to go see Claire and Nic’s new home.”

“It’s finished?” Wow. That was fast. I guess when you are loaded with money and connections, things can get sped along.

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