Page 94 of Devious Delusions

I allow the birdsong to calm me and watch the sky turn from navy to light blue before whispering, “Run.”

She doesn’t waste a second and jumps up on her shaky legs. I don’t move as she winces with each step and watches me. My eyes slowly close and I take in a deep breath before I stand, ready to go in the opposite direction, but she hasn’t gotten very far when she stumbles, and I walk towards her. I lower to my haunches to pick her up, but she swings her arm back and smacks me in the head with a fucking rock.

My ear pops from the force of it slamming against my skull and she pushes her shoulder into my chest, knocking me off-balance. I grab her ankle before she can escape, and she starts fucking screaming when she’s the one who attacked me.

“HELP!”

I climb over her and straddle her hips, but she keeps fucking screaming.

“HELP! FIRE!”

Maybe she is fucking crazy.

Her arms swing wildly and I’m too focused on prying the rock out of her hand as I grab her wrist that I don’t notice her other hand until it latches onto the ski mask. Her fingers slip through the hole around my mouth while she shouts about a non-existent fire.

“Delilah. Fucking. Stop,” I grit out.

She drops the rock and I grab her other wrist pulling the mask. Her fist slams into my kidneys and pushes her palm against my throat. I said the game is over and I’m not tryingto hurt her now. Not after a sunrise. Those have meaning and I won’t taint it.

But she’s a fucking crazy bitch and her nails score against my neck where she’s managed to pull the mask free from my skin. Fuck this. She’s too fucking energetic and I wrap my hands around her neck, alternating the pressure until her hands weaken their assault and her lashes flutter.

42

DELILAH

Iwake up choking. My hacking cough scrapes against my sensitive throat, and someone sits me up as my hand automatically goes to my neck.

“It’s okay,” he says and rubs circles on my back. A cool glass touches my hand, and he adds, “Small sips, baby.”

My vision hasn’t adjusted yet and I do as he said. The cold water helps soothe my throat and the first thing I see is Asher as I blink to clear my vision.

I freeze.

He was dead.

My head was inside his dead body.

There was blood on me.

But he smiles softly and my doctor steps around the sofa. “Can you remember who I am, Mrs. Newman?”

I nod and croak, “Dr. Blake.”

He smiles and I look around the room, but there’s nothing out of place and I’m wearing one of Asher’s t-shirts.

I’m home in my usual uniform.

It was a dream.

An extremely vivid, extremely fucked-up dream, but a dream, nonetheless.

Dr. Blake gestures for Asher to follow him and I watch them. Asher usually wears sweats and a t-shirt when he’s home, but he’s dressed casually and he still has his shoes on. There’s mud on the soles. Little flakes break off as he walks to the front door and leaves are stuck in the hood of his jacket. I can’t hear their conversation and their facial expressions give nothing away. Asher shakes his head, takes a deep breath, then opens the door for Dr. Blake, who nods, giving me a tight-lipped smile, and leaves.

Asher comes back to me and lifts me to sit across his thighs. He presses his lips to my forehead and takes another deep breath.

“Did I do something?” I ask.

He runs his fingers through his hair before he answers. “You went into the woods at the back of the house, and I couldn’t find you. I know I’m not supposed to tell you, but you scared the shit out of me, Lilo.”

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