Page 28 of Bleed for Me

I couldn’t be too upset that she cared, but I had a bad history with law enforcement and no desire to have them sniffing around my life.

After assuring her several times that I was okay and just needed a few days off to readjust, Brandi insisted that I take all the time I needed and to reach out if I needed anything else. She also let me know she would contact the detective in charge and to expect a visit from him. I thanked her and ended the call.

The rest of the calls coming in were from various friends and family expressing their gratitude that I had been found safe. Word had spread thanks to the official missing persons report. I didn’t go into detail with any of them on what happened but thanked them each for their concern.

When my mother called me, she was more hysterical than I had been. I had to reassure her that I was alive and okay and force her to agree not to fly out. She spent half the call reminding me that she never thought it was a good idea for me to move out here alone and that she wasn’t surprised something had happened.

Taylor had to take the phone from me at that point as I started crying again. I’m not sure what she said because of my own thunderous thoughts but the tone of her voice made it clear she was not happy. After hanging up the call with my horrid mother, Taylor insisted we have ice cream sundaes and binge watch cheesy nineties movies. I gave her a watery smile and agreed. We had then spent the rest of the day doing just that.

It’s now been about a week since I escaped Mick’s house and the events are starting to feel like a dream. Even when the detective came by to get my statement, I felt disconnected, like I was recalling a movie rather than relaying my own experiences. I’m not sure if I feel grateful or worried at how I feel, but there’s not much I can do to change it.

“Miss Greene, just a couple more questions.” Detective Lary had droned on. I suppressed a sigh, exhausted from the hours of questioning.

Who knew you’d be treated like a criminal whenyouwere the one that waskidnapped.Not the one doing the kidnapping!

Fiddling with my sleeve, I waited for the detective to ask his, what I was hoping to be, last questions. Flipping through the small notepad in his hands, Detective Lary cleared his throat. “Okay. You said you didn’t get a good look at the perp.” He paused, giving me a look that implied he did not believe that. I fidgeted in my seat at the reminder of the lie.

There was no way I could tell anyone how intimately I came to know my captor.

Biting my lip, I looked away, careful to look up and to the leftnotthe right, giving myself a mental pat on the back.

I knew that the time binge watching crime shows would pay off one day,I thought bitterly before straightening my spine.

“Yes, that’s right.” My voice sounded strange to me, lifeless and disconnected.

“Hmm.” I chanced a look back in his direction, catching his eyes roaming over my body when he thought I wasn’t looking. My stomach recoiled as disgust filled me.

Okay, I amsodone with this. I did not escape a depraved psychotic man to be leered at by a gross detective.

Realizing he had been caught, Detective Lary abruptly stood up, snapping the notepad closed. “Thank you for your time, Miss Greene. We’ll be in touch if we have any further questions.” I nodded mutely, avoiding his gaze as he made his way out the door.

Taylor distracted me with another round of sweets and alcohol as we talked about everything but the giant elephant in the room. This became our normal as I recouped under her roof, reminding me so much of when I first moved to New Mexico and all the times we spent together while I barely held my shit together.

God, I love her so much.

However, no matter how much I adore my best friend, I’m looking forward to going back to my apartment. My apartment manager agreed to change the locks and Beau even installed a new camera and security system for me so I feel safer staying there alone.

I take a deep breath as I head to my car, shouldering the small bag of things I’ve accumulated in my short stay at Taylor’s. I owe her big time and I already know I’m going to plan a huge thank you present.

Maybe we can take a girl’s cruise. To the Caribbean.

I smile as I picture the two of us sipping on exotic drinks and sunbathing on the cruise deck.

Oh, yes, I am so going to do that.

I’m still smiling as I pull up to my apartment building. It’s not until I step out of the elevator and stand outside the door to my apartment that my smile falls away. I stare at the door handle, too afraid to reach forward and open it.

I can’t shake the feeling that he’s going to be in there waiting for me. It’s stupid. I know he’s not and multiple people have assured me that they’ve seen no sign of my elusive kidnapper.

Taking a deep breath, I reach a shaky hand forward and unlock the door, pushing it inward and jumping back. When no one reaches out for me, I take a tentative step forward and peer inside. It’s shocking to me how everything is still the same, almost like there should be a physical change in my home after the things that happened.

Squaring my shoulders, I stomp in and shut the door behind me, making sure to lock it and set the new security alarm before venturing farther inside. I glance toward my kitchen and let out a breath of relief when there are no black cards waiting for me.

Huffing a laugh, I shake my head, “That’s right Paige, there’s no one else here. No one has been here that you haven’t given permission to be.”

Nodding to myself and embracing my completely normal habit of speaking my thoughts out loud, I make my way to my room and deposit the bag next to my bed. I throw myself down on the mattress and heave a sigh of relief.I missed this bed.I’m not a mattress snob but I had paid good money to get the one I liked and being forced to sleep in foreign beds over the last couple weeks had really bummed me out. I close my eyes and allow myself to fully relax.

Life could finally start to get back to normal.

---