Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
When I peek into the hallway, I don’t see anyone, and I quickly tiptoe in the direction I think the exit might be.
Suddenly, Emma turns up the hallway, but she instantly stops walking and smiles at me. “Come, Ciara. It’s okay.”
I move closer to the wall and press my hand against it as I cautiously walk toward her.
No one has hurt me since I’ve been here.
They’re letting me do things for myself.
I keep repeating the words as the nurses' station comes into view.
When my eyes flick to the windows and open glass doors, Emma says, “It’s okay. You can go outside.”
My gaze darts between her and the door before I carefully move forward. When I manage to step outside without being grabbed by someone, I quickly glance around me.
My lips part in shock when I see a road with many small houses to my left. There are people talking and laughing, and it feels as if I’ve stepped into an alternate universe.
When I turn my head, my gaze falls on Santiago, where he’s standing to my right, leaning his shoulder against the wall of the hospital.
Fear pours into my chest, and I freeze in place, my breathing instantly turning shallow.
“Hi, Ciara,” he says, his tone deceptively gentle. “Would you like to go for a walk?”
Am I allowed to?
He pushes away from the wall, and as he closes the distance between us, I notice the pair of pumps in his hand. He sets the shoes down beside me, then tilts his head. “Put them on.”
Staring at the shoes, I’m overcome with an intense emotion I can’t name. My chin quivers, and I suck in a shaky breath.
“I haven’t had shoes in a really long time,” I whisper. “Is it really okay for me to put them on?”
“Yes,” he answers, his voice sounding a little rougher than usual. When I dare to glance at him, he gives me an encouraging smile. “It will make me very happy if you put on the shoes.”
My muscles are incredibly tense as I push my feet into the pumps.
Suddenly, Santiago starts to walk, and when I stare after him, he calls, “Come, Ciara.”
I hurry to catch up, staying a step behind him. I glance down at the tattoos covering his forearms, but I can’t make out what the images are.
When we get close to one of the houses where two women are standing, watching us, I focus my gaze on my feet.
No one talks to us, and I’m surprised when we keep walking for a long while. Santiago turns left, and soon, the houses fall behind us, and we head up a hill.
When we reach the top, my legs are burning from all the exercise, and I struggle to catch my breath.
Santiago finally stops walking then says, “Look behind you.”
Glancing over my shoulder, my mouth drops open when I see the entire village.
“A hundred and fifty-nine people live here.” He comes to stand slightly to my side, his eyes locking on my face. “They’ve all suffered some kind of trauma. We have group sessions on the premises, and I think you should consider attending one.”
With my eyes still locked on all the houses, I whisper, “Group sessions?”
“It’s a session where you can talk to women who’ve been through something similar to you. Maybe it will help if you open up a little.”
I wrap my arms around my middle and turn my head away from Santiago, only for my gaze to land on a beautiful villa. From where I’m standing, I can see a pool, a veranda, and lots of plants.
“That’s my home,” Santiago murmurs. “Come.”
He begins to walk toward the villa, and I follow him down the hill.
When we walk past the pool, I see lounge chairs. There are also comfortable-looking armchairs and wrought iron tables.
Movement catches my eyes, and the instant I see another man, panic and terror rip through my chest. I swing around and run away as fast as I can, but the next second, the ground disappears beneath my feet, and I’m engulfed by cold water as I fall into the pool.
I begin to kick my legs, but then an arm wraps around me, and my body is hauled to the surface. I gasp for air as my vision focuses on Santiago’s face, which is mere inches from mine.
I jerk back, and I’m surprised when he lets me swim to the shallow end. I hear Santiago behind me as I step onto the dry outdoor tiles.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I shiver as I turn around. Santiago comes toward me, his clothes plastered to his muscled body.
Once again, it sinks in that he’s the complete opposite of Nolan. Santiago looks very strong, which tells me he can hurt me so much more than Nolan did.
I cower, ducking my head low, as I wait for him to lash out at me. But he doesn’t. Instead, he just walks past me, saying, “Let’s get out of our wet clothes.”