and Nick breathing down my neck, all I want to do is escape.
Fiddling with my necklace, my voice trembles. “Micah, I’m not sure this is a good idea.” My hushed tone carries more like a whisper with every scorchingly hot tear that ebbs my cheeks. Streaming, each tear feels like hot lava, descending, just like my resolve.
Micah’s voice breaks into his own set of sobs. “Elsa, I need to talk to you. There are things you don’t know, and I need to tell you before you find out another way.”
I can hear the anxiety laced with his words. I’m sure he had no idea when he woke up today, he’d ever imagine he’d be talking to me, just like I had no clue I would ever speak to him again. But, here we are. Five years later.
Holding the phone next to my ear, I’m struggling to find the right words. Pinching my lower lip, I’m at a loss for words. A part of me just wants to hang up on him, shutting him out. But the other part is desperate to hold onto the phone just to hear his voice.
I simply can’t allow this.
“There is nothing you need to say, so please don’t contact me again Micah. You have no idea, so just please let it go.” I say timidly, as a loud sob escapes my throat. Clutching my chest, it feels like it’s split wide open. I’m rocking back and forth in my chair. I can faintly hear Nick insisting I hang up the phone over my shoulder.
Micah refuses to listen, he keeps on. “No El, you need to listen to me. For the love of God, please hear me out.”
His voice becomes muffled like his hand is covering his phone. “Jesus Christ, how the hell did this happen?” He is talking to someone, no idea who. It’s then another male voice speaks, and I conclude it’s Matt. Of course. Dammit.
Listening to them talk, I notice Nick is pacing the front room, he comes to my desk tapping his fingers on the counter.
He’s beyond mad, more like fuming mad. “Hang up El, there is no need to talk to him. Don’t you let him hurt you again.” Nick says in a tone the matches the look of his face. Cold, loud, hard and angry.
I disagree with him. “No, he can’t hurt me. Not anymore.” It’s then I realize he must have misinterpreted my notion because he is shouting at me now.
“Enough Elsa, tell him enough! You’re done with him, once and for all.”
My mouth hangs open, I’m surprised by his anger, and the fact he is shouting at my place of work. Holding the phone away from my face, I try to hush him using my hands. “I’m not letting him hurt me again, let me handle this, Nick.” I swear the look I’m giving him should alert him to the fact to just how difficult this is. It’s freaking natural that I’m shocked, but I don’t need him going off the deep end. I’m not stupid, I’m just shocked, surprised maybe, but never an idiot.
At the moment the only stupid thing is all I’ve shared with Nick about my past with Micah. He knows too much, enough to hurt me by hurting Micah. Nick knows all of my secrets. If he ever got a hold of Micah, I know he would tell him the one secret that would destroy Micah. His primary goal would be to hurt Micah, but in doing so, he would destroy me. I cannot let that happen. It’s as if my entire world is gradually falling apart. Knowing what power comes with knowing this secret, hell, I’ll protect it with everything I have. I won’t let anyone use it as a pawn to hurt someone else. I’ll defend it like a lioness protecting her cub. A mother protecting her child.
“Who is that? Is that Nick?” Micah says with pure venom.
Pulling the phone from my face, I stare at it. How the hell does he knows Nick’s name? Wait, I just said his name out loud. What the heck, my nerves are shot. I’m not thinking straight. Why the hell would I be? My past showed up today and is slowly chipping away at me. Not sure how much more of me there is to take, because once your heart is shattered, and your soul is shredded, there’s not much left. Doesn’t matter how strong of a person you are, there is only so much