The man was intelligent and competent, but he couldn’t keep house to save his life. She’d vowed never, ever, ever to cook or clean for any man again, but she found that she wanted to care for Reed, to grab groceries, even make a meal, straighten a few things that he’d left messy on his way out the door before she’d gotten out of bed . . .
Because he doesn’t expect it, she told herself. Yes, and because of that, it didn’t bring up memories of running her childhood household so fearfully and desperately for so much of her young life.
A chill danced across her skin and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She suddenly felt . . . watched. She glanced over her shoulder, frowning as she increased her pace. The sun had long since set, and the moon was high in the sky, but the downtown streets were well lit, and plenty of people were out and about, walking home from work, or stepping out for dinner.
Still, that chill turned into a cold lump in her belly and she picked up her pace, tempted to run the last half block to Reed’s building.
When she made it to the door, she scooted quickly inside, letting out a relieved exhale as she stepped into the brightly lit lobby. As she stood waiting for the elevator, she glanced over her shoulder at the front door where a man was walking past. She only saw his profile, but for a second she thought it was Reed. The man kept walking though, head down, hands in pockets, and Liza turned forward again as the elevator dinged and a car opened up. She gave herself an internal head shake. You can’t get him off your mind, can you?
As she rode up to Reed’s floor, the lights in the elevator buzzed once and blinked, the elevator giving a jolt. Liza’s gaze flew to the fluorescent bulbs overhead. “Don’t even,” she said, as a twist of terror swirled dizzily through her. But the elevator gods apparently weren’t listening, because the car gave another small jolt and shuddered to a halt. The lights buzzed again and blinked out. Liza let out a strangled sound of terror as her pulse skyrocketed. Oh God, no. No, no. A sob moved up her throat. She brushed against something in the dark and she squealed, jumping back.
“Shh,” Mady said. “You’re fine. Liza, listen to me. That was just the wall. You’re fine.”
“Stop it,” she said in a strangled whisper. “You’re not here. I’m not fine.”
“You are. You’re in the elevator in Reed’s building. There are four walls surrounding you. You’re safe. The lights will come back on in a minute.”
“No, no, they won’t.” There was something there, in the dark. She could feel it. Move, move! she tried to command herself. But she couldn’t. She was frozen, just like then. Terror vibrated beneath her skin, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.
I’m so cold. Has he forgotten I’m here? It’s so dark. Please, please, Dad, please let me out.
“You’re okay,” Mady said, her voice soothing. “Remember all those stairs you climbed in the dark? You did that, Liza. And you can do it again. Move. Do it, just to prove you can.”
But there had been a destination to head toward then. Here, she just had to wait. “I can’t. I’ll be stuck here in the dark—”
The lights blinked back on and the elevator continued its ascent with another small shudder. Relief flooded Liza, so intense, she let out a gasp, sniffling and almost breaking into laughter. Oh God, I’m a mess. Still such a mess. Shame sizzled through her. She felt like a failure, such a miserable failure.
When the elevator opened, Liza practically jumped free of the car, taking in a deep breath and letting it sweep through her body. You’re okay now. You’re okay. She took a moment to try to regain some calm, brushing the sweat from her brow before stepping forward. But as she made the walk down the hall, that chill vibrated inside her again. The stairwell was to her right and Liza heard footsteps ascending toward her. Her heart beat more swiftly as she clutched the plastic handles of her grocery bags, the ones she’d somehow held on to despite her fear. Or maybe because of it. You’re just spooked. It’s just a resident. Other people do live in this building, you know. Still, her fast walk turned into