hardest to make life easier on me while at the same time giving me a safety net to heal. And it’s that realization that has me agreeing to his trip through downtown. To make what he needs to get done easier on him.
I cover his hand on my cheek with my own. “I think I’m ready now. We can go.”
His eyes hold mine as he pulls our joined hands to his lips and presses a chaste kiss against the back of my hand. “Okay, blossom. We’ll make it quick.”
Alex waits until I’m buckled once again before smoothly guiding us back onto the road. Within minutes, we’re entering the narrow streets lined with cars and tall buildings, and as I feared, my anxiety ratchets up. Even with the windows closed, I swear I can smell the dirty air surrounding us. The drive won’t take more than ten minutes, yet I feel like an eternity is passing. The memories are there, just beyond my acceptance as I try to keep them at bay. I strain to hear the lyrics of the song on the radio or the sound of Alex breathing. Anything to keep my focus off reliving those horrible times.
As we near our turn to get back onto the highway headed north, I turn my focus outside, where people hustle in all directions on the busy sidewalks.
“We’re almost done. You’re doing great, Shel,” Alex soothes as he drives along at a slow pace. Traffic is starting to pick up now that it’s later in the day.
“Oh, my God.” My next breath catches in my throat.
Alex’s hand drops to my knee. I jump at his touch and pound my fist against the passenger window. “You have to stop!” I screech at an unfathomable decibel. “Please stop the car!”
“What is it?” he barks, probably more in relation to my alarm than his own temper. I hit the window again, half crazed with a desperation to get out of the car.
“It’s Clarissa. One—she’s one of my friends. I have to help her!” I’d recognize her anywhere, having spent nearly two years with her, but it’s the cherry red platform stilettos that caught my attention. Her signature color to go with her straight red hair and bright red lipstick, a persona created by the boss.
I barely register the car slow to a stop through my hysteria. “Shh. Shh, you have to calm down. Talk to me. Who is she?”
The dam breaks, and tears flood my cheeks as I turn to look at him. “She was there with me. One of my friends. I, oh God, I left them all behind.” The car starts moving again, but I don’t have the energy to fight. Reality crashes down on me. For the first time since I woke up with Sin and Elias, I remember the others. It hits me with the force of a tsunami that they’re all still stuck in the place I’ve been moving on from, and I haven’t done anything to help them. That the nightmare I was lucky enough to leave is still very much a reality for these girls I care about.
Through my sobs, I hear Alex speaking to someone on his phone, but I don’t have the energy to care much who it is. My mind keeps replaying my last memory of Clarissa, lying on that mattress smoking a cigarette, to seeing her now hustling down an alley.
“Please stop, why are we moving?” I unbuckle my belt and kneel in my seat to watch the city begin to fade behind us. We’re moving down the highway and away from where I last saw her.
“Dammit, put your seat belt on. We’re driving down the highway.”
“You have to stop!” I cry, ignoring him.
“You’ll be no use to your friends if we get into an accident,” he growls, glancing behind us to switch lanes.
I swipe angrily at my face and face him. “We need to help her.”
“Baby, we will,” Alex replies in a gentled voice. I can see the concern crinkled in the corners of his eyes. “Just not like this.”
Forcing a deep breath, I retake my seat and buckle up. The belt clicks, and Alex mutters, “Thank Christ.”
“What do we do?”
He sighs. “I don’t know.” He cuts me a sharp glance. “Yet. What I do know is she wasn’t alone down there, and I can’t just pull over and grab her off the streets. For one, you’re with me, and I won’t compromise your safety like that. Someone could see you. For all