Page 2 of Caught With the Sheriff

“Will, come on…you need to move past this. I know it was scary. Hell, I still have nightmares about it so I know that you do. But you need to get back out there. Need to remember why you started writing. It wasn’t to hide from the world. It was because you love it. I hate to say this, babe, but I’m not sure you do anymore. Your writing seems so…cold, clinical. Detached.”

My shoulders hunch. I know what she’s talking about. But I can’t change what’s happening to me.

I’m trying. Fuck am I trying.

“I’m trying, Liv,” I whisper.

She leans over and hugs me lightly, backing off when my shoulders scrunch up even more. She sighs heavily and I feel tears crowd my eyes. Sniffing, I push all that down.

“I know you are,” she says, her voice soft, caring. I hate that I’m making her work harder than it needs to be. I hate all of this. I hate how I’m feeling. I hate how I can’t feel.

I hate it all.

Closing my eyes, I lean against the counter, suddenly so damn tired I just want to go to sleep.

“I just can’t,Liv,” I whisper, so damn soft it’s almost non-existent.

She hears me though. And sighs heavily.

“Fine. I’ll let it go for now.” She reaches over and hugs me and my head drops to her shoulder. For just a second, I let my body sink into her warm embrace. Let myself relax. It feels like I never relax.

For such a tiny woman, she’s so easy to let hold the line for me. She’s my gatekeeper. My agent. My best friend. She’s taller than me but slender and fragile. Unless you fuck with her and then she’ll kick your ass without breaking a sweat.

She pulls back and glares at me, her soft blue eyes studying me closely. “Have you even left this house?”

My nose scrunches up. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, have you gotten dressed, locked your door, taken your car and driven to anyplace anywhere in this minuscule town?”

Choking on a laugh, I fight the smile trying to creep across my lips. “I don’t have anywhere I need to go.”

She shakes her head and her sleek, pale blond hair bells out around her face. “That is patently untrue. And it tells me everything I need to know.” She holds up her hand when I open my mouth. “Don’t bother. But sooner or later you’re gonna have to rejoin the land of the living.”

She reaches over and pulls me into a hug and whispers in my ear, “don’t let him win, babe.”

Tears crowd my eyes again and then she lets go and heads for the door. “I’ve got to head back to the city. I’ve got a meeting in the morning. My boss is getting kinda pushy about television appearances for your latest book.”

My mouth firms and I wrap my arms around myself. She sees it and growls.

“Fuck, I hate that guy.”

And then she turns and heads out the door without another word. She’s not talking about her boss though.

I know exactly who she’s talking about.

I hate him too.

* * *

Jerking awake, I snort and then freeze.

Footsteps. In my house. Slow, steady.

Terrifying.

My breath catches in my throat and my heart races like a wild animal. My eyes widening, I try to scrunch down as small as I can.

Prey.