Page 94 of Juliet's Echo

I froze.

My driver.

Relief washed over me so quickly it almost hurt.

“Well, my dear sweet Simone, I guess we'll have to fight another day.”

Grabbing my luggage, I practically hopped toward the front door. Freedom was finally here. Florida. Safety. No more ghosts. No more Havenbrook.

I yanked the door open, and my smile vanished.

My breathing stopped and took my heart with it. The image standing on the porch shouldn’t have been there, yet somehow, I wasn’t surprised. Of course she would do this. Of course she’d find one last way to torment me before I escaped.

“Oh, so this is how you want to play it.”

The whisper escaped before I could stop it.

The vessel moved, and I reacted instantly.

“Let me go!” she screamed.

Her fists connected with my chest and shoulders as she fought against my grip, trying desperately to pull away. She kicked, twisted, and clawed at my arms, but it didn't matter.

“Oh, so you learned to fight, I see,” I taunted.

She was still no match for me.

Pulling her against me, I forced her to look into my eyes.

“Oh, how I missed you, my love,” I confessed.

For a brief moment, I thought she would remember. Remember us. Remember who she belonged to before he poisoned everything.

I leaned in, trying to kiss her, trying to force her to remember.

Instead, she bit my lip.

Pain shot through my mouth, and I instantly released her. Before she could fully pull away, I cocked my hand back and delivered a hard slap that sent her stumbling into the house.

“You bitch!” I yelled.

The front door slammed shut behind us.

My chest rose and fell slowly as I watched her scramble backward across the floor. She kicked wildly, scooting away from me, her face twisted with terror.

The sight should have upset me.

Instead, it made me smile.

A grin slowly stretched across my face as I watched her retreat.

“One more for old times' sake.”

Echo

Joe Goldberg was a wild boy.

I sat stretched across the sectional, one arm draped over the back cushion, watching Netflix.