Page 27 of Break Me

Because I don’t know if I am.

I type slowly this time, fingers trembling.

ME: I don’t know.

My finger barely leaves the screen after sending the text when the phone vibrates in my hand.

Samuel’s name flashes across the display. My heart jumps into my throat. I glance at the door, even though it's closed, and answer in a whisper.

“Sam?”

His voice comes through too steady to be anything but forced. “Tell me what happened.”

“I—I don’t know exactly.” I swallow hard. “Dad was just off.”

“Raven,” he murmurs finally, “why?”

“He asked me if I bumped into you while I was out.” My voice cracks, and I press my free hand to my stomach. “And he pulled a leaf from my hair.”

“There are leaves everywhere in this town.”

“It was a Black Walnut tree leaf,” I say, barely getting the words out.

A breath hisses through the speaker. Not from fear, but fury that he’s trying to leash.

“He thought I was out walking alone,” I say, the words trembling as they leave my lips. “He told me I shouldn’t be. Not with everything going on.”

“Was he waiting when you got home?”

“Yes.”

Another pause.

I hear him moving—footsteps, the creak of his bed frame. The sound of a zipper. He’s pacing. Probably shoving his things into his pockets.

“Sam,” I whisper. “What are you doing?”

“Coming to you.”

“No.” I stand, panic threading through my chest. “You can’t. He’s still downstairs⁠—”

“I don’t give a damn who’s downstairs,” he snaps softly, like he’s trying not to raise his voice, but I can hear the storm under every word. “If he followed you, if he thinks something’s wrong, if he even suspects⁠—”

“He doesn’t know.”

“You don’t know that.”

Neither of us speaks for a long moment.

Then his voice softens, breaking at the edges. “Raven, sweetheart, if he followed you out there, he’s not going to let this go.”

I press my hand to my forehead, trying to breathe. “What do we do?”

He exhales sharply, like he’s tearing himself in two. “You stay put. Don’t go anywhere. Don’t leave the house. And don’t talk to anyone until I figure this out.”

“Sam—”

“I mean it.” His tone goes firm, protective in a way that sends a shiver up my spine. “I’ll come get you tonight if I have to.”