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It’s Eli, but it’s not the voice of my benefactor who has talked to me all this time I’m so confused I’m scared that Uncle Daddy is hurt and Eli has hi at hio Please I can’t do this anyet you It’s almost New Year’s Eve" He looks at me one last time and then the screen freezes

I put the phone down

The door opens

I see his hand

I stand onand I hate s me down the hall It’s toward the bathrooht and e for the joke or the twist in the plot He steps back I walk into the bathrooap as I close it I click the lock It’s the best I’ve felt in ages

I clie shower and turn it on I turn the water to hot and let it scald s that try to flash intoabout his face is there still, picking atand triple rinse I was feeling like a wooly mammoth I climb out pruned and beat red

I pull on the clean robe that’s folded on the counter and leave the bathroo in the hallway I frown, "Were you there the entire tiet away?"

He laughs and shakes his head I catchhis dimple "No I stayed in case you were scared"

His kindness puts me off I want to hate him No one has ever inflicted the kind of pain he has on me He tried to drown me I need to remember that I am dead inside because of him

He holds his hand out I take it I don’t knohy He walks besideHe opens a door in a hallway I’ve never seen I look around, "Is this place like a whole floor of a building? It’s weird with all the hallways"

His eyes sparkle He brings ular furniture He turns and leaves I’ I climb up onto it and rest my head on the oversized pillow I’m so tired ht I see hiain I open my eyes He crawls onto the bed withi so nice It scareslike an ass, but his kindness is alaroing to kill me, just do it I don’t care anymore I’m done"

"You’re prepared to die?"

I nod and s, "I a inside of me"

"Have you ever feared I would kill you?"

I shake e to squeak that one out

"Liar"

I smile and think about Sebastian I would die a thousand deaths to be in his ar that daet out, I’ht I need a do-over

Eli lies beside hs, "If you had one ould it be?"

"I don’t know To be noruess It’s been my wish since I was tiny

He kisses the top of my head, "You wanted to knohy I cared what your naainst my forehead I’ it

"My sister was named Emalyn The Spicers were the couple that kidnapped us both"

I close my eyes The silent tears burst from my eyes no matter how hard I press theain

The memories start slowly "You are the boy in the hole" I whisper terrified "From the house Eli? That was your na off of hiain I feel like we are in my dark cell, both of us trapped there "I killed your sister"

The words force the curtain down The floodgates burst, bringing everything with it Everyforwards and backwards until I a in the roo his hand out to me It was the first time he had ever done that to me I curl into myself and cry until I sleep

Chapter Thirteen

My eyes flutter a bit The warmth of hienuine fear The tables have turned on ed him I am the one es him I am the one who broke him I deserved every injury he has inflicted upon me I deserve so much more than what he has done to me

I murdered his sister His name is Eli and he saved me, after I murdered his sister He held his hand out and took lance up His face is so beautiful In his sleep I see the face of the boy so clearly, I can’t believe I missed it My hero He blinks and looks down on me He smiles and breaks hs softly and squeezes me The dimple Of course I remember the dimple The di for me

He moans, "We haven’t slept beside each other in fourteen years and it still feels the same" He says it so softly and sweetly