Page 76 (1/2)

She had no plan after that She had no idea where she was or what she would do if he awoke All she kneas that she had to try There was no choice

His smell--the harsh scent of scorched rubber--filled the room around her, and the volatile flavor of alcohol assailed her tongue She ignored it all

Still lying down, she dropped her leg over the edge of the bed Every muscle in her body tensed as she waited for hi

The consequences wouldn’t be pretty, that much she knew That much she’d witnessed

She had to be cautious, steady, silent

The inside of her lip bled fro herself Her foot brushed the solid floor beneath her and her heart skipped But she couldn’t be too optio

She eased up, using her arm to lift herself from the mattress

He slept so soundly--so peacefully--beside her that she half-wondered if he’d drugged himself as well It was a ridiculous notion, of course A hope-filled delusion

As soon as she was sitting, dizziness swept over her She blinked and struggled not to swaynot to collapse back onto the bed again She fisted the sheets at her sides, waiting for her vision to clear

After a moment, once her head cleared, she made some quick mental notes The room was dark, but she knew the basic layout Bed Chest of drawers Door

That was the i: She knehere the door was

Her bare toes settled on the cold floor beneath her and she tipped forward, gripping one of the canopy posts for support A post that just hours earlier had held her i and raw Her heart beat so hard in her chest, she feared it ht explode

And thenshe stood

She took a tentative step

And then another And another

She crouched now, feeling her way in the dark Her fingers grazed the uide Each step was carefully plotted, her toes testing the ground ahead of her

As she reached the bedpost closest to the door, she released it, suddenly lost in a sea of darkness Yet she didn’t slow She couldn’t slow

She reached out, her breath catching as her fingertips brushed the wall and she feathered theh of relief--the doorknob