Hey y'all!

Im sorry! There are no excuses. I'm working on the original version of this to self publish. On top of my busy life! If y'all could just annoy me about updates I promise to work on getting them out faster. Which Merry Men should make an appearance?

B

"Yes, ma'am we thought that was quite odd. The delivery man said that was what was on his sheet". Ranger grabbed the card.

"Thank you, but you can throw those away."

Grabbing all the mail we headed to the elevator. The doors closed and I inserted the key to access my floor. I unlocked the apartment door, and continued through to my bedroom. Not really sure if I was ready to start talking yet. Closing my bedroom door behind me. Hoping to deter Ranger for at least a little while. Locating something to take a nap in I headed toward the bathroom, when my room door opened.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked

"Can you unzip my dress?" I countered ignoring the subject

Crossing the room he pulled the zipper down enough so I could get out of the dress. I shivered under his touch and mentally chided myself. I closed the bathroom door pulled the t-shirt and shorts on. While attempting to fold the dress with one useable arm. I exited the bathroom laid the dress over the chair. And looked at him.

"Why don't you lay down for a while?" He led me to the bed.

"We can talk when you wake up. There is no hurry right now."

Pulling the blankets he helped me slide into the bed.

"Wake me up in a hour so we can talk?" Nodding in agreement.

I got comfortable and drifted off to sleep. The same dream all over again. The same van, struggle and the same look on my mother's face the last time I saw her. Only this time it was more real than it had been in the past few years. It felt like I was going thru it all over again.

Woke up shaking and jumped out of bed. Knocking over the lamp. I hid in the corner. Shaking, crying and curled up in a ball in the midst of the shattered lamp. Don't know how long I actually sat there before I heard the glass crunching around me and I felt two hands, causing me to jump and scream sending it myself further into the corner. I clawed at the wall before registering it was Ranger.

"I'm going to pick you up, don't freak out." He said. Slowly stepping towards me.

"Going to get you cleaned up."

Looking down I realized I was bleeding. I let him pick me up and carry me.

"I'm not hurting you am I?" He asked.

Shaking my head no. We got to the bathroom and he sat me down on the corner of the tub. As he rifled through the cabinets looking for a first aid kit.

"I'm okay, Really. I will be fine." He just stopped and looked at me.

"Just let me do this." Returning to his looking he finally located the kit.

Then came to sit in front of me. No more words were exchanged between us. Sitting there I just stared at my reflection in the mirror. It was if I was staring at somebody else. A person with dark circles and a scar on her cheek. Something that normally wasn't seen because of the layers of make-up. I put my hand to the scar. It really had healed a lot over the years and with concealer it wasn't as evident to others.

"Its not that bad." He assured me.

"Don't worry about it. I just need to go lay down." I stood up and headed for the door.

Stumbling and grabbing for the wall I crashed to the floor. Woke up shivering and soaking wet on the floor of the shower.

"If you don't stop putting me in the shower fully clothed I will kill you."

Ranger turned off the water and opened up the glass doors. Pulling me to my feet he wrapped a towel around me.

"Change into those and I will be back to check on you soon".

He walked out of the bathroom closing the door behind him. Slowly I peeled myself out of the clothes and pull on the dry stuff. I left them on the floor mainly because I didn't care. Walking into the bedroom I realized my suitcases were near the door. opened the closet and nothing was in there, pulled out a drawer on the dresser empty again.

"Ranger!" I screamed as I headed out the bedroom door to the hallway.