YAY! IT'S 'TOMORROW' LOL
Fran betas and Dani, Ariel, and Gemma preread to catch all my mistakes :)
I do what Rose says. I stay put.
My only solace is that each day of waiting brings me one day closer to escape. But my mind still manages to conjure these horrible images of all the different scenarios gone wrong. It's enough to keep me awake at night, long after he's fallen asleep. Long after he thinks I'm sleeping, too.
What if we get caught as we're leaving? What if he already knows and is just biding his time until I think I'm in the clear? What if he kills me? And Rose? And Alice?
I can't put anything past him at this point.
Especially because things have been relatively quiet inside the house, and he's been coming home from work happy these days. And even though I'm always waiting for him to explode, he doesn't.
He's even...sweet.
Sometimes he reminds me of the man I met back in the coffee shop all those years ago, rain dripping onto us as we greeted each other in line for coffee. He's a chameleon, and even though it's nice to see some semblance of who he once was, I'm not fooled enough to let my guard down. Even when he's gentle at night pressing himself into me, I know what he's capable of.
I never forget everything he's done to me, even as the days pass and my doubt begins to surface. The plan is taking a while to form, and when the last week of August comes, I'm antsy as I see Alice jogging down the street.
"I'll go to see Rose tonight," Alice promises when she can see how anxious I am. "Just stay calm and don't do anything reckless."
"I'm trying not to," I say, rubbing my hands up and down my crossed arms. "I don't know how much longer I can wait."
"You're strong, Bella. Stronger than he will ever be." She takes a step towards me, and I can tell she wants to comfort me, wrap me in her arms like the friend she's become over these last few weeks. "I'll put her response in the box."
The box has stayed at Alice's house since we last heard from Rose a few weeks ago. When the plan was settled, Rose said she would go to Alice, and the two of them would write it down and put it in the recipe box for Alice to deliver to my butterfly bushes.
I nod in approval, though I'm on the verge of panicking, knowing I'm so close to getting what I deserve.
The next day, Alice and I snoop beneath the bushes so Alice can pass me Rose's message. I read her response, trying to be as discreet as I can.
It's almost done. Give me one week.
I make it three days before I'm running out of my house like my life depends on it.
Because it does.
RUN, Bella.
See you tomorrow!