Page 42 of Breathe

“Forget it,” she said heavily. “That’s what they want. Interaction.”

Penny was shaking. “Okay, okay. God, I get it now. That sucked.”

Ellen put her arm through her friend’s, and they walked to her car. Sassy, bubbly, busty Penny; bright and shiny like her name. She’d been defending and praising Ellen since their first meeting.

“Have I ever told you...?” Ellen began. But the words got stuck in her throat. She stopped walking and looked at Penny. “I mean,” she tried again. Just tell her she’s important to you! Can’t you do even that? Haven’t you lived here long enough?

“Aw, hon,” Penny smiled, patting her arm. “I love you too.”

• • •

Ellen purposely avoided the papers the next day. She hated, loathed having her photograph in the paper. Every time another newspaper or unfamiliar cell phone number appeared on her caller ID, it was like undoing the three locks on her front door and inviting the world in. Her pepper spray couldn’t save her from the lewd stares of men as she walked down the street. She didn’t get much work done, even counting the early closing they got for the holiday. When Jon told her to get the hell out of the office, she went down and helped the front desk with the clog of guests coming in for the weekend, rather than go home and think.

She’d texted Kane when she’d got home from the gym, and he’d texted a quick good night back, but she hadn’t tried to contact him today; she knew he’d be in meetings or, hopefully, coming home. She hadn’t told him about the camera; it would just be one more thing for him to worry about.

She was in her pajamas, switching off her music and closing up her book to go to bed, when the door buzzed. Her first instinct was fear; it was 11:30. She didn’t know anyone who’d be up this late on a Wednesday. Then she reasoned that it had to be Kane; and besides, that was what the intercom was for, so she pressed the button. “Hello?”

“It’s me.”

It didn’t sound like him, so she kept her door locked until she saw him through the peephole. He looked terrible. As she opened the door, she took in his two-days’ growth of beard, unkempt hair, and the smell of cigarettes and wet ashes that filled the air around him. “Oh, Kane,” she began, reaching out a hand, but he stepped away from her.

“Who have you been talking to?”