Page 50 of Don't Speak

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

The second I walk through it, my heart drops, sinking into the pit of my stomach.

The first thing I notice is my laptop sitting open on the coffee table.

In a panic, I rush through the house, checking all of the other rooms. The house is completely empty.

I sprint back to the room and head toward her dresser.

Opening the drawers, I notice that some of her clothes are missing.

Simba is lying on top of the dresser, so I know she has plans to return soon, at least.

I race back out into the living room and turn on the computer.

Everything that she was looking at is still pulled up on the screen.

It looks like the last thing she saw was the cameras in her home.

Fuck me. I knew I shouldn’t have waited this long.

I should have just done it. It should have come from me.

Now, I don’t think I’ll ever get her back.

She’ll never forgive me for this. My heart tightens at that thought, and my jaw clenches.

Grabbing my phone from my nightstand in the room, I quickly find Nikki’s number and call. It rings a few times before it hits voicemail. I try again. It rings a few times again but ends with the same outcome. I decide to fire off a text.

Me: Nikki, baby, please. This isn’t what it looks like. Come home so we can talk about it. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. I was going to tell you everything this morning. Please come home.

Time feels like it suddenly slows. All I can do is stare at the screen, hoping she will respond to me. After a few minutes, the text bubble pops up, indicating that she’s typing back.

Nikki: I don’t want to see you, Dean. Pack up your shit and get out of my house. I want you gone before I get home from my shift tonight. Don’t call me again.

Another pain stabs my heart at her words. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.

Another text comes through.

Nikki: And get your goddamn cameras out of my house, you creep!

I’ll have to find a way to talk to her. I can’t leave things like this. If she doesn’t want anything to do with me after that, then I’ll leave her alone. But not until I explain who I am to her.

I do as she asks and grab my things. I’ve still been paying for my apartment, which never flooded, so I’ll head back there for now.

Before I go, I feed Simba, knowing it will be several hours before she gets home.

Then, I take down all of the cameras, much to my dismay.

For a moment, I contemplate leaving one or two, but I run the risk of her checking for them.

If I leave them when she asked me to take them, she’ll look at it as another breach of trust, and I’m already in deep shit.

My eyes flick to the dolphin figurine still on the coffee table.

That footage can only be viewed from my phone, so she has no idea it’s a camera.

I decide to leave that one, taking the rest. Sean and James are still out there, and it’s still not safe for her.

I’m assuming she went to Amelia’s. From there, she’ll likely just head to work.

I don’t plan on waiting any longer to tell her the truth, so I’ll solve this tonight.

I just have to get through tonight’s shift. Being next to her without being able to touch her might just kill me.