Read Online Final Touch by Brandilyn Collins - Free Book Online
Authors: Brandilyn Collins
Ads: Link
have expected that.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. Or my parents.”
Who are surely moving heaven and earth to look for me right now.
Joshua jerked upright to face me, mouth twisting. “You better watch your mouth.”
I melted back, heart rat-ratting. How could he change so fast? “Sorry. I just meant…we have a lot to learn about each other.”
Joshua pierced me with a long gaze. Then he grunted and turned around to make his sandwich.
Movement on the floor caught my eye. A small gray mouse. I watched as he scuttled into the kitchen, past Joshua’s foot, and under the refrigerator. My shoulders drew in.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Upstairs.”
I turned and surveyed the steps. I didn’t want to go up there, near the bedrooms. What if Joshua came behind and trapped me?
But it had been hours since I’d used the toilet.
With a furtive glance at Joshua, I turned to walk back through the den.
I’d expected the stairs to creak, like the front door. They didn’t. My bruised hand slid along the pole railing.
At the top of the steps, I turned left into a hall that ran the width of the cabin. Three open doors stood on my left. I peeked in the first and saw a small room with a single bed and a three-drawer dresser. One window overlooked the front, with torn gray curtains.
The second door led to the bathroom. I slipped inside and locked myself in. I headed to the small mirror above the sink. Dared to look at my reflection.
Air swirled in my throat. I hung on to the sink, gazing into the face I didn’t know. It was even worse than before. My left eye was black and swollen half shut. The bruising ran clear to my jaw. My eye makeup was even more smeared, one dark line tracing down my right cheek.
I turned on the water. It flowed out a light brown. I let it run until it looked clear, then carefully splashed my face—at least the right side. The left side felt too tender to wash. One towel hung from a rack on the wall. I considered it, then pulled it off. Smelled it and wrinkled my nose. Replacing it, I reached for toilet paper to wipe the makeup smear from my face.
In the medicine cabinet I found an old rubber band. Who knew why it was there. I used it to pull my ratty hair into a loose ponytail.
When I finished in the bathroom, I ventured into the hall. Leaning forward, I listened, head cocked toward the stairs. The sound of shuffling feet drifted to me, and the closing of a cabinet.
I looked in the direction of the third door. What was in there?
Creeping farther down the hall, I peeked inside. A second bedroom,bigger than the first. With a double bed. My breath shuddered. I didn’t want Joshua to come up and catch me anywhere near that thing.
As I turned to leave I saw a telephone on the nightstand.
My body froze. I stared at the phone, feeling the rise and fall of my chest with each breath. Could I walk across the room and pick it up without Joshua hearing?
What if the floor creaked? I’d be right above the kitchen. He might guess what I was doing. If he’d turned so angry just a minute ago over nothing…
I swallowed, eyes riveted to the phone. Then leaned back toward the stairs, listening.
No sound of footfalls on the wooden steps.
Swiveling, I hurried across the bedroom floor, taking long, low strides. Trying not to make even the tiniest noise. For the first time I was glad I was barefoot. In seven steps I stood at the nightstand, hand hovering over the receiver.
What if it did work, and he was on the downstairs phone?
My fingers grazed the black plastic. I bit my lip, glanced back at the door.
Carefully, I eased up the receiver.
I lifted it to my ear—and heard a dial tone.
Relief weakened my knees. I jabbed a finger at the first digit to dial 9-1-1.
“Shaley?” Joshua bellowed from below me.
I jumped, every inch of me tingling. Quickly, but with no sound, I replaced the receiver.
“What you doing up there, girl?”
Footsteps sounded on the main-level
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. Or my parents.”
Who are surely moving heaven and earth to look for me right now.
Joshua jerked upright to face me, mouth twisting. “You better watch your mouth.”
I melted back, heart rat-ratting. How could he change so fast? “Sorry. I just meant…we have a lot to learn about each other.”
Joshua pierced me with a long gaze. Then he grunted and turned around to make his sandwich.
Movement on the floor caught my eye. A small gray mouse. I watched as he scuttled into the kitchen, past Joshua’s foot, and under the refrigerator. My shoulders drew in.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Upstairs.”
I turned and surveyed the steps. I didn’t want to go up there, near the bedrooms. What if Joshua came behind and trapped me?
But it had been hours since I’d used the toilet.
With a furtive glance at Joshua, I turned to walk back through the den.
I’d expected the stairs to creak, like the front door. They didn’t. My bruised hand slid along the pole railing.
At the top of the steps, I turned left into a hall that ran the width of the cabin. Three open doors stood on my left. I peeked in the first and saw a small room with a single bed and a three-drawer dresser. One window overlooked the front, with torn gray curtains.
The second door led to the bathroom. I slipped inside and locked myself in. I headed to the small mirror above the sink. Dared to look at my reflection.
Air swirled in my throat. I hung on to the sink, gazing into the face I didn’t know. It was even worse than before. My left eye was black and swollen half shut. The bruising ran clear to my jaw. My eye makeup was even more smeared, one dark line tracing down my right cheek.
I turned on the water. It flowed out a light brown. I let it run until it looked clear, then carefully splashed my face—at least the right side. The left side felt too tender to wash. One towel hung from a rack on the wall. I considered it, then pulled it off. Smelled it and wrinkled my nose. Replacing it, I reached for toilet paper to wipe the makeup smear from my face.
In the medicine cabinet I found an old rubber band. Who knew why it was there. I used it to pull my ratty hair into a loose ponytail.
When I finished in the bathroom, I ventured into the hall. Leaning forward, I listened, head cocked toward the stairs. The sound of shuffling feet drifted to me, and the closing of a cabinet.
I looked in the direction of the third door. What was in there?
Creeping farther down the hall, I peeked inside. A second bedroom,bigger than the first. With a double bed. My breath shuddered. I didn’t want Joshua to come up and catch me anywhere near that thing.
As I turned to leave I saw a telephone on the nightstand.
My body froze. I stared at the phone, feeling the rise and fall of my chest with each breath. Could I walk across the room and pick it up without Joshua hearing?
What if the floor creaked? I’d be right above the kitchen. He might guess what I was doing. If he’d turned so angry just a minute ago over nothing…
I swallowed, eyes riveted to the phone. Then leaned back toward the stairs, listening.
No sound of footfalls on the wooden steps.
Swiveling, I hurried across the bedroom floor, taking long, low strides. Trying not to make even the tiniest noise. For the first time I was glad I was barefoot. In seven steps I stood at the nightstand, hand hovering over the receiver.
What if it did work, and he was on the downstairs phone?
My fingers grazed the black plastic. I bit my lip, glanced back at the door.
Carefully, I eased up the receiver.
I lifted it to my ear—and heard a dial tone.
Relief weakened my knees. I jabbed a finger at the first digit to dial 9-1-1.
“Shaley?” Joshua bellowed from below me.
I jumped, every inch of me tingling. Quickly, but with no sound, I replaced the receiver.
“What you doing up there, girl?”
Footsteps sounded on the main-level
Similar Books
