Chapter 4

I shut the bedroom door, felt my way through the dark, and pulled the suitcase out from under the bed.

Lucas had furnished most of this apartment to his own taste. Not much in it belonged to me.

I stuffed in a few changes of clothes and my documents and kept my cane within reach. I had just zipped the suitcase shut when the door opened.

Lucas flipped on the light, glanced at the suitcase, and gave a helpless laugh.

"In the middle of the night? Running away from home again?"

He hugged me from behind and took my cold hands in his.

"Still mad? Tomorrow I'll take you to buy the necklace you like best, okay?"

He was always like this, certain I was only throwing a tantrum, certain I couldn't leave him.

After all, where could a woman with severe night blindness go, when she could barely make it out the door alone after dark?

"No need."

I pulled free of him and extended the suitcase handle.

His face darkened. "Lena, that's enough. You can't see at night. What if you run into trouble out there? Didn't you get hurt enough on the outskirts today?"

So he knew I had been hurt on the outskirts.

I tightened my grip on the handle.

"The unlicensed cab driver said Vanessa told him to dump me out in the middle of nowhere."

"After I jumped out of the car, a few thugs nearly dragged me into the weeds. When I called you for help, what were you doing?"

Lucas avoided my eyes.

"Nessa explained. She just called a random car. She had no idea the driver would get ideas on his own. As for those punks, you made it back in one piece, didn't you?"

He reached for the suitcase. I blocked him, and my sleeve slid back, exposing my scraped wrist.

"How did you get hurt like this? Where's the first-aid kit?"

"Is that it? You think I stole Luke from you?"

Vanessa stood in the doorway, toying with the matching anniversary rings from the living room. Casually, she tossed the one that was mine into the trash.

"Just say the word and I'll never show up again. You don't have to run away to force his hand."

Lucas frowned. "Nessa, don't make things worse."

Then he turned to me. "She came here to keep you company out of kindness. Do you really have to make things this ugly?"

Lucas had the rings custom-made after my eyesight was damaged.

Our names were engraved inside the bands. He said that even if I couldn't see, I could feel which one was mine.

Now Vanessa had thrown it in the trash, and all he thought was that she was making things worse.

I bent down and picked up the ring. Vanessa's eyes went red.

"Luke, did I say the wrong thing again? I was just scared something would happen to her."

Lucas immediately steadied her.

"Nobody's blaming you. Go back to your room."

On his way past me, he touched my arm.

"Don't go anywhere. Once Nessa calms down, I'll put something on those cuts."

I stepped back half a pace. "Go ahead."

His expression softened. "That's more like it. Leave the suitcase. I'll help you put things away in a bit."

The guest room door closed. I wiped the ring clean and set it in the very center of the shoe cabinet.

As I changed my shoes, my sleeve brushed the wound, and the pain made me pause.

From the guest room came his low, soothing voice.

"Okay, stop crying. I'm here."

This time, I didn't sit in the entryway waiting for him.

Instead, I picked up my cane, pulled my suitcase along, and left.

Not long after the car pulled away, Lucas called.

"Lena, why isn't the first-aid kit where it usually is?"

Over the line came the sound of cabinet doors opening and shutting, then hurried footsteps.

"Lena?"

A few seconds later, his voice changed.

"What's the ring doing on the shoe cabinet? Where are you?"