Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Why?”
“Because you’re such a good man, Leif. You served your country. You saved a fallen man.”
“I saved several. But I also let several die, and I have to live with that every day. No one is a true hero, Kelly. But I’m glad you think I’m a good man.”
“I do.” She meets my gaze but then looks down. “I don’t think anyone has ever thought of me as a good person.”
“I do. Do you think I could fall in love with a bad person?”
“I’m… I’m afraid you might have.”
I turn around so that she’s facing the water. “Close your eyes while I rinse your hair.”
She bows her head, and as the water drizzles through her hair, I rinse the shampoo from her, watching the suds swirl down the drain. Once her hair is squeaky clean, I turn her back around, place her head under the shower so her hair is now out of her face. Then I cup both her cheeks. “You listen to me, and you listen good. There is no black-and-white in this world. Everything is shades of gray. There’s no absolute good and absolute bad.”
“Oh, there’s absolute bad.”
I pause. “Yeah, that’s a hard one for me to swallow too. But when Buck and I got back from that last tour, we were discharged honorably, and we both had a lot of PTSD. We went to therapy together and solo for a while. One thing I learned was that even those who appear to be nothing but pure evil usually have one tiny redeeming quality. It’s just very hard to find, and no one usually sees it.”
“I don’t think The Dark One has any redeeming qualities,” she says with a scoff, “and I can’t believe you would say that he does.” She turns from me then, opens the shower door, and gets out, dripping onto the bathmat as she grabs a towel.
“Kelly, I—”
She slams the door to the bathroom.
I suppose I deserve that. Probably wasn’t the best time to bring up that little tidbit from my therapy. To be honest, I don’t always believe it either, but for the most part, I believe that there are no absolutes in life. It took me a long time to realize it, but the people who tortured me while I was in captivity were either following orders or they were doing what they thought was best for their country. Or there was a different motive. Perhaps their loved ones were being threatened. Or perhaps there was a reason I can’t even fathom. But there was a motive, nonetheless. That didn’t mean it was a good motive.
But…Kelly’s experience was completely different. Men paid millions to subject her to the abuse and torture on that island. Their motive? They’re own warped and narcissistic pleasure.
She’s right.
There was no good in any of them.
A year of therapy down the drain. Sometimes, there is an absolute, and this Dark One who is bent on tormenting Kelly is absolute evil.
I don’t bother washing my hair. Just my private parts, as I’ve already had a shower today. I get out, dry myself off, and wrap a towel around my waist. I open the door. Kelly’s already gone. She clearly put her clothes from last night back on.
She must be out in the kitchen, maybe getting something to eat.
I put on my clothes, towel off my hair, and head back out.
“Kelly? Kelly, I’m sorry. You’re right.”
She’s not in the kitchen. And she’s not at the table drinking coffee… And she’s not—
“Kelly!”
She probably just went back to her place. No reason to get freaked out.
I leave my apartment, and I don’t even bother knocking on her door. I slide my key through and open it. “Kelly?”
I expect to see her sitting on her couch, or in the kitchen getting some coffee together.
She’s in neither of those places, and my heart starts to explode.
I walk to her bedroom—the door is closed. I knock. “Kelly? I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have said that kind of stuff.”
I turn the knob and open the door. “Kelly?”
She’s not in the bedroom. I check the bathroom quickly, my pulse on overload. Then I check her walk-in closet.
“Kelly!”
My nerves are jumping, and my heart is pounding so hard I can actually see the movement against my chest.
“Kelly!” I grab fists of my hair. “Kelly, where the fuck are you?”
21
KELLY
“Yes? Come in,” Macy says after I pound on her door on the first floor of the building.
I open the door and poke my head in.
“Kelly,” she says, smiling. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to talk to you. I know it’s not my regular session, but do you have ten minutes?”
“Of course.” She gestures. “Come on in and sit down.”
I close the door and take a seat in my usual chair across from her desk.
“I’m not surprised to see you, given what you’ve been through.”