Chapter 28

• The following morning, I wake up with my thoughts still consumed by the events of last night, the memories haunting my every waking moment. I'm not even worried about my mental health, the fact that I came undone while staring death in the face. No, my mind is fixated on Rafael and what he might do to me for what Thomas did to him last night. His words echo in my head, a chilling reminder of the precarious nature of my position. He said he won't hurt me because I'm his, but he also added that ominous "for now," a clear indication that his mind could change at any moment. I'm a possession to him, a mere object to be discarded when he tires of me, and people tend to lose love for their possessions all too easily. What's to say he won't do the same to me, that he won't follow through on his threat and put a bullet in my head?
• Oh my God!
• I sigh, running a hand through my tangled hair as a shiver runs down my spine, the weight of my fears settling heavily on my shoulders. The glass of water in my hand begins to clatter against the countertop, my trembling fingers betraying the depth of my anxiety. I had come to the kitchen to get a drink, hoping to calm my nerves, but even the simple act of hydration seems beyond me now. I had missed breakfast, too worried to feel the gnawing hunger in my stomach, too consumed by the thoughts that plague my mind.