I've Died Here Before novel · Chapter 15 of 24

Chapter 15: Rule Two

Addie's POV

I woke up at 7:35 to a woman in lavender scrubs pointing her phone at my face.

She wasn't taking a picture of Hattie.

She was taking one of me.

"Get her," the voice said, with total joy. "Get her, get her, get her."

The nurse saw my eyes open and bolted for the corridor.

I went after her in my socks.

I caught her by the back of the scrubs at the supply cabinet and slammed her against it.

"Who is paying you?"

"Please," she said. "Please, I have loans."

"Who?"

"A woman. She said it was just photos. She said you were a stalker and she was your family."

"Name."

"She never gave one. She had a gold watch."

Behind me, a pair of boots came down the hall at a run.

Holden stopped three steps away, out of breath, his shirt stuck to his chest.

He wasn't wearing a coat, and he had no phone in his hand.

"Addie."

"Where were you?"

He didn't answer.

"The nurse says the woman with the gold watch told her she'd be busy this morning with Mr. Courtland." I let go of the nurse, and she slid down the cabinet. "So I'll ask once. Where were you?"

"Giselle's suite," Holden said.

The hallway got very quiet.

A guard stepped forward and took the nurse by the arm.

I did not look at the nurse.

"You went to Giselle. Alone."

"I wanted her on tape."

"Rule two, Courtland."

"I know."

"You never decide anything about me without telling me first."

"I know what I promised."

"You promised six hours ago."

"I wanted you asleep," he said. "I wanted you alive and asleep while I did it."

"I wasn't asleep. I was bait for a nurse with a student loan."

He flinched.

I saw it, and I did not take it back.

"You want to know what it's like?" I said. "To be told it's fine, it's handled, go to sleep? I've been told that for three years. I thought it was love.

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