Deep in the Woods Read Online Free PDF

kind?
    “Please—” She clamped her lips shut. No. No.
    “Please what?”
    “Please…will you?” She stopped and reached out to him, feeling foolish and vulnerable. He didn’t hesitate. He took her in his arms and clasped her against his chest. He didn’t grope her or try to kiss her. He seemed to understand that wasn’t what she needed. She needed to be held. She needed to feel the warmth of another human being who didn’t mean her harm. She needed strong arms around her that were soothing her, not holding her down.
    Oh, no. No. Tears flooded her eyes before she could stop them. No, she didn’t want to start crying. She couldn’t. He would know. He would know she was every bit as messed up as he probably suspected. Shit. Shit. Stupid tears. She tried to wipe them away before he noticed them. Her entire body tensed and more tears flowed, more than she could hide, more than she could control. Her face grew hot with embarrassment. “I… I… I…” she stammered, trying to explain it all. But she couldn’t explain. She couldn’t do anything.
    And Dave said nothing, asked no prying questions. He didn’t ask “What?” or “Why?” or make her explain. He just pulled her closer and held her. He was so solid. He smelled clean, like soap tinged with cigarette smoke from the Studio. He held her even after she soaked his shirt and turned the heather gray material dark and wet.
    “Please, please don’t let go of me,” she whispered to the thump of his heartbeat in her ear.
    He threaded his fingers in her hair and pulled her closer still. “I’ll hold you as long as you need me to. All night, if you like.”
    All night. All night.
    * * * * *
     
    She knew it was a bad idea to go to his house. Of course it was. She had only met him for the first time earlier that afternoon, and then they’d only spoken briefly. But when he’d walked her to her car and asked if she wanted to follow him to his house so she didn’t have to be alone, she’d agreed. Ridiculous. Even now, driving there, she fought the urge to peel off and retreat to her safe, lonely place.
    But there was something about him she couldn’t resist.
    He looked at her and something in his eyes both terrified and drew her closer. Not terrified her in the way that Barry’s eyes had terrified her. No. Terrified her in the way that he seemed to understand how badly she was hurting, even though they’d barely talked. He seemed to know the secrets she tried so hard to hide.
    But of course that was ridiculous. How could he know? Her secrets were her own. Any secrets that troubled her, any secrets that hurt and made her feel as if she might die from exposure and pain, all those secrets could be buried away—by choice. The choice was Sophie’s, Dr. Perez said, and Sophie had made her choice. She had buried the secrets away. She didn’t want them anymore, and she most certainly didn’t want anyone else to know them in all their horrible ugliness. She had begun to feel better now that they were buried. Still sad, still isolated, but better.
    Isolation was safe, if lonely. Doing what she was doing now…it didn’t feel safe at all.
    But she didn’t turn around. She followed his car down city block after city block, until they left the industrialized part of the city and entered a sleepy residential section. The homes were small and close together, but she was quite sure they cost more than she could ever afford. They passed a small neighborhood park, a community garden, and then turned into a narrow lane. He stopped and put his car in park. She stopped behind him and did the same, taking deep gulps of air. It was after midnight and there was no moon, so that when she cut her headlights the night turned black, lit only by a faint streetlight down the road.
    He came to her window. “Did you call someone?”
    “Call someone?”
    “Tell them where you are? Who you’re with?”
    “N…no. No, I didn’t. I don’t really have anyone to call. Except my