Secret Regrets (Living For Today #2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

again, Rose.”
    I could hear him laughing jovially as his footsteps faded out with the other man’s behind me.
    Unable to stand a moment longer, I collapsed to my knees. I knelt there for a few seconds, minutes, hours — honestly I wasn’t sure. The amount of time was immeasurable as sobs wracked my body.
    “Rose! Rose!” Leslie’s voice yelled out, growing louder. “Rose!” Panic filled it this time as she knelt before me.
    “He’s back,” I mumbled.
    “What? What’s wrong, Rose?” Leslie shrieked.
    “Darren. He is back for me,” I said with an eerie tone of calmness as my eyes locked to hers to see my words sink in and the fear take over.

CHAPTER SIX
     
    T HE NEXT MORNING I WOKE IN the comfort of a bed — not my own — with a hangover that made my head throb. Blinking into the sunlight, I groaned in discomfort as I saw Leslie’s yellow-walled room and rolled to my side to pull the blanket over me.
    “Hey, hun. You okay?” Leslie’s concerned voice bounced around in my head like a Ping-Pong ball.
    Slowly, I pulled the covers down and blinked a few times. The two Leslies I saw merged into just one fuzzy one. “My God, how much did we drink last night?” I asked, feeling like my head had been beat against a wall.
    “Enough.,” Leslie smiled quickly before a frown reappeared on her face. “Rose, you said Darren was back?”
    I clenched my eyes as my stomach rolled at the name and fear that came with it. Had he even really been there, or had that just been a full-blown panic attack from the beefcake who’d tried to manhandle me? Opening my eyes, I could see terror in Leslie’s eyes at the possibility of him being back. “What! When did I even say that?” I smoothly lied to both her and myself. I distinctly remembered his vise grip on my arm and kneeling in the maintenance closet, distraught in the aftermath.
    “When I found you, you were freaking out. You said he was back.”
    He’d make good on his threats if I told, and I wouldn’t put it past him to take them from me. I couldn’t lose Bryant or Leslie. No way could I survive that. I knew I needed to cover this up until I could put the pieces together to end him myself.
    “The nightmares, Leslie. I told you, remember?” I put the confusion back on her to trip her up. “I think when that guy grabbed me, he just sent my mind reeling. He was huge, and that scared the crap out of me.” My body shivered in agreement.
    Nodding her head, Leslie seemed to buy my story, which was all I needed her to do, to not question me further.
    I needed a diversion. Scanning the room made me panic as a new thought entered my mind.
    “Leslie, why are we at your apartment? Bryant is going to freak that I didn’t come home.” I reached for my phone on the nightstand to call him, but Leslie’s hand seized mine.
    “I told him we’d drunk too much and were having a girls’ night until I could talk to you. Are you okay?” Her voice oozed concern.
    “Besides the splitting headache and the fact you go between looking like a fuzz ball to a Siamese twin, I’m good,” I said, reaching up and rubbing her arm with my free hand. “Thank you for being there for me, but I think, with the stress of moving back and job hunting, my brain is just on overload.”
    I slowly stood to go use the bathroom and grab some medicine for my head.
    After forcing a glass of water and some toast down, Leslie and I recapped the highlights of the night, avoiding the sensitive topics, until we were both in tears, laughing at her bachelorette party. My phone rang, ending the carefree moment, and I remembered I needed to get ready for Monday.
    “Hey, babe.” I answered the call.
    “Hey, tell Leslie her time is up. I was promised some fun, and you didn’t come home.” Bryant’s sulking came through, loud and clear, making me laugh.
    “Yes, one too many shots. Ugh. I am getting ready to head home now.” I hung up so I could say goodbye to Leslie and get back to Bryant.
    When I