CHAPTER 8
Andy had not changed. Clean, expensive cologne, black clothes, that calm smile that never reached his eyes when he was working, but when his eyes landed on me, they softened instantly.
He stood at the bedroom door, just looking at me for a second. The same Andy. The same height, the same broad shoulders, the same way he tilted his head slightly when he was worried about me. He was in all black; black t-shirt, black jeans, black boots; but he smelled like he always did, that expensive cologne I could never forget. He walked straight to me and pulled me into a hug before I could even speak, before I could explain why I had called him, before he could understand what had transpired downstairs.
"Honey..." he said quietly, his voice deep, right against my hair. "You are shaking."
And I was. I was shaking badly. My hands, my legs, my whole body. I had been holding everything together for almost two days;Penny in hospital, Mel disappearing, Jim attacking me in my own house; I had been acting strong. But in his arms, I broke down completely. For the first time since Mel disappeared, I felt safe enough to cry properly. Not the silent tears I had cried on the floor, but loud, ugly sobs, with snot and everything. I clung to his t-shirt like a child.
He held me tight. Both arms around me, one...