Chapter 17 - The Safe House
Noah did not take me to his apartment, knowing Garrett’s private investigators knew where he lived.
Instead, he drove me to a small, hidden cabin near a quiet lake three hours outside the city.
When we pulled into the gravel driveway, the front door flew open immediately.
My mother and father ran out into the freezing night, tears streaming down their faces.
My mother pulled me into a desperate, crushing hug, crying hysterically into my shoulder.
"My baby, my beautiful girl," she sobbed, holding my face in her warm, shaking hands.
My father wrapped his arms around both of us, completely overwhelmed with pure relief.
"We never stopped trying to reach you, Elena. We never gave up," my father promised, his voice cracking.
We went inside the warm, cozy cabin, sitting by a crackling fire and drinking hot tea.
For the first time in two years, I did not have to watch my words or monitor my facial expressions.
I was surrounded by absolute, unconditional love.
The heavy, suffocating anxiety that had ruled my life slowly began to evaporate in the warmth of the fire.
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We stayed awake until the sun came up, talking, crying, and completely healing the massive emotional wounds Garrett had inflicted.
I was finally home, safe in the arms of the people who truly loved me.
