Chapter 9
Macie
I've never been the type of woman who thought she would do well with kids. As an only child my imagination was amazing, but patience has never been a strong suit. If there's one thing I know about children, it's that they require patience.
I sit next to her, grimacing when I pull my legs up to cross them.
It costs me to sit here, but this girl is very important to Darren, and I want her to like me.
Not because I want to impress him, but because I feel like she's just as important as he is.
It's hard not to talk, because I'm a talker, and that's what I do to put people at ease when I'm in the room with them before I take their blood pressure and temperature.
But I don't know this little girl, and I don't want to make any presumptions.
So instead, I just sit here next to her, watching the cartoon on the TV.
It's nice because my brain blanks out the way Darren was talking about his brain blanking out.
I'm not sure how long I sit here, just letting the world pass me by when I feel a hand touch my knee. It slightly startles me, and I jump. But then I look down and realize it's Nic. This is the first step, right? I reach over and put my hand in hers.
"I love show," she says out of nowhere.
My heart pounds and chest squeezes as I look into the same eyes her father has. "Do you?"
She nods. "We watch it all the time." Or whatever she mumbles.
"Why do you love it so much?"
The smile that spreads across her face is big. "Doggie!"
Darren groans from where he sits behind us. "She desperately wants a dog. She keeps trying to talk me into it, but I just don't have the time for it right now."
"A dog is a lot of work," I concede.
"She wants it to sleep with her," he continues. "And I would love for her to have what she wants..." he trails off.
I know what he's trying to say. As a single dad, he can't work it out so that he can live, work, and support her along with a dog. I hate this for them, because he's right, she should have what she wants. "Maybe one day, when you're older, you can have a dog."
Nic makes a noise in the back of her throat, and Darren laughs. "People tell her that all the time. She's sick of people telling her that."
"Are you?" I ask her, reaching out to tickle her stomach.
She nods, rolling her eyes.
"Oh I see she has the eye roll down. At such a young age, too," I tease, giggling.
"You can thank Ella for that," he references his little sister.
I've only ever met her a few times, but she seems like a really nice girl. "If she can't learn that from her aunt, then what can she learn from her?"
He grunts. "That's not all she's learning from her.
I was so excited when I found out Mom and Dad were having a baby, but I never realized how the age gap between us would affect things.
Like I'm nearing thirty-one, and she'll be twenty in a few months.
We're just in two different parts of our lives, and I love her for the help she gives. "
"I hear a but in there."
"Oh there's a really big one. She's all about partying and having fun, and I haven't been at that spot in my life in a very long time.
She had Nic in her car at a party waiting for me to come pick her up after I got off-shift.
It's not like she had her actually at the party, but it was close enough and it pissed me off. "
There's disappointment in his tone, and written right across his face. I know that Darren loves his sister, he respects her, and no one better ever touch her, but he also expects a lot of her. "She's young, she'll understand."
"In the grand scheme of things she's not much older than you," he points out. "Would you take Nic to a college party and wait in the car until I was able to come get her?"
He's got a point, but I also don't want to be judgmental. I was that young girl at one point, and I'm not sure how I would've reacted. The me now, is completely different than the me I was a few years ago. "No, I wouldn't have."
"There ya go."
Nic turns to us. "Swing?"
I don't know what she's asking, but it's obvious that Darren does. "It's chilly out there, baby girl. Are you sure?" He asks, running a hand along the back of his neck.
We're into the first part of April, but cool temperatures have been hanging on like a bad cold. I'm not sure we're going to hit the high sixties today.
"I wanna swing," she says those words with her deeply southern accent.
"You heard her, Daddy," I taunt, giving him a grin. "She wants to swing." His gaze flares and I wonder if he likes me saying the world Daddy, but he continues.
"Alright, let's go swing." Nic is excited. She gets up, yelling with joy. "You have to wear a jacket," I remind her.
She doesn't seem to care, and runs through the house to get her shoes on.
"I wish I was that excited about something," I laugh as I watch.
Nic brings her shoes to her Dad, and he pushes himself forward on the couch to help her put them on.
He clears his throat, and his dark gaze lifts to mine.
"I didn't want to ruin the morning, but I do have to take you down to the station for your statement.
Mom's going to come and watch Nic while I take you down there. She'll be here in about an hour."
I had hoped he'd forgotten about me going to the station. I don't want to relive it, and I don't want to tell people about the shame I feel, but at the same time, I realize that he's never going to be caught if I don't. "Okay," I swallow hard. "I'll be ready when she gets here."
"Do you need a sweatshirt?" He asks, his eyes flicking up and down my body. "That shirt is going to be chilly."
He's right, and it would be bad to admit that I would love to wear something of his. "Yes please."
He holds up a finger and heads back toward his bedroom.
When he comes out a few minutes later, he's holding a hoodie.
When he tosses it to me, I grab it, and shrug it over my head and shoulders.
It smells exactly like him and I can immediately tell this is going to be my favorite shirt I've ever had.
Thirty minutes later, I'm pushing Nic on the swing. "Higher!" She squeals.
I've smiled the entire time I've been out here, and my face is starting to hurt. I'm feeling the pain, and it's reminding me of what's going to happen as soon as Kelsea Kepler gets here. I won't be able to keep pushing her on the swing, and I'll have to face what's actually happened to me.
"Hey Mom," Darren waves across the yard, and I know that the time I've been dreading has come.
I'm nervous as I sit in this room, facing the Chief of Police.
I've heard really good things about Mason Harrison, and I know he's Darren's grandfather, but it's still intimidating as hell.
Darren's dad, Nick, is in here too, and while I do question the ethics, I'm happy to have people that seem to want to have my best interests at heart.
"Do you want Darren in here?" Chief Harrison asks, his dark eyes looking over me.
I can imagine just what he sees. As the day has gone on, the bruises on my face have darkened, and it's hard to form a smile.
The muscles are sore from laughing with Nicole, and I so wish I was back in the yard with her.
I'm still wearing Darren's hoodie, proclaiming I'm Property of The Laurel Springs Police Department.
But I refuse to give it up. I've tucked my fingers under the edges of the spandex cuffs at the wrists.
Against my better judgement, I answer. "Yes, if that's okay.
" The longer I sit here under the scrutiny of these two men, I want the one who makes me feel safe.
In the last twenty-four hours, he's become a calming and steady presence when the insides of my body feel as if they're having a dance party to an EDM track.
The Chief gets up and walks to the door, opening it, and then sticking his head outside. Was Darren sitting in the hallway? Because he comes right in, has a seat next to me, and gives me a reassuring smile, before grabbing my hand and squeezing.
He doesn't say anything, but I can feel his gaze on me as I situate myself in the seat, and wait for Chief Harrison or Nick to ask me any questions.
Nick is the first one to speak. "Thank you for coming in today. I appreciate it. I know we spoke a little bit last night about what happened, but we need an official statement."
"I understand," I answer softly.
Chief Harrison clears his throat. "We got a warrant for the hospital video and they've sent that over. We need to verify a few things for us. I'm apologizing now because you're going to see your attack in real time. I wish we could do this another way."
Swallowing roughly, I nod, and let out a breath. "Anything I can do to put this man away, I will."
And then I square my shoulders, and wait for the first questions to be asked.