Chapter 25 #2
“What situation?”
“She was talking about leaving. She promised me she’d talk to you.”
“Hold on,” I interrupted. “She said she wanted to leave?”
“She said someone from her past had come back. And she wanted to leave before it got out of hand.”
“I gotta go,” I started to hang up.
“Wait,” Jensen pleaded. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. I gotta go.”
I hung up the phone and tossed it on the counter. An indescribable emotion rolled through me. It pissed me off that she would talk to Jensen and not me. I walked to Zoey’s bedroom door and knocked.
“Zoey?”
“What?”
“Can I come in?”
No answer.
“Zoey, I’m coming in.”
“Fine.”
I expected her to be lying curled up in her bed. Instead, she had all her clothes on her bed and she shoved items into plastic bags.
“Hey,” I worked to keep my voice low and steady. “What are you doing?”
Panic fueled her movements. “I have to leave.”
“No. That’s the worst thing to do.”
“You don’t know what I know. I have to go.” She paused and looked up at me. “I have my list and I promise I’ll pay you back, but can I borrow $100?”
“Zoey.”
“Fifty then.”
I ran my hands through my still damp hair. Wondering how $50 could make any difference? You could barely buy a meal for $50. “What happened to the money you earned?”
“He took it.”
“Who took it?”
“Terrance. He said he wanted more, but that was all I had and now I don’t have enough to leave here.”
I ignored the part about her wanting to leave. “Who is Terrance?”
She refused to look at me as she pulled on her black hoodie.
I moved across the room and grabbed her two hands. “Who is Terrance?”
“The guy from tonight.”
“You know him?”
She hung her head in shame. “He’s a bad man. ”
I sat down on the bed and pulled her to sit down beside me. “Talk.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I need to leave.”
“You need to tell me what is going on. How do you know Terrance?”
A lone tear traced down her cheek. “He used to be my foster dad.”
I worked to tamper my anger. “What happened?”
“I was 16. And he’s a pervert.”
I. Would. Kill. Him.
“Did he hurt you?”
Her small shoulders shrugged. “He tried.”
“What happened?”
“He came into my room one night but…I stabbed him.”
I blinked. Trying to imagine a 16-year-old Zoey, petite and terrified, lying awake at night while that animal crept into her room. My nostrils flared as I worked to control my anger. “Then what happened?”
“I ran away.”
“Did he go to jail?”
She shook her head. “I told no one.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “How did he get your money?”
Her entire body deflated, like all the fight, all the hope escaped out of her. “I saw him one night in the store. And then he was waiting for me the next time I went to the store. And then when I was with Bianca, he was standing across the street.”
“Did he approach you?”
“Not that time. Bianca must have talked to him because she let him upstairs.”
“Terrance came up here?” I repeated in disbelief.
“I didn’t know she would do that. And she left, and I was here alone with him.”
“Bianca let him into our apartment and then left you here with him? ”
I would deal with Bianca later. I focused on Zoey.
She nodded, misery etched her features. “He wanted five thousand dollars. The only way I could think of getting him out of here was to give him my money.” She lifted her tear-stained face up to mine.
“I knew he’d bring trouble. And I meant to leave, but I didn’t have any money. I need to buy a bus ride out of town.”
I wanted to stand up and destroy something. Instead, I calmly asked, “What does Jensen know?”
She swallowed. “Nothing. Just that I wanted to leave. He made me promise to talk to you.”
“And?”
“And I couldn’t find the right moment.”
“You tried. You told me you wanted to talk.”
Her voice was barely a whisper. “He’s so bad. He’s going to ruin your life.”
I worked to keep the incredulity out of my voice. “Is that why you want to leave? To protect me?”
“And Krista.”
“You don’t think we can handle this Terrance?”
She hung her head. “I don’t think I should force you to. Not after you’ve done so much for me.”
I put my fingers under her chin and lifted her face upwards. Those beautiful blue eyes glittered with tears. I put my hands on either side of her face and then slowly lowered my mouth to hers.
My kiss was soothing and gentle. She gasped beneath my mouth and I fought my need to deepen the kiss, take charge, show her how I felt. Instead, I ended the kiss and pressed my forehead to hers.
“Please don’t leave.”
“Ryan.”
“Zoey, I’m asking you. For me. Please trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“Do you trust that I can protect you?”
“Yes, but you shouldn’t have to.”
I kissed her again. Her mouth was so soft, so silky smooth beneath mine. She tasted like bubble gum and goodness. My cock instantly hardened and strained against my dress pants. I worked to keep that kiss PG. I forced myself to ease off when my body wanted me to take it further.
I looked down at her. Her pouty mouth was pink and full. Her cheeks were flushed and her breath was uneven.
“You promise you won’t leave?”
She looked dazed. “I promise.”
I stood up before I did something I regretted. “We’ll deal with this in the morning, okay?”
“Okay.”