Chapter Thirty-Five Elsie #2
Her mom fed Dusty a piece of kibble before shifting her full focus to Elsie. “I don’t want you to be hurt.”
“But I am,” she cried, not worrying about her volume since the garden was empty. “All the time. Because I feel like you’re gaslighting me by not admitting what a screwup he is.”
“Divorce is tough—I don’t want you to feel torn between us.” She slid a hand on top of Elsie’s. “I’m trying to be fair even though there are times I feel let down by Seth too.”
“He’s not a hero like Ace,” Elsie whispered.
At least her mom didn’t jump to defend him this time.
Rosalynn squeezed her fingers. “I wish things could be easier for you and that your father could be the hero you need him to be. But most of all, I hope you won’t let the hurt take away from the love.”
“You did, though, since you split up with Dad,” she said, surprised at her own words, ones she hadn’t even realized she felt.
“You know that’s different.”
“I do,” she admitted, pushing past the lump in her throat. “You love me no matter what. I think Dad does too. Just sometimes I think he loves himself more.”
Her mother didn’t answer and Elsie appreciated being given the freedom to sit in her truth for a while. It felt like a validation, but in a way where her mom still held that high ground of not tearing down the other parent to the kid.
Because her mom had integrity. And now, Elsie knew she needed to scrape up some of her own.
She eased her hand from her mother’s and tugged her cell phone from her back pocket. She set it face down on the table by the gummies. “Mom, I made a rotten choice and sent some kinda, uh, inappropriate pictures of myself to a boy.”
Her mother’s eyes blinked fast for a moment, the only sign that she’d registered the information. “Okay. From the look on your face, I’m guessing there’s more to this story.”
Elsie took comfort from that parental strength she’d always received from her mom. A strength she needed right now, to press through the rest of the awful truth. “He’s been showing them to other people.”
“Oh, my sweet Elsie,” her mom said, holding her arms open wide. “I’m so sorry this has happened to you.”
Biting her lip, hard, Elsie slid from her chair and into her mother’s hug.
Finally, she let her tears flow, with her face hidden.
She didn’t know how long she let the tears fall, other than at some point she sat on the ground and leaned her head against her mother’s knee.
Her mom stroked her hair like she did when Elsie was little.
For the first time since she’d been threatened, she had hope that things would turn out okay. She could come to live with Grammie and start over, away from all the bad memories and two-faced people. “I thought you would be mad at me.”
“Well, I’m not happy about it,” her mother said softly. “But the boy who did this is the one who broke your trust—and the law.”
Talk of legal stuff sent her pain spiraling again. She willed even breaths in and out. She needed to share the rest of it before she lost her nerve.
“The pictures I sent to him were just photos of me in my underwear.” Her voice trembled as the rest spilled out, even if she couldn’t bring herself to name names yet.
The thought of facing off against the beloved hometown football stars made her sick to her stomach all over again.
“Except, uh, someone else snuck around and took more pictures of me in the shower. Naked. They’re, uh, I mean he’s gonna post them all over everywhere if I don’t give him money.
He really means it. That’s why I asked for my college fund. ”
Her mother tucked a hand under Elsie’s chin and lifted her head, looking into her eyes. “Elsie, honey, even if you give him money, he will just ask for more and then probably sell the photos online anyway. I need for you to realize how easily this could turn dangerous.”
She hadn’t even considered the photos might be sold to somebody. But it kinda made sense with the whole blackmail angle.
“I do understand, Mom,” she insisted, even more afraid of what her mother might be about to suggest. “That’s why I’m telling you, so you’ll understand why I need to leave home and move in with Grammie. So I can just put it behind me . . .”
“Elsie, that won’t be enough,” she said gently. “We have to notify the authorities.”
“No, Mom.” Her voice squeaked, which was crazy because denial was roaring inside her.
“I can’t. I won’t. I’m not brave like you and Grammie.
The police will have to question folks and .
. . No. Have Grammie and the lawyers in her firm do their thing.
Maybe they know a private detective or something to make this stop. But I just can’t.”
“Elsie, you know that’s not the way things work—”
“Forget I said anything.” She would just pitch her cell phone into the water after all before her mom could confiscate it.
Except that wouldn’t solve the problem because the photos would still be out there, like her mom said.
The awful realization crept through her that she couldn’t outrun this and she was probably going to have to do what her mom wanted.
Once Grammie heard too, they weren’t going to let up.
She just needed time to come to peace with that.
A lot of time.
Jumping to her feet, Elsie snatched her phone and the guitar off the table, bolting away from her mom and the unbearable notion of being publicly humiliated. Even hearing her mother call after her didn’t slow her footsteps as she sprinted back into the building.