Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Thankfully Bram didn’t follow me out. Only Roe did, and he did it quietly. Wyatt was waiting by his car.
“Where’s Reid?” Roe asked.
Wyatt shook his head. “He took off.”
“Can you take me home?” I asked. I’d cut ties when they dropped me off.
Roe put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. If I did, I’d cave.
“My mother is still out of the country.” If she was back, I would have been beckoned back to the house by now.
I figured that if Sharon had called her, the earliest she would be able to fly back would be tomorrow.
It was a thirteen-hour flight after all.
“Why don’t you get some things and come stay at our place?” Wyatt suggested.
“I should stay home,” I said.
Roe put his hand on the uninjured part of my face and made me look up at him. “Then we’ll stay at your place. You’re hurt and I don’t like the idea of you being in that house alone.”
The way he cared made my resolve crumble.
One more night of freedom.
Just one more, I told myself. And then I’d have to let him, and Wyatt, and even Reid go.
“I’ll come over tonight,” I told him.
He seemed to relax, and we all climbed into Wyatt’s car.
Wyatt parked down the street from my house just in case the neighbors saw and notified Mother, which would only add to my list of crimes.
Roe was the one to pull his seat forward to let me out. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
“A few hours. I want to shower, take something for pain, put on comfortable clothes.”
“Clothes are always optional at our house,” Wyatt said from inside the car.
I tried to smile and winced when my lip and jaw smarted.
Roe winced with me and kissed my forehead. “I’ll have an ice pack waiting for you.”
I nodded and stepped away.
“See you in a few hours,” Wyatt said as Roe got back in the car and they drove off.
The house was quiet as I got inside, which was what I’d expected. I made my way up to my room with the intent to take something for pain right away. I had a bottle of pain relievers in my bathroom.
I was so focused on doing that, I didn’t realize I wasn’t alone.
Before I could get to the bathroom, a voice said, “Hello, Charlotte.”
Fear ripped through my veins like lightning.
I spun around, finding Mother sitting on the stool by my art desk. She had a crystal tumbler in her hand filled with her favorite drink. Her cold gray eyes took in my outfit with disgust curling her lip. She brought her glass up to her mouth. The ice rattled as she took a sip.
This is it.
I’d known this was coming. I should run. I should fight until the bitter end, but I was tired. I just wanted it to be over.
When she brought the glass down, she sighed through her nose, and her eyes shifted to look past me. As I turned to follow her gaze, I felt a presence. I only had a split second to see that it was Clay before there was just pain.
To be continued.