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“That’s what victims do. I looked it up.” Rachel opened a bandage packet and began applying it. “Why won’t you talk to me? Why don’t you tell me what happened when you were with Martin?”
My stomach bottomed out. “I can’t, Rach. Don’t ask me to.”
“Was it that bad?” Her bandaging done, she tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and searched my gaze again.
“Worse.” It was so much worse than bad. But my little sister didn’t need to know all the details.
“Barry said you agreed to counseling. Did you ever go?” she asked in a whisper.
“Yes.” It was true, but I didn’t finish the counseling like I should have.
“And?” She narrowed her gaze. “There’s more, but you’re keeping it from me.”
My sister was right. The reintegration part of my therapy was never completed. It was a part of the remodeling of me that was never done. I had no trusted confidants to help me finish the work, and could never have those with Martin always a threat.
“Listen.” I took her hands. Hers were clean, mine bloody, an analogy that wasn’t lost on me. “You have your life. A better one, one so good I couldn’t even have imagined it for you. You’re out of Southside, but I’m still in it. It’s dark and messy sometimes, like with Collin just now. It’s not pretty.”
“Addy—”
“No. I want the pretty for you. I want you to live the fairy tale, and I refuse to mess it up. Do you understand?”
“Some things don’t change. You’re here and I’m there, but you’re still trying to manage my life.” She pursed her lips, and that was the end of that discussion.
Or I thought it was.
After Rachel and Daniel left, I went back to work. Once I’d closed the bar at three a.m., I returned to my apartment and got ready for bed.
Wiping the condensation from the mirror after a long, hot shower, I decided the cut on my cheek wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. I opened the bathroom door and emerged in a cloud of steam, tendrils of wet hair stuck to my face. I was so tired, my feet dragged on the carpet.
As I shuffled toward my bedroom, my phone rang. My thoughts immediately went to the bar, and my heart pounded. I didn’t have a security system yet. Of course, I had insurance, but I didn’t even want to contemplate losing anything more, and the work it would take to replace it.
“Hello?” I answered the phone warily, not recognizing the weirdly long number.
“Addy.”
“Barry.”Holy shit.My heart stopped. Even with all the static on the line, I recognized his voice. “Where are you? How’d you get this number?”
“Not even going to ask how your best friend is doing?”
“How are you?” Shame heated my cheeks that were already warm from the shower. I missed him badly, but like with Ella, I tried not to think too much about him. It hurt too much.
Barry sighed. “I’m miserable without you in my life, if I’m being honest. Which is something I’ve decided to do tonight, considering.”
“Considering what?” I asked, then held my breath.
“We’ll get into me in a minute. Right now, I want to talk about you.”
“What about me?”
“Your sister called me tonight.”
“Oh.” My mouth rounded in surprise. Rachel hadn’t mentioned keeping in touch with Barry. But then again, I hadn’t asked.
“She said Collin injured you tonight.”
“Not on purpose.” I reached up and touched my cheek.
Barry huffed out a breath. “Always making excuses for him.” The heat of his irritation was palpable.
