AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It takes me a few seconds to get my bearings when he puts me down again, back in my room.
There’s an entitled smile on his face when I look at him.
“What?” I snap.
He shrugs. “I think I always wanted to marry someone possessive. It makes me feel special.” With a wink, he turns around, hands in his pockets as he casually walks out of my room. “We’re leaving in half an hour.”
I slam the door behind him, but when I look at the bed, my rage dissipates, and panic takes over.
It’s a silk suit. A perfect white. I run my hand over the pants, feeling the softness. The jacket is a little long, the pants too, but there are heels next to the bed. Along with a strapless lace corset. It’s so delicate that it’s see-through at the waist and the boning is visible.
I pick it up with a trembling hand before dropping it like it’s burning my skin. Turning my back to the bed, I type the only number I know by heart on the phone he gave me.
The three rings take forever, and when my mom’s voice finally comes through, I feel like crying.
“Where the hell have you been?” She sounds like she’s already smoked two packs of cigarettes. And she’s really fucking mad.
There’s no love to be found when it comes to my mother. She saved herself by escaping my dad before my brother and I could even defend ourselves from him.
He did unspeakable things to her, but no matter how much I tried to understand her in the past, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to. Who leaves their kids behind? She never came back for us. Didn’t leave an address or a phone number. We found her contact info in my dad’s phone after he died. I needed her, and I told her she owed me for abandoning me and leaving me with an abuser. Now she helps me, but we can’t even say we remotely like each other.
“Doesn’t matter where I’ve been. I’m calling you now. How are—” I cut myself off, eyeing the door. What if he’s right behind it? What if he’s wondering who I wanted to call so badly. “How are they?”
“Fine.” I hear her pull on her cigarette and exhale. “They’re confused, though. Keep asking questions about you. Well, the one who talks does. That’s what happens when you disappear.”
I roll my eyes, ignoring her dig.
“I didn’t disappear. Shit has been going down here. NSC—”
“I don’t care about North Shore drama, Kayla. I left a long time ago, and I don’t want to hear about it.”
“Don’t I know it,” I say flatly. “Put them on the phone.”
“It’s almost ten-thirty on a Tuesday. Ever heard of preschool?”
“Fuck,” I snap. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I fall back onto the bed, a hand combing through my hair. I let my head fall forward.
I don’t know when I’ll be able to call again.
“Mom…” I hate the way my voice wobbles.
“What is it, Kayla?”
I can’t deal with her annoyed tone. She’s already so fucking sick of me. I’m like a kid who keeps making mistake after mistake. I wasn’t even good enough to save when I was a child who had done nothing wrong. What about now? What will she think of me if I tell her what happened?
My throat tightens, and when my eyes prickle with the need to cry, I swallow everything back. It physically hurts to do so.
“Kayla?” Her voice isn’t softening, but there’s a tinge of concern there now.
I hear her smoke some more.
“Listen to me. If it’s a man, just run. You hear me? Run the first chance you get. It won’t get better.”
I nod. I know she can’t see me, but the ball of tears is so big in my throat I can’t utter a word.
“Don’t worry about them. They’re with me. They’re safe.”
“O-okay,” I squeeze out. I will worry. There’s no doubt about that, but she’s right.
