Page 51 of Alec’s Dream

Jonny gave me a soft squeeze and let me go.

I went back to my daughter and Jonny rounded up his men. It didn’t take long for the house to fill with an unsettling silence.

“I need to call Aunt Becky, then we’ll snuggle, okay?”

“Is Mister Hall coming back?”

It took a moment but I relaxed next to her and was proud when I spoke that my voice didn’t sound as weak as I felt.

“Is that, all right? He was going to the store then coming back, but I can call him and tell him not to come.”

“No!” Rory moved fast and scrambled onto my lap.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked as Rory trembled in my arms. “Are you afraid of him?”

“I want him to come back. No one will hurt you again if he’s here.”

Damn, damn, damn.

My heart was shattering, my poor baby girl saw everything. I hadn’t been able to close the door before Josh had yanked me out onto my porch and started yelling. I knew she heard everything, I knew she saw when Josh started hitting me. Her screams were something I’d never forget, not ever.

“No one’s gonna hurt me again.”

Rory didn’t say anything. She simply burrowed in and held me.

Maybe I didn’t want Jonny to find Josh first. Alec’s brand of retribution wouldn’t take away what my child had witnessed but it sure would make me feel a little better knowing Alec took his pound of flesh.

Not wanting to let go of Rory, I called Becky but couldn’t explain why I needed her to get Caleb, though she hadn’t missed the wobble in my voice. She agreed and told me she’d talk to me when she brought Caleb home.

I was grateful she understood, but then again, she always understood. We’d been friends for so long I didn’t need to tell her anything, she just knew.

There was a knock on my door and I got up, arms full of my daughter, and walked to the door, checking both the front window and the peephole. Something I would never forget to do again.

Seeing it was Alec, I opened the door. Without greeting him, I walked back to the couch and sat with Rory still wrapped around me.

“How’s she feeling?” Alec asked, grocery bags in both hands.

The words got caught in my throat so I merely shook my head. His posture went from stone-cold to soft as he looked at us. The gentleness in his eyes made the tears I’d been controlling break free.

And I didn’t care if he saw me cry.

I was too tired to care.

Too overwhelmed by everything else to be embarrassed that perfect Alec once again saw me so low.

Fuck it.

It didn’t matter, nothing did. Rory was more important than my humiliation.

“You wanna try to eat some chicken noodle soup, sweetheart?”

Rory nodded her answer against my chest.

“How about you, Macy? Will you eat something?”

“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”

To my surprise, Alec didn’t push. He went into my kitchen and a few minutes later, came out with a glass of ginger ale and set it on the coffee table with a sleeve of saltines.