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Two days later, the relentless pounding in my head has subsided to a dull roar.
And I’m still staying at the clubhouse.
No one’s given me information about the man who attacked me. Gray says they’re working on it and I trust him. He leaves around nine every night and returns late morning, so he doesn’t risk trouble with his parole officer.
I’m not thrilled about sleeping at the clubhouse alone. But there’s a sense of security in it too.
I’ve been too nervous to spend time outside of Gray’s room when he’s not here. But this morning, I get dressed and head downstairs early. Maybe I can help Swan with breakfast and at least feel useful.
But no one’s in the kitchen when I make it down there. The clubhouse is quiet.
I perch at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal, staring out at the woods. I didn’t even bother bringing my phone downstairs to distract myself. With my face all bruised up, I’m too depressed to bother checking Instagram or any of my social media. Posting a how-to-cover-your-bruises tutorial feels all kinds of wrong.
After washing my dishes, I grab a cup of coffee. Might as well head upstairs and wait for Grayson. Part of me is eager to go to my apartment and make sure all my stuff’s okay. Maybe I’ll ask if we can do that later.
The swirling music of a Disney movie echoes down the hall as I return to the living room. At the end of the hallway, I stop and stare.
Heidi has a huge blanket spread out on the floor with a bunch of pillows. Her daughter’s in her lap and Z’s son is curled up next to them.
Should I go back to the kitchen? I’ll have to walk right past the television if I try to escape up the stairs.
Heidi glances up and nods at me. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
“Uh, all right. Better.” As I approach, my gaze lands on Sparky stretched out on one of the couches. “Hey, Sparky.”
“Morning.” He flashes a bleary smile and holds out a jumbo bag of cheese puffs toward me.
I hold up my coffee. “I’ve got my morning fuel. But thanks.”
Heidi wrinkles her nose. “Trinity and Lilly are on their way over with real snacks.”
“It’s gonna be all fruit and healthy crap,” Sparky warns.
A bit of nervous laughter bubbles out of me. “That’s okay.” I shift from foot to foot, not sure if it’ll be rude to scurry upstairs or worse if I hang out when I’m not invited.
“Join us. I mean, if you want to,” Heidi says. “We’re doing The Lion King.”
Sparky giggles. “You said doing the lion king.”
Heidi rolls her eyes and ignores him. “Personally, I voted for Frozen.” She points two fingers at the kids. “But I was outnumbered.”
“I suggested Clerks.” Sparky waves his hand in the air. “But was told it wasn’t ‘appropriate’ for the little ones.”
“Yeah, probably not.” I laugh and tuck myself into a spot on the empty couch next to Sparky’s.
The front door opens, bringing in a rush of cold, spring air. Trinity and Lilly stomp their boots out on the porch, then set them inside.
“Tin-it-ee!” Alexa yells, running over to them. “Illy!”
Chance rolls on his side and watches but doesn’t join in. Lilly bends down to talk to him for a second quietly.
“Little dude’s outnumbered,” Sparky says. He points at Heidi. “Better hope that one’s a boy.”
Heidi scoffs and rubs her stomach. “Don’t put pressure on my fetus.”
“Eww,” Sparky moans.
Trinity pulls a gagging face and throws herself on the couch next to me. “How are you feeling, Serena?”
“Better.”
“Good.” She reaches over and pats my leg.
Alexa toddles over to us and stops to tug at the laces of my boots.
“She’s a shoe hound, watch out,” Heidi laughs.
I glance down at the sparkling purple boots on Alexa’s feet. “Oh my God, is she wearing her own little Dr. Martens?”
“Yes.” Heidi grins. “Courtesy of Auntie Hope.”
“Aun-tee,” Alexa confirms with a big grin.
“That’s so sweet.” I swallow over the lump in my throat.
Swan eventually joins us, laying out a spread of snack foods on the coffee table—popcorn, pretzels, and fruit. Alexa settles next to me with a plate of apple slices and even offers to share them with me. Heidi lands next to her. Lilly stretches out on the blanket on the floor with Chance.
“Hi, Serena.” Swan nudges Sparky into a sitting position and sits on the couch. “You want anything?” She nods to the coffee table.
“I’m good.”
Lilly starts the movie. I watched it a bunch of times as a kid, but it’s been a while. Somewhere in the middle, I end up dozing off.
“Wake up!” Alexa shouts.
“Shh. Let Serena rest,” Trinity says.
My eyes pop open for the last few minutes of the movie. The kids have moved on to playing with a bunch of toy cars, zooming all over the living room.
