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Lifting my face from her shoulder, I wiped at my drenched cheeks. “After all the fighting and the doctor’s office, I…I didn’t know if you’d believe me.”
Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and pulled me close again. I rested my cheek against her neck as her tears saturated my hair, wetting my scalp. “I’ll always believe you,” she said, making the insistent, whispered promise. “Always.”
I nodded, holding her close. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” She tightened her grip. “No, don’t be sorry. I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I brought that man into our lives.”
I closed my eyes, melting into my mother’s warmth, inhaling her familiar fragrance. Standing there in her soothing embrace as she rocked us gently back and forth, I listened to Mr. Yates’s quiet voice as he called the police and Mrs. Yates as she lectured Ryder for not telling them about my situation.
Then my mom said something I’ll never forget. She sobbed against my temple as she moaned, “I want Daniel.”
Chapter 25
As Mom and I continued our pity-fest together, sobbing and crying all over each other and clutching one another as if we’d just survived a nuclear blast, Mrs. Yates set her hands on her hips and nailed Ryder with a scowl.
“If you knew something like this was happening to one of your friends, then why in heaven’s name didn’t you come to your father and me about it?”
Ryder shrank back a step and opened his mouth a good second before he thought up an answer. “I…I wasn’t even totally sure what was wrong with her. She refused to tell me anything. How could I come to you when I didn’t even know what was going on?”
His mother drew in a breath to respond, but he rushed to explain, “She was scared to death and didn’t want to be home while her mom was at work. That’s all I knew. So I figured I’d just stay the confidential, supportive friend she needed until she was ready to talk. And then…I would’ve come straight to you and Dad.”
Shoulders slumping from Ryder’s practical explanation, his mom glanced at me. The hard-set frown on her face melted into a look of pity. “I guess I can’t blame the girl for wanting a place to escape.” Then with a regretful huff, she conceded, “And I can’t say I’m not proud of you for taking her in when she clearly needed a friend.”
“Dear Lord,” Mom croaked as she listened to Mrs. Yates. “A place to escape? Where are we going to go, Grace? All our things are in his house.” Her arms tightened around me as a shiver rippled through both of us.
“You can stay here tonight,” Mrs. Yates offered. After sending a frown Ryder’s way, she added, “In the guest room.”
He gave a rueful grin. “Hey, if I thought I could’ve snuck her down the hall past your room without you noticing, that’s exactly where I would’ve set her up.”
When his mother only darkened her scowl, he lifted his hands. “Honest, Mom. Do you even realize how uncomfortable that couch is in my room? I’m glad to have my bed back.”
With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Mrs. Yates turned from him to face Mom.
“I’m Sandra, by the way. Sandra Yates. That over there is my husband, Michael.” She motioned to the older version of Ryder as he hung up the phone. “And of course, you probably know Ryder.” She pointed out her son.
Mom gave an audible swallow as she wiped at her face and glanced one by one at the three Yates family members staring back. “Um…I’m Kate.”
“Once an officer arrives, he’ll probably take a report, and since this is a he-said-she-said case with no proof—” With an abrupt halt in her speech, Mrs. Yates glanced toward me. “There’s no proof, right?”
“Uh…” Rattled by the abrupt question, I bobbed my head. “Right.”
Nodding, Sandra continued. “And since you’re the age of consent, which is sixteen in this state…”
This time she directed a look toward Ryder, who said, “Yes, she’s sixteen.”
“Then he might charge Dr. Struder with simple battery or rude, insulting touching. Typical punishment will most likely be probation.”
“My mom’s a probation office,” Ryder interrupted to explain, which made Mom and I assume the bulb-light-turning-on expression.
“We can have the police stand by tomorrow while you remove all your items from his house, if you like.”
Mom breathed out a breath and squeezed my hands. “I would like that very much. Bless you.” Glancing at me, she gave a tremulous, watery smile. “Thank goodness our house in Hillsburg hasn’t sold yet, huh?”
The truth suddenly struck me. We would be going home, back to Hillsburg, back to my old school, back to my friends. For a split second, joy bloomed inside me.
Then I paused and glanced Ryder’s way.
He must’ve come to the same conclusion. His eyes flashed to me, and in their depths I saw deep regret. But he forced a smile that didn’t reach his sad gaze.
