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“Kyler, I know a detective at the police department, Kyra, who specializes in crimes like this. Is it okay if I call her? I can have her come here to take your statement, and Ian can stay with you the whole time for support if that makes you more comfortable.”
“Okay,” I mumbled.
“Okay. Just take some deep breaths and finish your lunch, and I’m going to go make that call,” he said. “This isn’t going to be easy, sweetheart, but you have people who love and support you. You’re not alone.”
As Gary got up from the table and pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, I somehow felt lighter, despite the knot that was still in the pit of my stomach. I knew I still had an uphill battle from here, but after over two years of living in constant fear, I’d finally broken my silence and taken the first step to getting justice for myself. And that made me feel freer than I’d ever felt before.
* * *
“Can I be a girl and put a chick flick on?” I asked as Ian and I walked back into his bedroom after I was done giving my statement to Kyra. “I need a feel-good movie.”
“After the day you’ve had, we can watch whatever you want. Pick it. Want me to go make some popcorn?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”
“Okay. Let me go shut the bathroom door and you can let Cosette out.”
“Is it too weird if I put her down on the bed with us?” I knelt down to open the bunny cage and picked Cosette up. “She’ll jump down and go play if she wants to, but I want her close if she’ll stay.”
“Not weird at all,” he said as he went to shut the bathroom door.
We got settled in bed, and I set Cosette down next to us, then pulled upThe Princess Brideon a streaming app.
“I thought you said you wanted a chick flick,” he chuckled.
“Thisisa chick flick.”
“Um, there’s sword fighting in it,” he teased. “And a torture chamber. Oh, and rodents of unusual size. This is not a chick flick.”
Instead of hopping away, Cosette actually put her front paws on my leg, like she wanted to be held again. I sniffled a little as I picked Cosette back up and put her in my lap. She pawed at my clothes a little, but then settled down.
“She must be able to tell how much you need her,” Ian said, kissing my temple.
“She’s always been good at that,” I sighed. “It’s going to kill me having to leave her behind when I go to college.”
“What if you didn’t have to? Can you get her registered as a therapy animal? I think they’d make accommodations at whatever school you end up at. Either let you have her in the dorm or let you get an apartment off campus so you can have her.”
“I think a doctor has to sign off on that. Or at least a psychologist. I’ve never seen anyone. Maybe I should, though. Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to someone.”
“That’s up to you,” he told me. “I had another thought too, but we don’t have to talk about it now if you just need to not think for a while.”
“What?” I wondered.
“Have you thought about talking to your dad about any of this? I know you don’t see him much, but maybe he’d at least be able to help you figure out how to deal with your mom. Hewasmarried to her, you know?”
I sighed and nodded. “I was actually thinking about that while we were talking to your dad. We don’t talk as much as I’d like because my mom tries to stop it whenever she can. But I know he loves me and he’d want to help.”
Grabbing the remote control, I paused the movie, then pulled my phone out of the pocket of the hoodie I was wearing. I took a deep breath as I pulled up FaceTime, then looked at Ian.
“You don’t have to do it right now, baby,” he said.
“I kind of do,” I mumbled. “I don’t know how much of what my mom was saying was empty threats and how much was real, but if she did take me off her insurance or report the car as stolen, I’m going to need help figuring all that stuff out. But you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to meet him like this. It’s okay.”
“I’m going to have to meet him sometime,” he chuckled. “Might as well be now.”
I hit the button to call my dad on FaceTime, and after a couple of rings, he appeared on the screen with a huge smile on his face. My heart squeezed at the knowledge that I was about to make it disappear.
“Hey, pumpkin!” he exclaimed. “Oh, wow. Is that Ian with you?”
