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Leading her back inside the cabin, I take in the broken chair and the rope. Part of me wants to hide it away and make the situation look more innocent than it really is, but I know that will make things worse. The place is sparsely furnished. Aside from the broken chair, there’s nowhere else to sit, so I settle Chloe in the corner of the room and hold her in my arms as she sobs, wrapping my jacket around her.
“You’re okay, Clo. I have you.”
“No, stay away from me,” she cries, hitting at my chest. “You don’t know what I’ve done. I…Marissa… You’ll hate me.” She breaks into a fresh wave of sobs, making no sense at all. “God, Jake…I’ve got nobody left,” she murmurs, her tears staining my shirt.
“You’re not alone, baby,” I tell her. “You have me.”
I keep comforting her, soothing her as best I can until she falls asleep in my arms. She’s exhausted and in shock and all I can do is be there for her until help arrives. I think about Marissa at the bottom of that cliff and feel a pang of guilt. As much as I blame her for this whole fucking mess, she’s still my wife and my daughter’s mother. Maybe if I had figured this all out earlier…maybe if I had tried harder to resist Chloe’s advances, maybe none of this would’ve happened.
Police and forensics arrive far faster than I expect them to, then again, time passing isn't as easy to observe when you’re in shock, like I suspect I am.
I answer all their questions as best I can, refusing to leave Chloe’s side. She’s virtually no help, almost in a trance. I remember impressing on them that it must have been a freak accident. The cliff has been eroding for some time, after all. Anyone could have fallen if they’d been standing too close to the edge.
We’re taken to the hospital where we are both treated for shock and Chloe’s head is stitched up. Once we’ve been cleared of any physical injuries, we’re allowed to go home, with a promise that neither of us bolt and that we're available for more questions when Chloe wakes up.
She sleeps the entire way home, as I carry her to my bedroom and lay her down beneath the blankets. Kelsie is still with her mother’s sister and it hits me that I need to call Marissa’s family. They need to know what happened to their daughter. I sneak out of my bedroom and head downstairs, my phone in hand. My body feels numb as I dial Marissa’s parents’ number, dreading the conversation before me.
“Sam.” The disapproval in Therese’s voice is obvious. “If you’re looking for Marissa, she’s not here and Kelsie is staying with Mandy.”
“It’s not…” I clear my throat. “There’s been an accident, Therese.”
“What do you mean, an accident?” Her shrill voice rings out in my ear.
“Marissa is dead,” I say softly. “She stumbled off a cliff. They say she was killed instantly.”
“Who’s they?” she demands. “Where is my daughter?”
“The police…they took her to Southport Hospital. I’m sorry, Therese, I really am.”
My words feel so empty. I try to make myself feel it as a tragedy, but I can't. All I can feel is a sense of relief, that Chloe is safe and alive and Marissa can no longer take my daughter away from me. God, what does that say about me? Chloe has a way of making me feel monstrous, but in the same way that righteous anger makes good men turn into villains.
The only thing that matters to me is that Chloe is okay.
Therese’s cries fill the phone and I blink back tears myself. There’s a scuffle, before her father, Tom, comes on the line and I have to repeat the whole story again.
“Can I leave…is Kelsie okay with Mandy for the night?” I ask.
“Of course she is.” His voice is gruff, like he’s trying so hard to hold back his emotions.
He’s in shock. They both are. And why wouldn't they be? It's a tragedy. I've never gotten along with Marissa's parents, for obvious reasons, but I'm glad they exist in that moment.
God knows I can't bring Kelsie into the middle of this right now.
* * *
Later,after a good number of whiskies to calm my nerves, I call Isaac.
“How is Chloe?” he asks.
“She's in shock, I think,” I tell him. “She's sleeping. But I don't think she's…okay. I mean, the hospital cleared her physically, but mentally…”
He's quiet for a while, and then makes a sound like a discomfited grunt. “She needs help, Sam,” he says. “Being around something like that, it takes a toll on a person, without even considering her past. She might need more help than you're able to give her.”
He has no idea how right he is.
“And how are you?”
His question catches me off guard. Honestly, between Chloe and Kelsie, I haven’t had time to consider my own feelings. I guess I’m still in shock too. I should probably talk to someone, but right now, I’m the least of my worries. I hear Chloe above my head, moving around and calling out for me.
