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She presses her palm onto the floor. I reach around her shoulder and under her arms to help her get on her feet, holding her for a few seconds as she gets her bearings.
“Are you dizzy? Does anything hurt?” I inspect her.
“No.” She places a hand on the dark red bump on her forehead. “I’m alright.” She crosses her arm over her stomach. “Just a little bruised.”
“Are you sure?” I inspect her closer. “I can take you to the hospital.”
She looks down at her abuser. “No. I’m okay.”
“Did you pack a bag?”
She nods. “It’s in the closet. Down the hall, second door on the right.”
For the first time since assessing Nora, I turn to Chosen. “Can you—”
Her eyes pop to me. “Oh. Yeah.” She rushes toward the hallway.
“Do you have a purse? Anything else you need to take with you?”
Eyes glued to her abuser, flopping around on the floor like a fish out of water, Nora replies, “It’s all in my bag.”
Chosen runs into the room with the bag.
“Okay. Let’s get you out of here.” I walk Nora toward the door.
Chapter 11
Carrying Lix’s backpack and Nora’s bag, I follow them to Lix’s SUV.
Lix glances at me from over his shoulder. “Get in the back seat.”
“I have my car here—” I thumb down the street, wanting to run from the story being written before me.
“Wait there,” he snaps, guiding Nora to the passenger front seat, shirt bloodstained and torn. It’s as if he doesn’t see the bruises on her arm or the cut on her lip. The bump on her head. He’s not acting appropriately or empathetic toward the woman beaten to near death by a monster.
He helps her into the SUV, shuts the door, and heads straight for me. He yanks the bags from my hand. “Get in.”
“Listen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have followed you. I’ll go home and—”
He grabs my arm. “Get in the fucking car.” He pulls me toward the back door. “And shut the fuck up. Sit there and don’t say anything. ”
I crawl into the back seat, recognizing now is not the time to argue. I followed him. I interfered. And I sure as hell wasn’t prepared for what just happened.
He slams the door closed, slides into the driver’s seat, and turns to Nora. “Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”
“I’m fine.” Her voice cracks.
He stares at her for a few seconds. His side profile is hard around the edges but soft where it counts. “I’m going to take you to a woman. Her name is Jane. It’ll take about an hour to get there.”
Nora sniffles with a nod.
“Nora.” Lix’s voice softens. “He’s not going to find you. You’re safe now.”
“Thank you,” Nora whispers.
“There are tissues in the glove box,” Lix says, starting the SUV and pulling into the street.
“I was so scared. I thought he was going to kill me this time.” She pops the glove box open and pulls out the tissues with trembling hands. “We’ve been together for ten years. He’s never hurt me this bad. I’m sorry you had to—”
