Page 12 of Wade

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped into the room she had shared with David. It was different.

So different that she did not recognize it. The dingy gray walls had been painted a light mint green with wallpaper of a darker green with tiny cabbage roses covering most of it.

Instead of the old and broken-down dresser, there were delicate white furnishings - matching ones. The closet doors were thrown open to reveal clothes neatly hanging inside. Shelves had been added as well. It was clearly a girl's room and she could see the shoes stacked neatly on shelves.

Taking another breath, she wandered over to the dresser to look at the initials. A circle within a heart. Lifting a hand, she traced the rough etchings, feeling the tears clogging her throat. It had been a particularly rough night.

The old man had come in stumbling drunk and making lots of noises. She had tried to placate him by getting out of bed and making him a plate of food. For her efforts, he had hurled the plate into the wall and called her a worthless piece of crap.

"Look at you!" He had screamed. "You are fat and lazy, just like your useless mother." He had followed it up by cuffing her on the side of the head. Then he had charged upstairs. She had managed to get up and race up the stairs before he could get to him. She had found David cowering in the corner of the room, his hands covering his ears.

"No!" She had screamed as their father stumbled into the room.

"You are going to take the beating for him?" He had sneered.

"If I have to. You are not touching him." She had stood there trembling in fear as he advanced.

"Look at him." He had pointed at David. "You are not a man. What man would hide behind a woman's skirt?"

"He is a boy. Get the hell out."

"What did you say to me?"

She had braced for the beating she knew was coming and had stood there with David behind her as he backhanded her.

But David had recovered enough to rush at him, climbing onto his back and digging his fingers into his shoulders and back. Both of them had bombarded him enough to have him stumbling from the room.

They had spent the night huddled together on the bed right after she had carved their initials into the wall. It had been done on a dare, a kind of defiance against the monster who was their dad.

Her phone pinged and jarred her out of the horrible pit of memories. She was unaware that she had been crying until then. Swiping at the tears, she dragged the phone out of her jacket, hissing out a breath as she recognized the number.

"Wade."

"You are not at the hotel."

"On my way." She cleared her throat and tried to be normal. "Had to make a stop."

"What's wrong?"

Damn him, she thought angrily. He could not even allow her a few minutes of privacy.

"I had to make a stop."

"I heard you the first time Remi. Where are you?"

"Are you checking up on me?" She was using anger as a defense, but that was all she had for now. "Is this what I will have to look forward to when I’m carrying your seed?"

The silence ticked by and she closed her eyes in despair. He did not deserve any of it, but he was a handy target.

"I am here now with the rest of the crew." His deep voice was cold and distant. "There is a problem with one of the fabrics and they have been trying to reach you for the past ten minutes."

"I will be there-"

"See that you are." He hung up on her.

"Dammit." Shoving back from the wall and the memories, she scrubbed her hands over her face and left the room to go back downstairs.

"I packed a pie for you." If Sheila saw the tracks of tears, she made no mention of it. "Come back whenever you want."

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