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Willow seems to know that my tears are more than just relief and happiness. She doesn’t uncurl herself from around me, but she does reach one small hand up to caress the side of my face.
That’s when I hear it. So soft, so sweet, so… so perfect.
The last time I sang it to her, I was trying to keep her calm while we hid from the monster who imprisoned us in his house.
Now, it’s Willow singing softly to me, hiding me from the beast whose mere memory still makes me shiver and retch. She holds me close to her, tiny little fingers lightly stroking my cheek,and reminds me that there are good things waiting beyond the rainbow.
If happy little bluebirds can fly… why can’t I?
9
DEMYEN
I’m the world’s biggest fucking asshole.
“Yeah, so, how’s that foot tastin’?” Bambi sing-songs from the speaker setting of my phone.
“I’m gonna call you back,” I mutter. My eyes never leave the computer screen as I blindly fumble for the End Call button to hang up before she says anything else to rub it in.
Why?
How?
And again…why?!
The voicemail I was so adamant did not exist in any way, shape or form, that Bambi definitely never sent me at any point…
Is staring at me.
On my laptop screen.
In the fuckingSpamfolder.
I almost don’t want to click it. Clicking it will either confirm or deny that this entire time, Clara’s been telling the truth. It will tell me that I either heard exactly what I heard that fateful night at The Meridian between her and her father…
Or I, in my infinite assholery, just up and left the woman of my dreams to be swallowed whole by her nightmares.
The mouse moves at a snail’s pace across the screen. My finger feels so fucking heavy descending for that click.
But I do.
I click it.
And I brace myself.
At first, static. Then…“Watch your tone with me, young lady.”
Every protective nerve in my body instantly bristles at the sound of Greg Everett talking to Clara in that threatening snarl. I don’t fucking care if he’s her father—he lost that privilege the first time he ever raised a hand against her.
“Or you’ll what? Hit me? Kick me around like you used to? Good times, right?”
That’s my girl. That’s the fire in her I fell in love with, the same fire I’m determined to see stoked back to life despite, and in spite of, everything she’s been through.
“Clar-bear…”
“I don’t understand why it’s so hard to leave Martin. You turned your back on Uncle Mike like it was nothing. What’s so different now?”
“What are you talking about?”
