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“What were you doing there if you weren’t going to school?”
“Same stuff I did for Ted. Cooked. Cleaned the apartment. And sometimes I’d babysit my dad’s girlfriend’s kid.”
“That doesn’t sound like reason enough to leave.” She’s giving me that same determined look Easton gives me when he’s trying to get answers. “I won’t tell Easton. If you don’t want him to know, I won’t tell him.”
I tilt my head. “What do you think happened?”
She pauses, then says, “I think there are a couple options. One is that you and your father had a fight and he hit you.”
“And what’s the other option?”
“You were being forced to do something against your will, something you would never agree to, like selling drugs or prostitution.”
I glanced away the moment she said prostitution. If she knew me like Easton did, she’d know that was it. That’s why I left.
“How far did it get?” she asks.
Shit, she knows. Am I that bad of a liar?
“What are you talking about?” I ask with a nervous laugh.
“Did a man force himself on you?” she asks, sounding like she wants to kill whoever this guy is, even though I haven’t confirmed there even is a guy.
I keep quiet, thinking if I open my mouth I might tell her.
She folds her arms over her chest. “Why are you covering for this man? He tried to hurt you. What he’s doing is illegal.”
“I’m not covering for him. I just don’t want to—” I stop, realizing I just admitted that she was right, that what she thought might’ve happened is true.
“Tell me how far it went,” she says. “Did you…” She stops, unable to even say it.
“No. I got out of there before anything could happen.”
She takes my arm and leads me to the kitchen table to sit down. “Easton might’ve told you that I used to be a prosecutor. Do you know what that is?”
“He said you worked for the state and put criminals away.”
“Not all of them, but as many as I could. And I know people who could get this man arrested and put away, or at the very least get his business shut down. But I would need your help.”
I shake my head. “I’m not getting involved. I’m never going back there.”
“You wouldn’t have to. You’d just need to give me some names and a description of this man and where he’s running his business.”
“I don’t want to. I just want to forget it happened.”
“Nova, if this happened to you, it could be happening to other young girls. Men like this prey on girls in your situation, with no money, no place to live. I know the right people, people who could stop this man. You’d just have to give me the information.”
I stand up, feeling like I might get sick as I imagine Vince and how he looked at me as he held me down in front of him. “I don’t want to talk about this. And don’t you dare tell Easton.”
Penelope gets up, her eyes bouncing around my face like she’s trying to read me. “There’s something else. Something you’re not telling me.”
“There’s nothing else! Just leave me alone!” I storm off, anger boiling up inside me. I didn’t mean to yell at her, but she wouldn’t stop pushing for answers.
I can’t tell her. I don’t want to relive even a second of that week I lived with my dad. It was horrible and something I just want to forget. Well, maybe not Rita. She was really sweet and I don’t want to forget her, but I have to if I want to erase that week from my memory.
After I shower, I go back to sleep and don’t wake up until I hear someone in my room.
“Nova? Are you awake?”
