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Drew picked up Meghan, placing her on his lap as she stepped by. His hands curled around Callie’s ankle, and just that one touch alone sent a shiver up her spine.
As she got to the top of the stairs, the doorbell rang. “Do you want to get that, Drew?” she said. “I don’t know who it could be. I’ll be starting dinner shortly.”
She entered Meghan’s room. She put all the neatly folded clothes away in the dresser. As she went, she picked up toys and made her bed. There was a nice butt crease from where she’d clearly been reading.
Humming to herself, she took the laundry to Drew’s room. She hung up a couple of her shirts, all of Drew’s suits, and put their underwear away. With everything neatly done, she put the basket back in the bathroom where she’d used it to gather everything that had been thrown around upstairs. This was why she preferred to do the laundry daily. She didn’t like to spend all day on clothing.
Washing, drying, and ironing was a boring job.
“Who was at the door, Drew?” she said, coming downstairs and pausing as she saw who stood in Drew’s living room. Meghan was against his side, but she recognized Tilly. It had been years since she saw the woman who’d hurt her repeatedly through high school, but there she was in the living room.
“Wow, you’ve got whale Callie living here.”
“Enough, Tilly.”
“What? This is my house the last time I checked.”
“No, this house is mine. To have a home, you have to live here.”
“And guess what, honeybun? I came back. There’s no way you’re taking my home and my kid from me. I mean, seriously, you’re going to replace me with the fatty from high school? You couldn’t even look at her back then without your eyes melting, remember? She was so fat with her thunder thighs. Ugh, it makes me sick to think of your ugliness in my house. Get out.”
Callie didn’t know what to do.
Meghan broke apart from her father and rushed toward her. On instinct, she picked the young girl up, holding her close, wanting to protect her.
“You think you’re going to take my kid from me? You’ve got to be joking. This is a fucking laugh.” Tilly stormed past Drew and tried to wrench Meghan out of her hold. When the little girl banded her arms around Callie’s neck, Tilly clearly saw red.
She raised her hand as if to strike her and that was when Callie burst into action. With Tilly’s palm raised, Callie moved, grabbing Tilly’s wrist.
No one knew how violent Tilly could get.
Callie remembered the many times she’d come out of the bathroom to find Tilly had been waiting for her. Tilly had believed that because she was fat, she had extra cushion. She’d use her hands or fists to hurt her. Never to kick though. She’d taken the hits because violence repulsed her, but as she went to slap Meghan, Callie couldn’t allow that to happen.
Tilly turned shocked eyes to her.
“Don’t you ever raise your hand to strike her again. Hit me all you want, but don’t ever hit her again.” She shoved her away.
“Tilly, you need to stop.”
“There’s no way I’m signing this piece of paper, not until you get that slut out of my house.”
“Callie, go to Callum’s, take Meghan.”
“Drew?”
“Just, please, go. Keep an eye on Meghan. I can sort this out.”
“But?” She wanted to argue leaving him alone with Tilly.
“Don’t worry, fat girl, I can sort this out.”
She looked from Drew to Tilly. Meghan shook in her arms.
Take care of her.
Drew pleaded with her. Even as she wanted to argue, she didn’t. Holding Meghan in her arms, she grabbed her bag and took Drew’s car keys.
After putting Meghan in the back, she buckled up the car seat. She paused, looking back at the house, but she didn’t hear any noise.
Her heart raced.
Her hands shook.
She climbed behind the wheel, turned the engine over, and took off toward Callum’s house. It was already getting dark. Meghan cried in the back.
“Hey, darling, sweetheart, it’s okay.”
“It’s not. Mommy likes to hurt me a lot.”
Her heart broke. Hearing Meghan’s cries, seeing the look on Drew’s face. She felt her eyes fill with tears. She didn’t let them fall. Meghan needed her to be strong and so did Drew. “I won’t ever let that happen, sweetie. Okay? You’re here with me. We’re going to Uncle Callum’s right now. You’ll get to see Rebecca and it will all look amazing in the morning. I promise.”
She hoped she didn’t break that promise. The thought of hurting this little girl, of giving her false hope, would break her.
What was Drew going to do?
She arrived at Callum’s house. All the lights were still on. After parking the car, she climbed out and went to Meghan’s side. The young girl slumped out of the car. She picked her up in her arms, rushed forward, and knocked.
