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I frowned. “You invited me?”
He smiled, making pleasure swirl through me. “In Cape Worth. Why did you leave your job? Why did you move across the country?”
My heart fell to my stomach as the past few months flashed in my mind. It was something I avoided thinking of and had only given Kate and Layla the bare-bones story.
“Violet...”
I brought my head up to face Shawn. Whatever he saw there had him leaning forward.
“I would understand if you don't want to talk about it.”
The concern in his eyes solidified my resolve. "No," I exhaled. "I'll tell you why I came to Cape Worth."
Chapter6
Shawn
Violet looked down at her plate, breathing slowly as if gathering her thoughts. The conflict evident on her face eroded every suspicion I had about her. She was struggling.
“Violet,” I said again. Her internal battle troubled me, and it felt unfair to let her suffer just so I could satisfy my curiosity. "You don't have to tell me."
“No, I will.” She glanced up with a rueful smile on her face. "I'm just..." She motioned with her hands like her head was going to explode. "I had a boyfriend named Eric. I still can't believe everything that went down with him really happened. It's like something you hear about someone's distant cousin." Her eyes coasted up to mine, disbelief rolling in their depths. "It feels like I'm in a nightmare, and I'll wake up having never met him. But I know that's not happening."
So Layla told me the truth—Violet's issues started with a man. Had he hurt her? Instinctually, I made a fist, willing to punch anyone who brought her so much anguish she couldn't get the words out. I waited patiently. We had all afternoon.
“It was an okay relationship in the beginning.” Violet looked up at me through thick, long lashes. “At first, Eric treated me all right. But he became more and more possessive. Always needing to know where I was, who I was with, what I was doing at all times. Soon, he didn’t want me going anywhere without him.”
Her words made me angry. Not at Violet, but at her ex.Eric. Just thinking his name pissed me off because of the way he treated her. But I simply nodded, wanting her to go on.
"I stayed with him for a while. I misinterpreted his possessiveness as his way of showing he cared. Or maybe I was lonely and just wanted to be with someone. I'm not sure, but now I know it was a mistake." She stared down at her manicured hands, exhaling. "Finally, I found the courage to break things off. But by then, he was obsessed. He would show up at my apartment or at the school just so I would talk to him." Blinking rapidly, she looked up at the tiny bulbs lining the ceiling. "I tried to reason with him. Explain why I couldn’t be with him, but he wouldn't listen."
My heart broke for her. “Did you report this to the police?”
She sniffed, smiling sadly. "Oh, I tried. But then I got questions like, 'Was he violent?', 'Did he damage your property?,’ 'Has he slandered you?' When I answered no on all counts, they told me I didn't have a case. Wouldn't even grant me a restraining order. To them, it was just a lover's quarrel."
She scrunched up her face at the last words as though they tasted bitter.
“So you see..." She looked up and held my eyes with her hazel ones. "I had to leave. It got to be too much. He'd turn up at the school and come right into my class, causing a disruption. The principal blamed me for allowing my personal life to interfere with my teaching. It was all too much. Eric was determined to ruin me. I had to change my lock three times. He just kept getting in somehow. He’d leave me creepy notes so I’d know he was there." She was becoming upset. "Not only was he obsessed with me, he was also driving himself to madness. Looking less like the man I dated. He was disheveled, as if he hadn’t showered, wearing dirty clothes and—" Cutting herself off, she pressed her hands to her face, breathing deeply.
“Hey...” I said, torn between promising to tear her crazy ex from limb to limb and comforting her. I had no idea how to accomplish the latter, but I had to try. Threatening violence might only scare her more. "You're far away from him now."
She laughed bitterly and shook her head like she didn't believe it. “I don't know. Eric was relentless. Nothing worked to keep him away, so I traveled across the country. I hadn't even kept up with Layla and Kate all these years, but they were kind enough to help. I don't know if I can ever repay them."
“I'm sure they helped because they care about you. You'd do the same.”
“Oh, of course.” She nodded quickly. “No one should go through craziness like I did the last few weeks before I came here. Made me scared of ever...” Shaking her head, she trailed off, but I suspected what she wanted to say. Eric had robbed her of trust in men. She would be wary of getting close to anyone for fear they might become an obsessed stalker. But I didn't say more. I couldn't guarantee her there weren't crazy people out in the world.
"I'm sorry, Shawn." She gazed at me, eyes soft and sincere. "I should have been upfront with you. Told you more about my past, but I was so ashamed, and I hadn't even processed it or even comprehended it happened to me."
"Violet," I leaned forward, injecting as much conviction as possible into my words. "I don't hold it against you. We all have struggles, and I didn't expect you to confide in me just because I employ you.”
“But you needed to know for the sake of Leon and Brady, their safety,” she said quietly.
That was true, so I nodded.
"I should have told you sooner, and I'm sorry I didn't. Eric was never violent or aggressive, and I'm sure no harm will come to the kids. I wouldn't let him."
“So the frying pan?” It was an ill-timed joke, but she laughed regardless.
