“Let’s get you all inside,” Thomas states. I jump at his words. I didn’t hear him approach.
I have to be more alert. I can’t let what happened to me at that party ever happen again.
Giggling, the kids let me up from the hug pile on the ground. As I stand, I feel Jamie’s penetrating gaze taking me in, noting every scrape and bruise.
“Where were you? What happened? Why could no one find you? Why the heck do you have a handprint on your cheek?” she asks as we make our walk to the house. The boys have already run ahead, safely out of earshot from the rapid firing of her questions.
I’m not going to hide anything from her, but I damn sure will not give her all the finite details either. I need to talk with dad before I share too much. I still don’t have all the answers, but I know there are things she can’t know, and shouldn’t know.
Putting my hand around her shoulder as we walk through the door, I explain, “There’s a lot you need to be filled in on, but I’m exhausted. Let me shower, and then we can all dogpile on my bed. In the morning, we can talk more.”
Her emerald eyes narrow before she nods in agreement, showing again she’s far more mature than she should have to be. In this instance, I’m okay with it. I’m just too tired to combat any onslaught of her questions.
I make it ten steps into the house before Tabitha wraps me in her arms and whispers in my ear, “Don’t ever scare an old woman like that again, child.”
“I won’t. I promise,” I say, pulling back from her embrace and smiling.
“You must be so tired. Go get cleaned up, and I’ll bring you something hot to drink and light to eat,” she orders.
This must be what it feels like to have a grandmother.
Tabitha gives me a knowing grin and heads for the kitchen.
I watch her go then climb the stairs, not stopping until I’m safely in my room, greeted by the smell of lavender and chamomile.
Home.
Singing, I make my way to my bathroom and immediately begin to strip.
I need out of all this shit. The fabric is making my skin crawl. I toss everything I have on directly into the trash. I’ll be happier if I never see navy blue sweats again.
I turn on the shower, wait for it to warm, then hop under the spray. My mind races, trying to process everything all at once.
I’m a Bradford.
Who are the Bradfords?
What made them so important that my own mother was willing to kidnap me and try to kill her husband of almost twenty years?
Sighing, I pour shampoo into my hair and begin to scrub days of grime from it. “Dad, what the hell is going on?” I murmur to myself.
As soon as he’s more stable, I’ll get some answers.
I rush through the rest of my shower, remembering my siblings will be here soon. I smile at the thought of finally being home with them as I step out of the shower and towel off.
By the time I’m dressed and walking out of my closet, the three of them are in my bed. Ky and Kell are smacking each other with pillows, and Jamie is off to the side, reading a book.
Seeing that his sister isn’t paying them any mind, Ky looks at Kellan. They both turn and launch their pillows in Jamie’s face. She bursts out into giggles, jumping from her spot to tickle them.
“You two are going to pay for that,” she shrieks, and they scramble out of her clutches.
“Gotta catch us first,” Kellan exclaims, running to the other side of the room.
I lean against the wall, basking in the moment.
“Help,” Ky shouts, running full speed into my stomach.
Letting out an “oof,” I join in the fun and poke his side. He squeals as he makes a mad dash for the bed.
I follow after him, climbing on the mattress and patting the spots next to me. “Come on, let’s watch a movie until we fall asleep.”
They settle in as I flick on the television, pulling up a Spiderman movie.
The boys cheer and I ease back on my pillow, resting my eyes. Their commentary on who’s the better Spiderman is the last thing I hear before sleep consumes me.
SEBASTIAN
She’s back.
The little spitfire wasted no time showing her spark. Emma made sure her dad was going to be taken care of. Hell, she even ensured Sam, of all people, was going to be seen. The same Sam that’s tried to make her time in Calloway miserable.
When they brought Samantha out, I began to second-guess her participation in this whole ordeal. She looked like hell ran over three times.
According to the reports, she was raped and beaten severely. It didn’t stop her from trying to paw all over Rowan, though. He went to give instructions on transport, and her claws snaked out, grabbing for his vest. Rowan jerked out of her reach.
She asked him to ride with her, and he declined. Then, she asked him to stay with her as they did the rape kit, and he again declined. Samantha immediately threw a fit, tossing the contents of her rape kit across the room and refusing to complete the exam or cooperate further with questioning.
Her actions after were questionable, but who am I to say how someone processes their trauma? Shit. I’m probably the poster boy for how not to handle it.
Vivian has fucking ruined me.
Once I reach my room, I strip and grab a quick shower. I need to go to
Le Toucher
– it’s been a fucked last few days, and I need relief.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.