Page 35 of Under Their Watch

By the time he pulls out of me, I have drifted away to a world where none of my worries exist. It’s peaceful here. Marvin isn’t here to sneak into my mind. My parents aren’t here to pretend that they’re not the main source of my pain.

When I manage to drag my eyes open, the room is dark. I am lying on the bed, and I’m dressed in Quinn’s shirt. Theo is lying on his side, propped on his elbow. He is looking at his phone while his other hand is gently resting on my belly. He notices the change in my breathing and locks his phone before looking up at me.

“Hi,” he says with a sweet smile as he tosses his phone down.

“Hi,” I say softly. “Theo, I’m sorry.”

“For what, Rhea?” he asks as he sits up. He grabs a bowl from the nightstand and motions for me to sit up. I groan as I do it, but eventually, I am sitting up with my back against the headboard.

In the bowl is the chicken pasta salad that was for dinner. It’s a cold dish so it keeps well as leftovers. Theo gathers a bite in a fork and offers it to me. I give him a deadpan expression and he only grins. I accept the bite of food and it’s admittedly delicious.

“I’m sorry for fighting you,” I say.

“I triggered you, Rhea. That’s nothing to apologize for,” he says.

“Did you mean to?”

“I did,” he says, offering me another bite of food.

“Why?” I ask.

“Why do you think?”

“Uh. Probably to make me face it,” I say.

“Precisely. Did you reach your limit?”

“No,” I say before taking another bite.

“What happened tonight?” he asks.

“I just didn’t want to eat,” I lie.

“Rhea,” he says. “Don’t lie to me, please.”

“Fine,” I sigh. “Dad texted me and it fucked with my head, I guess.”

“What did he say?” Theo asks. I grab my phone off the nightstand and go to the message before handing it to him.

Dad

I’ve missed you, kid. Let’s get together, just you and I. For old time's sake.

He hands the phone back to me and I set it down. I don’t need to explain what that means because he knows. Dad is trying to lure me away from the others so he can fuck me again. Likely to also hand me off to Marvin and David. Theo continues to feed me, and we sit in silence for a while. When the bowl is empty, he sets it down and turns to me.

“How did you feel when you got that message?” he asks.

“Obligated,” I admit quietly. I drop my head and pick at my nails.

“What else?” he asks.

“Guilty,” I answer.

“For?”

“For feeling obligated. I feel like it’s betrayal that I considered it,” I say.

“Do you understand that what Marcus has done to you is wrong?” he asks.

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