Page 48 of Heartless Sinner

Dad reaches out to take my hands and I move toward him. “Let me be real for you again. Allow me to be your father and listen to me. Pack a bag, baby girl and leave tomorrow. Do your jobs and don’t come back here. You can head to the farm. Your uncle won’t turnyouaway. The moment I leave the men will go looking for me. That’s why I need to stay and deal with them. Or at least not be anywhere near you."

My stomach heaves, empty and sour, as if my body's trying to purge the terror coursing through it. “Dad…”

“Please listen to me, Scarlett. Johnny took care of himself. Let me take care of you. The longer we leave things, the riskier it becomes. Leave tomorrow. I’ll try to figure something out.”

My phone rings in my pocket, cutting into the moment. That will be Lucy.

“I have to take this call. I think it’s Lucy. I’m going to ask her to lend me some money.”

“Take the call then get some sleep. Don’t you worry about me anymore.”

The phone rings insistently as if screaming at me to answer it.

I take it out of my pocket and see I’m right. It is Lucy.

I answer the call but keep my gaze on Dad. I never gave him an answer, and I won’t. I can’t.

It would kill me if something happened to him.

“Scarlett, are you there?” Lucy’s voice sounds in my ear.

“Yeah. Give me a second.”

“Sure.”

Dad nods and I look away from him, deciding this is a fight I won’t win. Because he's just trying to be my father.

I head to my room, switch on the lamp, and sit on the window bay, then I pull in a breath and prep to humiliate myself further. Lucy is always offering to help me, but I never want to take advantage.

Of course, asking for the loan means telling her what’s happening. I don’t want to do that part, either.

“Hey, Lucy,” I say, trying to sound like my usual self. “Thanks for calling me.”

“Of course. I’m sorry we couldn’t talk earlier. I’ve been in casting all day, and the director I’m working with is a real pain in the ass.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Scarlett, what’s going on? You’re worrying me. I can tell something’s wrong because I haven’t heard from you.”

She’s been calling but I haven’t gotten back to her. It’s hard for me to talk to her when shit is happening because I find it difficult to act like everything is fine.

Sometimes that’s okay, but sometimes not. Like how I kept my silence about Anton’s abuse.

“I have a lot to tell you. It’s not good.”

“Tell me everything.”

I release a haggard sigh and then tell her about the horrors I’ve experienced over the past few days. I even tell her about sleeping with Micah in New York and how he kissed me before releasing me. By the time I’m done relaying the details of my conundrum, I’m all tapped out.

Lucy sighs and the static ripples in my ear. “Jesus, Scarlett. I don’t even know what to say. Why didn’t you call me? Or even see me when you were in New York?”

“I didn’t want to drag you into my mess.”

“You’re my best friend. You know I would have been there for you.”

“I know.”

“How is your father now?”

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