Page 30 of Corrupt Idol

Her heart sank. “Really.”

“He’s not married,” Meg said, still speaking out of the corner of her mouth as Trent and Abel quizzed him about the military.

“He must have a string of women at his beck and call,” Reese said in low undertones. “Who wouldn’t want him?”

Violet shot to her feet. “I’m wiped out. I’m going to shower.”

“Of course,” Meg said and leaned toward Reese. “He would have been perfect for Janelle.”

“Yes, oh my God, you’re so right!”

She stalked into her demolished bedroom and dug through her duffel for clothes before she headed to the bathroom. She filled the tub and tossed in all the bath salts she had been saving for a special occasion and lit the ocean breeze candle that had been sitting on her toilet tank for two years. The clash of aromas soothed her. She swished her foot in the water to dissolve the last of the salts before she submerged herself. Heat penetrated her bones and melted her tension.

Tomorrow they would pack and rent a truck. That possibility hadn’t crossed her mind, but maybe that was a good thing. Jesse could drive the truck and she would follow in her Jeep. That way, she could still get her alone time and converse with him only when they had to refuel. How much would that cost? Her hands flexed beneath the water as she tried to banish her financial worries. These were her last expenses. Once she moved home, everything would be okay.

The sound of laughter drifting from the living room made her blood pressure rise. She didn’t want them to like him, but it was obvious that they did. No one would believe what he was capable of. Even though she was the victim of his sick fantasies, a part of her still wanted to believe it was all some misunderstanding, but she knew better. He really fucked her. Fucked her so many times that she couldn’t keep count. He forced himself on her every chance he got. He never showed any remorse for his actions either. Even now…Did running away work?She slapped the surface of the water, sending a mini wave sloshing out of the tub. He was such a fucker!

She raised both hands and made Zen fingers—pointer and thumb creating a circle with her palms up. She listened to her candle sputter for a second before it quieted. She closed her eyes and tried to zone out. More laughter from the living room. Her breathing quickened. She forced it to even out. She tried to blank her mind, but the flashbacks she suppressed rose up to choke her. She erupted from the tub, unable to stay still or gain any semblance of tranquility.

By the time she emerged from the bathroom, the house was quiet. She tiptoed toward the living room and saw Jesse sitting on the couch with his phone. His face, illuminated by his screen, lifted when she stopped.

“I’ll get you some pillows,” she said.

“Reese brought me some.”

Of course, she did. She lifted her hand in a stiff, awkward wave. “See you tomorrow.”

She walked into her bedroom and locked the door as she dialed Lynne’s phone. “Hey, Mom. How are you?”

“Great, great. Jesse just called and said your friends there are sonice!”

She gave the room a tight smile. “Yes, they’re the best.”

“He said you’ll probably head out the day after tomorrow.”

That’s what she had planned, but she didn’t like that he was calling the shots. This washermove, not his.

“I can’t wait for y’all to come back. Dad and I went out today. I bought a new bathing suit. It’s yellow, my favorite color! I got you one too. It’s this lovely fuchsia that will look great on you. I’m looking forward to lying on the beach.”

“Me too,” she said as she sank onto the edge of the bed.

“Dad’s happy you’re moving home,” Lynne said quietly. “He’s missed you and you didn’t visit that much.”

“Well, I’m about to make up for my absence.”

“You’re a good girl, dropping everything to come home.”

She blinked hastily. “You’re my family. I’d do anything—” Her voice broke and she clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.

“Vi,” Lynne cooed, which made her keel over as something twisted in her chest. “Don’t cry.”

She tried to get a hold of herself.

“This is the beginning of something great, a new beginning for all of us,” Lynne continued.

She shook her head with her hand over her mouth to hold back her sobs. She didn’t want anything to change. She needed everything to stay just like this.

“We have to accept God’s will for our lives.”

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