Page 110 of If You Stayed

He smirked his annoying smirk, smoothed his hands over his blazer, and headed out of the room.

My first thought was to message Kierra, but now I knew he was monitoring her phone. I didn’t want to make things messier for her, but I did need to see her. So, I grabbed my keys and headed over to her therapy clinic, hoping I might be ableto catch her at the end of her day.

When I showed up, I found Joseph in the front lobby, finishing up some paperwork with the receptionist. When he saw me, he smiled widely.

“Gabriel, hey there. How goes it?” he asked, walking over and extending his hand my way.

I shook it. “It’s going. I was just wondering if Kierra was free for a few minutes to chat.”

He glanced at his watch. “I believe she has a meeting with a client in about fifteen minutes, but I can see if she’s free.”

“That would be great. Thanks.”

He headed back to Kierra’s office, then emerged with a soft smile on his face. “Come on back, Gabriel. She’s in her office waiting for you.”

I thanked him once again and headed into Kierra’s office. She was standing in front of her desk, pulling on the sleeves of her shirt, which I was picking up was a nervous habit of hers.

After I walked inside, I closed her door behind me and moved toward her. She stepped backward slightly, making it clear that my closeness wasn’t welcome, so I paused.

“Hi,” I breathed out, feeling sick to my stomach. She was so close to me, but so far away at the same time. She looked tired. As if she hadn’t slept for days. Her distance made my mind want to start spiraling into a pit of despair, but I wasn’t ready to go that far yet. Not until I knew she was okay. “How are you?” I asked.

Her eyes blinked, and she looked as if she was on the brink of tears, but she didn’t cry. “I’m fine. Sorry. I meant to get back to you earlier today, but I’ve been—”

“How are you?” I asked again, taking a step nearer to her, repeating the question I asked her earlier that day.

She took a step back. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. When she reopened them, she looked sadder than before. That broke my heart. She was suffering in silence, yet the pain was clear in her eyes. A deep sadness floating in those brown eyes of hers. “Gabriel, don’t.”

I stepped closer. “How are you, Penguin?”

She stepped back and hit her desk. Her hands fell to the edge and she gripped it. “I’m fine.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

I moved closer.

She looked down at the floor.

I placed a finger beneath her chin and raised her head so she’d meet my stare. “Is he hurting you, Penguin?”

“Only emotionally,” she softly replied.

“Has he ever laid his hands on you?”

She shut her eyes and tears began rolling down her cheeks. She didn’t answer me, but the slight shake to her body and the release of the tears told me everything I needed to know.

“I’ll kill him,” I promised.

“You won’t. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s—”

“He hurt you, Kierra. He’s abusing you both mentally andphysically. Nothing is fine. Not until he’s dealt with.”

“That’s what I’m doing,” she said, shaking my hand away from her face. She stepped to the side, away from me, and began pacing as she wiped her tears. “I’m dealing with it.”

“Let me help you.”

“You can’t.”

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