Page 65 of What Is Love
Roe: I know you said to stay away from you.
Roe: I don’t know if I can.
Just after I read that last text from Roe, my phone started ringing and Prue’s name popped up on my screen.
I hit answer and brought the phone up to my ear. “Hello?”
“Charlotte, where are you?”
“I’m at a hotel. The one Grandfather owns,” I replied.
She sighed. “You are such a stubborn girl. I told you to go to your father.”
“I’m not ready for that.”
“Fine,” she said. “I’m heading to you now.”
“Is he—?” I paused when I remembered there were people in the room with me. “Is he gone?”
“Yes, but I don’t think you should come back to the house until he leaves to join your mother. I’m bringing things you will need for the next few days.”
“How—?”
“I’ll answer all your questions when you finally meet with JJ and find your father. Until then, you’ll get nothing from me,” she said, sounding angry. “I’ll leave your things at the front desk. I’ll be in touch.” She hung up and I was left just sitting there in shock at her ultimatum.
Mac held out her hand in front of me with two pills in her palm. “Here, you should take these for your pain.”
I took them and she handed me a bottle of water to wash them down.
“I also got you bandages for your elbow. They’re in the bathroom,” she said as she wrung her fingers. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? You don’t have to tell themanything. They can just look you over and if you ever want to take action later there will be records?—”
I took her hand, stopping her. “I know you’re trying to help, but I’ll be fine.” I always was until the next time they hurt me.
“If you tell them?—”
“Please, Mac,” I begged. “Believe me when I say that what you’re suggesting won’t work.”
A chime sounded in the room, breaking the tension. Mac closed her eyes before nodding. “Okay. That’s my ride. I have to go.”
I squeezed her hand. “Please don’t tell anyone.”
She looked reluctant, but said, “I won’t.”
“Thank you for all your help. I’ll pay you back, I promise.”
“You don’t have to.” She squeezed my hand back just before pulling away and leaving.
Wyatt had stayed quiet while watching us. I shifted in the bed so I was lying on my side facing him. He was now leaning up against the headboard.
“I know we haven’t known each other very long.” He rubbed the side of his face. “But I like you. I won’t judge or shame you. You can tell me what happened, because from what I’ve seen and heard you say so far, I’m already speculating quite a bit.”
I mulled over his words with a tight chest. I had told someone once. Someone who could have—who was supposed to help me. When I had been twelve, Mother had gotten drunk and angry and she had hit me so hard with a gin bottle that it had cracked my skull. Prue had been the one to take me to the hospital. According to her, Mother had stared at me where I had fallen to the ground for a whole minute, watching the blood seep from my head with a smile on her face. After hearing that, I had stopped holding onto any expectations that Mother would change. It had been a turning point in my mindset. So when the doctor had come in to ask me what had happened, I’d told the truth. At firsthe had seemed to feel sorry for me and promised to help me. He had explained that he was going to inform the police. A half hour later, Mother had showed up instead. She’d had me discharged, and as I’d been rolled out of the hospital in a wheelchair, we had passed that doctor in the hall. Mother had thanked him for his help while staring at me with this triumphant expression. The doctor had smiled at her like she had made all his dreams come true. He hadn’t spared a glance in my direction. I had later found out from Prue that Mother had paid him off and that Prue had almost been fired for taking me to the hospital in the first place.
“I could tell you everything, Wyatt, but I’m afraid of the fallout of what you will do with that information.”
He sat up, ready to argue, but paused when he saw the tears filling my eyes.
I blinked a bunch of times, trying to hold them back. “You’re thinking that Reid was right. That I’m weak.” My voice cracked as I spoke.
