Page 82 of Ashes of Sin and Stardust

Chapter 21

Present Day

Reuben stared at me in mute horror as he listened to me wrap up my story of my assault and escape from Peter Woodrow.

“I caught a cab and paid cash with the money in the basket by the door. I grabbed my keys from Woodrow’s room and drove myself to the police station. A lot of my stuff was still in my car from when we’d packed up my apartment, so I didn’t bother packing a go bag... I did grab a blanket though...

“The police cut the collar off my neck and took down my statement, but I don’t think they believed me. I was dressed like a whore and didn’t think to change. They offered to put me up in a hotel for a few days while I found somewhere to stay, but I didn’t like the vibes I was getting from them, so I told them I was going to stay with a friend. One of the cops tried to cop a feel on my way out of the station. I recognized a few of them as Pete’s friends.

“I couldn’t find my IDs when I stole my keys back. Pretty sure he still has them locked in that file cabinet. There were some legal documents in there too. I think, while I was dissociated, he made me sign a contract of some kind, but I can’t really remember. But I remember signingsomething.

“I lived out of my car for about a few days after that, and Alex found me in a bar, trying to get the bartender to hire me for cash. I was so shocked and happy to see her... I felt like I had a lifeline. She brought me home to Greenwood Valley, said there was a place for me there, and that she had a feeling this was where I was supposed to be.” I shrugged and sipped the last of my wine. “So suffice to say, I haven’t really been myself the past few months.”

Reuben stared at me for a moment longer, and I saw his hands flexing, his fingers twitching, like he wanted to do something. He looked angry, and a little hurt. I took a deep breath and hoped he didn’t freak out again. I was about to say something but he stood and walked slowly into the kitchen, like he was counting and measuring his steps. He returned a few minutes later with two plates of dessert. There was a very small slice of key lime pie and a slice of cheesecake on each one.

“Ooh, you brought me dessert!” I grinned. “I knew I liked you. Oh my gawwwwwd,” I sighed as I bit into the key lime. “This is amazing, did you make this?”

“No.”

“Well whoever did, God bless them.”

The man knew sugar was the way to my heart.Better watch out for that,I thought, but I was too focused on the deliciousness on my plate.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking,” I continued, finishing the key lime and moving onto the cheesecake. “Why not just start over? Why live out of my car? Surely I had some money in my savings account, right? See, Woodrow took very careful attention to my finances and my resources. He made me sign some paperwork while I was out of it, and I’m not sure exactly what it was. But after I got away from him, I went to the bank to try to get some cash out, and they basically told me that I couldn’t pull money out without him present because he was the account holder. I tried to explain what happened but they said I needed him there to close the account, or a letter from a lawyer. So... Peter Woodrow still has about sixty thousand dollars of my money, all my IDs, and whatever was in that safety deposit box that Augustus left me.” I took another bite of cheesecake. “Mmm. This is good but it needs, like, candied cherries on top or something.”

He rose and took my plate out of my hands, setting it on the coffee table in front of us. “Hey,” I started, but I shut up when I saw his face.

He took my hands firmly in one of his, wordlessly pulling me down the hall and stopping in front of a door. He turned to look at me over his shoulder as he opened the door and gestured for me to enter.

I felt myself gasp in shock as I saw what was in the room. Boxes and bags were piled in the corner, some with lids, some without. Some were in clear plastic tubs, and I could tell what the contents were. It was all my stuff from Woodrow’s house.

Behind the tubs and boxes, my dresses were hanging in dry-cleaning bags in the closet, my shoes laid out on the ground underneath. A polish kit sat on the floor beside them, and I realized he’d been cleaning and restoring some of the leather shoes, harnesses, and dresses that had been damaged.

He followed me into the bedroom, and I stared at the little desk in the corner. On top of the desk was a folder with my name on it. “What is this,” I whispered, and turned to face him.

He looked a little guilty as he explained. “I had a friend help me retrieve your belongings... those documents you signed, they’re all in that folder. Your IDs, your power of attorney, and all the information you need to retrieve the contents of the safe deposit box.

“Alice... There’s a lot of stuff in that folder, and the fact that you glanced over it so quickly in your explanation a minute ago makes me think you don’t know what you signed. I’m more than willing to help you fight for what’s yours if you’ll let me. Alex will too, I’m sure.”

“What... what did he make me sign,” I whispered, my hand finding the edge of the folder. I wanted to throw it open and see what was there, but something in his face told me I wouldn’t like it. And I didn’t want to see and feel the betrayal of one more thing that PeterfuckingWoodrow had done to hurt me.

I just wanted it all to go away. But I opened the file anyway, still looking at Reuben.

He looked nervous. “Everything can be reversed, Alice. You just have to be brave enough to fight for it. It means facing what happened and talking about it to people other than me. As I said, I am more than willing to help you, regardless of where our relationship ends up going.”

I looked away from him, and finally faced the documents in the folder, flipping through them one by one.

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