Page 20 of Papers Don't Lie

I internally shiver at his crooked tooth, whirling on my legs to go back to the bar and see if there’s anything else waiting for me there.

The local bar is full of middle-aged men drinking themselves to death as if their stomachs don’t have an end. It kind of makes sense since they are going to the bathroom after each sip of the liquid, emptying their bladder to make room for more.

The new phone I bought vibrates in my apron, and I ask for Georgina’s permission before stepping outside the building. I know who it is without checking the caller ID.

Only one person has my number. The bad thing is she can’t stop texting and calling every minute of the day to make sure I’m alright and update me about Carter’s behavior. Apparently, he’s acting like nothing happened and still has dinner with my familyeach night, saving me a seat next to him and claiming I’ll be back home soon.

A shiver of dread runs down my spine, and I straighten my back, finally picking up her call.

“Esmeray, what are you doing? Why are you not replying to my calls?” Raven asks, worry etched into her voice.

Raven is most likely thinking that I can’t survive that much longer alone in an unknown city with horrible conditions, so that’s probably why she’s blowing my phone every time I ignore her texts because I’m busy.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. I’ve just been working all day.” I sigh, walking to the main and busier street.

“I’m on my way to you, Esme. I need to see you and make sure that Mr. Graves isn’t keeping you hostage there,” she says, and I bite back a laugh.

Since I told her about what happened, she’s surely not one of Kai Graves’s fans.

“Raven, please, the only ones who kept me hostage for years were our parents and Carter. You shouldn’t come. How do you know he’s not following you?”

She takes a deep breath. “Because I’ll make sure of it. I’ll be there at ten when your shift is over.”

Raven hangs up, and I’m left there in the middle of the road, breathless. I know it’s not the most logical thing to let her come, but I’ve also missed my sister, and it’s been more than a month since I last saw her. I just hope I won’t regret this and I’ll safely continue my life—which, even if involves drunk people, dirty floors, and a shitty bed, ismylife.

The rest of my shift passes like every day when I’m working—serving beers until my feet hurt. Everyone works their ass off here, and I think that’s my favorite thing about this place. Each of the employees have a purpose, and they fight so hard for it that it motivates me that all I’m doing isn’t in vain.

“Take tomorrow off,” Georgina murmurs at me after I finish washing the dishes.

I shake my head and dry my hands with a towel before turning to her. She has long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail with a bandana covering her front hair and a strong red lipstick on her lips. She’s a nice woman but chews on that gum so loudly you wish to be anywhere but here.

My eyes settle on the mirror in front of me, the same sense of loss I felt at the wedding returning. I miss my bows.

“I didn’t ask,” she says before patting me on the back and practically ushering me outside.

When I step out of the bar, the cold air hits me in the face, along with the breathtaking image of my sister. Tears instantly blur my vision, and I gulp as my gaze wanders all over her. She has a nice black dress on that accentuates her curves and matches her dark hair, which lies carefree on her back. Raven smiles at me, readjusting the purse on her shoulder.

How I’ve missed her.

“You look so beautiful, Rave,” I tell her, taking two steps forward before pulling her into a hug and feeling the smell of her. The same smell my clothes once had. As much as I miss the luxury sometimes, I surely don’t miss the rich life itself.

We break from the hug, and she bites the inside of her cheek. “I wish I could say the same thing about you. You look horrible.” She laughs, and I join her, because damn, she’s right. Her eyes find me, and something I’ve never seen glistens in them. “But you’re happy. Very happy, actually.”

I nod, though I wouldn’t say I’m happy. More like I’m relieved. The worst part about my freedom isn’t that I have it because Carter allows me that, but the loss of my family.

Where I am now is definitely not representing my future, but it might as well be the reason why I’ll get to the place I’ll occupy one day. This is just the start, and I’m ready to give myeverything in order to have what I want. And that is unleashed freedom.

“Let’s go take a walk,” Raven murmurs, placing her hand in mine just like we used to do when we were little. “I missed you,” she says after a while.

My heart melts and hurts at her words. I know it must be as hard for her as it is for me to stay away from my sisters. We’ve been together through manner lessons, wedding plans, and endless nights of crying sessions. I love all of my sisters, but Raven and I have been inseparable since we were little. We would sneak to each other’s bedroom to watch movies until the morning, laughing until we needed to cover our mouths with our hands so our parents wouldn’t hear.

She was the only one who tried to bring me food one time when Dad punished me for not talking French with a perfect accent, which got her locked in the basement with me. Time there passed quicker, and once we figured that out, we tried our hardest to be punished at the same time so none of us would suffer in the dark. That was until Dad found what we were doing and made us take turns.

We’ve always supported each other no matter what, and I know this is no different.

“I missed you too." I squeeze her hand. “So much, Rave. Thank you so much for coming.”

She smiles, and we walk around the small town for another half an hour until we end up on a bench in the park, eating ice cream until our tummies hurt.

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