Page 106 of Insidious Heart
“Yeah…”Oh my god, I’m such an idiot.“He’s a big movie buff and makes a lot of references and one time…” Well, shit’s about to get real awkward or real funny depending on her reaction. “One time, when we were,you know, he made a joke about going into gremlin mode because—”
“Oh my god.” Linnie starts laughing. “Because of the whole thing that happens when they get wet, right?”
I nod and start laughing too. “Yeah. He caught me off guard with it and it just kind of stuck after that.” Or it will anyway, because I amdefinitelycalling Victor Gizmo next time I see him.
My friend sighs as she looks at me with almost a sad expression. “I’m really happy for you, Stevie. It’s nice to see you laugh and talk about someone you obviously care about. I’m not sure that’s really ever happened since we’ve been friends.”
“Thanks.” I search her face, wishing she had someone to talk about too. “You’ll find him, Linnie. I know you will.”
She shrugs as she fiddles with her hoodie pocket. “I love you for that, but I can’t say I share the optimism.”
“Linnie—”
“It’s ok. I’ve tried, and I’ll keep trying, but I feel like I missed my chance already, you know? The stars didn’t align when they should have or something, so now I’m just drifting until someone comes along and settles for the nursing home RN in her mid-thirties that spoils her cat.”
Without thinking, I reach out and hug my friend, my only friend who cared enough about me to see how I was doing after losing my favorite resident and getting assaulted by a coworker, and silently pray that she finds someone who makes her as happy as Victor makes me. Linnie is a good person and she deserves to be happy, to find love, and have the life she keeps looking for whenever she goes out. I want that for her, and I don’t believe that the universe would be so cruel as to keep her from getting it.
“I meant to tell you.” Linnie lets go of me and gives me a watery smile. “They fired Sasha and Chris, and another girl that was on when Margie got sick. And they filed charges. Got them both on neglect, and got that asshole for what he did to you.”
My eyes go wide as we get to our feet. “Really?”
She nods. “Yeah, so you might get a phone call. They think the security camera footage will be enough that you won’t have to testify or anything. It’s all under the facility’s name and stuff because they didn’t want to bring you into it but that doesn’t mean RMPD won’t call you.”
“Wow.” I sigh and wrap my arms around my waist. “That’s crazy.”
Linnie starts down the stairs and I follow, but she stops and looks at me with a serious expression. “Chris had your address, Stevie. I wasn’t going to say anything because he’s sitting in a jail cell and can’t use it, but they found your address in his locker when they cleaned it out. Chelsea gave it to me because she knows we’re friends.” She pulls a little scrap of paper out of her pocket and hands it over. “You don’t have to worry, though; he’s in jail and won’t be getting out any time soon. It just didn’t feel right not telling you.”
I nod and open my mouth to thank her just asmy fatherrolls up on his motorcycle with no less than ten other club members.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit. I am insomuch trouble.
Especially as Linnie says goodbye to me, cat calls, and winks at the entire executive committee as she walks by them to her car, then seals my fate by hollering out her window, “Glad you’re doing ok, Stevie! See you in a couple days!” As she drives off.
Yep, I am totally fucked.
“Who in the hell was that bitch, and why the fuck was she here?” Beau growls as he throws his bike on the ground and starts lumbering toward me.
“She… she, uh, I w-work with her and, and she—”
My father grabs a fistful of my hair as soon as he’s within range and begins dragging me by it toward the house, then kicks in the front door when we’re on the porch. “Why was shehere, you worthless piece of shit?”
I raise my hands to my head, desperately trying to loosen his grip but it won’t budge. “Sh-she came by t-to check on me!”
Beau throws me at the bottom of the staircase, my body landing on the wood with a thud and sharp pain to my lower back. “Everyone out!” He waits long enough for the patches to scatter before picking me up by the front of Victor’s hoodie and shoving me up the steps. “What’d she mean, she’sglad you’re ok? You call her about last night? Tell her yourdaddy was beating you?”
I turn around and try to crawl away quickly but my father kicks me in the back, my face hitting one of the steps, my nose gushing instantly.
“No,” I gasp through the blood as he kicks me again. “No! I didn’t call her!”
“So if I get into your phone I won’t see no calls, in or out, right,Stevie? No chatting with anyone between last night and today?”
I pull myself up on shaky arms, finally reaching the top and leaning against the wall. “I didn’t tell… I didn’t say anything.”
“Bullshit!” Beau barks before grabbing my hair again, and tugging me to my feet just so he can hit me in the stomach. “You’re a goddamn liar, just like your bitch mother!” He slaps me in the face then kicks open my bedroom door, slamming it behind him before dropping me on the floor. “She was a liar, too,princess.A fuckingliar, always trying to get me in trouble so she could leave.”
My body folds in half as my father kicks me in the ribs, in the stomach, alternating between the two as he rants about my mom. A mouthful of blood spurts between my lips as he rolls me over, connecting so hard I can feel my rib crack and hit my lung.
