“Who asked you to? I sure as fuck didn’t. You seem to think I need you. I don’t need anyone.”
“You’re right. You can handle yourself. Living in the woods like a homeless person because your home isn’t safe. Dodging questionable men and stealing money from your mother whenever you can. Eating food provided by the church. Fuck, you’re living the life. How stupid of me to try to help you,” he says sarcastically.
“So that’s why you’re doing this? You feel bad for me? Save your pity.” I stand, ready to flee.
“You are such a brat. Sit the fuck down,” he growls. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to do, and I don’t do anything because I pity someone. You’re in real danger. You realize that, right? Some man is out there planning to do nefarious things to you. Is that what you want? You want him to find you?” He pauses. “Rape you? Even worse, once he’s used your body until he grows bored, he won’t stop there. He won’t let you go. It won’t be a quick, painless death. Men like him? They enjoy this. He will draw out your torture until you wish he had put a bullet in your head when he first laid his eyes on you.”
A chill runs down my body at the picture he paints. I don’t doubt him. I look away, refusing to show him my fear.
“Nothing to say now?” Chase says after a moment of silence. “Had I known giving you a dose of reality would finally shut you up, I’d have given it to you days ago. Do you get it now? This isn’t a game. You’re in real danger.”
“Why do you care?” I scream, no longer able to keep my calm. Running my hands through my hair, I pull.
The entire room goes silent. The only sounds are the heavy breathing.
“It doesn’t matter why I care. I just do. Why were you at the rave tonight?”
I throw my hands up. “Not that it matters, but I heard a rumor that you would be there. I wanted to see what was so important that you would leave me behind.”
A realization dawns in his eyes. “We didn’t abandon you, Willow. We were trying to keep you safe.”
“I never said you abandoned me,” I say, refusing to look at him.
He lets out a deep sigh before coming to sit next to me. Leaning forward, he rests his forearms on his knees, clasping his hands.
“I had some business that needed to be handled. You could have stayed here, but I figured you’d feel better staying with Hailee so you would have company. I didn’t realize how that would make you feel.”
“I didn’t feel any sort of way. I was curious, so I followed you. I would have done the same thing had you left me here.”
He rubs his hand down his face before sitting back on the couch.
After several moments of silence, I speak. “Did I really fuck shit up for you?”
He laughs. “You made things more difficult, but no. You didn’t ruin anything.”
“You put me in between you and several guns. I’m not going to forgive you for that,” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “Believe what you want. I’m done with talking now. Go to bed.”
“Sit, Willow. Go to bed, Willow. Bark, Willow. Is that all I am to you? A pet?”
He goes to answer, but I stand, holding out my hand to stop him. “Don’t bother answering. Your words mean nothing to me. Your actions say plenty.”
“Willow,” he calls after me as I make my way down the hall.
I shut myself in my room, leaning against the door. I think back to our conversation.
We didn’t abandon you.
Fuck, why does that hit me the way it does?
I crawl back into bed, lying awake until my body forces my mind to shut down and eyes to close.
Nine
“Good morning, Willow.”
“Why are you such a morning person?” I grumble as I pass Nate at the counter on the way to the fridge.
