Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“Then you saw it was an accident,” she finally says.
“But was it really?” I press.
“You saw it. We were arguing and I just wanted some space. We were doing our normal yelling at each other. It’s been a way of life for us, Callum. You know that. He followed me out the back door and you saw it… our feet got tangled up as we came off the bottom step and I fell. Just an accident.”
Jesus Christ. What the fuck does that even mean?
“Then why did he tell the ambulance attendants and the surgeon that he found you there after you’d fallen?”
“Well, I don’t know,” she snaps. “I was too busy being unconscious and all.”
“Okay,” I say soothingly, patting her hand. The last thing I want to do is upset her. “It’s fine. I understand now.”
“Good,” she says, relaxing her shoulders and squeezing her fingers around mine. “Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
“I have to ask one more time though…” My mother sighs with frustration. “Would you like to come live in Pittsburgh with me?”
It’s my mom who now pats my hand. “Callum… I love you so very much. But I’m not leaving Preston. Ever. He’s my husband and I love him. I have a great life with him. I know you don’t agree with it, or even understand it, but you don’t have to. You only need to know that I’m content where I’m at. You have to be good with that.”
“Okay,” I repeat, this time with a resignation I try to conceal. “I understand your position, but it doesn’t mean I won’t stop asking you to come away with me.”
“My answer won’t change.”
So be it. “There’s something else you need to know. Juniper had bruises on her.” I point to my temple. “Joshua choked her too. She told me this has been going on pretty much the entire marriage.” My mom’s eyes dart away and that tells me she was well aware of what was going on too, although I’m sure it was swept under the rug much the way her abuse has been. “She’s left Joshua.”
My mom’s head snaps back my way and she winces from the pain that must have caused. Her hand tightens on mine and she looks scared. “Where is she?”
“Safe.”
“Joshua’s not like Preston,” she says, and I take that—coupled with the unease on her face—as an admission that Joshua is far worse. I’d sort of figured that out. “He’s not going to just let her go.”
“He doesn’t have a choice.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, her eyes glaze as if she’s considering something. When she focuses back on me, she shocks me to my core. “He’s dangerous. You need to get Juniper away from here. Take her back to Pittsburgh.”
My denial is swift. “I can’t do that. She has a life here. She’s not mine to… to… I can’t even offer that.”
Sitting up straighter, my mom grips my hand harder. “You listen here, Callum Derringer. You apparently initiated this grand escape and now that it’s done, Joshua’s going to make her pay. Even if she goes back right now, he’ll make her pay. You leave her here, he’ll make her pay. Her only chance at any type of safe life is to leave Incline Village and move far enough away that it’s too much trouble for him to go after her.”
“You make him sound psychotic,” I mutter.
She doesn’t do anything but stare at me in a manner so direct, she doesn’t need to affirm with words that she, in fact, thinks he’s deranged.
“Christ,” I sigh, pulling my hand away and scrubbing it through my hair. I rub at the back of my neck, the tension knotting it up. “Okay, fine. I’ll take her to Pittsburgh, but I’m not leaving until you get out of the hospital and I’m sure you’re okay back at the house.”
“I’ll be fine at the house. Preston will hire someone to help care for me. But you should go now with Juniper—”
“I’m not leaving until you are released.” Which will be at least two more days. That gives me enough time to figure out what to do with Juni, and her dad for that matter. She won’t leave without him.
It could be seen as one big clusterfuck but for some weird reason, I’m not displeased by Juniper coming to Pittsburgh with me. I’m not put out at all that she’s divorcing Joshua. I’m certainly not minding this new role of protector—a chance to make up for past mistakes, perhaps.
If I can help Juniper out of this situation, it might alleviate some of the guilt I’ve carried over the way things ended between us. I know it would ease the frustration I’m experiencing with my mom’s refusal to walk away from a toxic relationship.
Regardless, I’ve got my work cut out for me because none of this will be an easy sell to Juniper.