Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“That’s how it’s done there,” she argued.
“Just because they’re doin’ it doesn’t mean it’s right, sweetheart,” Mick said gently.
The calm way she was explaining it, like there hadn’t been anything wrong with what had happened to her made me furious. “Your husband was a fuckin’ pedo—”
“Enough, Titus,” Otto said firmly, cutting me off. His eyes were on Noel, who’d dropped her head and was staring at the floor. “That’s enough.”
“I’ll stay here tomorrow,” I replied flatly. “While you’re at work.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Noel argued, her head snapping back up.
“Well, bad news,” Esther said, striding into the kitchen completely oblivious to the tension. “Your mom has appointments tomorrow, too. So, she won’t even be home.”
“Then it’s settled,” I announced.
“What’s settled?” Esther asked in confusion, looking around the room.
“Titus is gonna come by in the mornin’ and hang out with you guys while I’m gone,” Otto explained, watching me.
“Don’t you have to work?”
“Haven’t had a day off in months,” I replied, holding Otto’s gaze. “I can take one tomorrow.”
“Okay, this might be completely out of pocket,” Rumi said, grinning as he looked at each of us. “But I would also like to offer my services tomorrow—”
“No,” me and Esther both replied.
“Hell no,” Otto added.
Rumi sighed. “Fine.”
“We’re gonna get out of your hair so you can get some sleep,” Mick said, shaking his head at Rumi as he shoved him toward the door.
“I’m gonna go, too,” I announced. “Unless you need me for anythin’ else?”
“We’re good, man,” Otto replied.
“Alright. I’ll see you in the mornin’.”
Noel was staring blankly at the table in front of her. She didn’t even acknowledge me as I left the room.
I was so fucking done in that I thought I would’ve slept like the dead, but the opposite was true. I had a hard time staying asleep when we weren’t sure if Noel and Esther’s brother had left town or not. The morning came way too early and I found myself back on my bike and headed to Otto’s as the sun rose.
Esther opened the door almost as soon as I’d knocked and I grinned as she let me inside.
“That’s what you wear to bed?” I asked her, taking in the long granny nightgown and voluminous robe she was wearing.
“None of your beeswax,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “I’ll get ready after Noel is done.”
“You guys are up early,” I said, following her into the living room.
“It’s the only way we have any time in the morning before the girls wake up,” Esther said with a sigh, nestling into the couch. “They’ll be up in less than an hour.”
“Gross,” I joked.
“Not a morning person?”
“Not at all,” I confessed. “I’d much rather stay up late and sleep in.”
“Thanks for coming over today.”
“No problem.”
“Otto said it got a little intense while I was on the phone with your mom last night.”
“No big deal.”
“Just try and remember,” she said quietly, glancing at the stairs. “When you don’t know any different and you’re taught to obey without question… it’s hard to see how strange or wrong things are.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“And even if you notice it,” she said, her eyes sad. “You make concessions. You convince yourself that things aren’t as bad as you’re imagining. You have to, just to survive.”
“So, I should keep my mouth shut,” I replied, scrubbing my hands over my face.
“Just try and give her a little grace,” she replied, smiling. “I know you two snuck around and made all sorts of plans when you were kids, but that’s not the life she was actually living. The life she’s been living gave her no choices. No autonomy. It’s going to take her a minute to find her footing.”
“She handled herself pretty well last night,” I said, my own lips tipping up at the edges.
“Well, she’s never been a pushover,” Esther said with a little laugh. “Just a victim of circumstance. They made a mistake coming here and pushing it. I know my sister. If they would’ve left her alone for a while, I bet some misplaced guilt would’ve started eating at her and she would’ve reached out. Now, they’re out of luck.”
“You think they’ll leave it alone?”
“Depends on how entitled Caleb’s family is,” Esther mused. “I doubt we’ve heard the last from them.”
“Esther, we’re out of bobby pins,” Noel called out from behind me.
I turned just in time to see her realize that I was there and come to a startled stop.
“You’re here already,” she muttered.
I could barely hear her. I’d known that she kept her hair long, it was some kind of rule, but I hadn’t realized just how much hair Noel had. It was long, thick, and wavy all the way down to the curve of her belly. She looked like some kind of fertility goddess that I remembered from my art history classes in college. My tongue felt like it was superglued to the roof of my mouth.