My eyes search Collin’s, looking for something contrary to what Cal has said, but I don’t see it. “There’s an explanation for this.” I wave the photo.
“Look at the date,” Cal instructs.
I don’t need to, but his brother does. And that makes his eyes flash. “This is the bastard that beat you?”
“What?” All the fight leaves Cal.
“You’re engaged to him?”
I quickly shake my head. “Never.”
“Then what is going on?”
“This doesn’t make sense,” Cal interjects. “He says she’s going back to him, Collin. That this was a break for them after a fight. That she’s come to her senses.”
“Jules.” The pleading in Collin’s voice says it all, but still, he says, “You gotta say something.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Try me,” he replies instantly.
“He’s an ex-boyfriend who won’t leave me alone.” That’s the simplest way to explain it.
Collin isn’t happy with that either. His brows furrow as he frowns. “You haven’t mentioned dating anyone for,” he pauses, doing the math, “almost three years.” Yep. And one of those years has been full of living in this hell. When I nod, he shakes his head. “That doesn’t make sense,” he repeats what his brother has already stated. “He’s been chasing you and you didn’t tell me? Why would he say you’re engaged if you aren’t? Why would you take this photo?” He snatches it out of my hand and holds it to my face. “Why would you do this if something wasn’t going on? You’re fucking smiling in the picture, Julie.”
Not a real smile. But it’s in that moment of hesitation that Collin’s faith in me slips a step too far.
“Maybe it’s best if you did leave for the night; I don’t need this shit right now when we’re in the middle of the playoffs.”
And that is when Collin does what he has never done before; he chooses hockey over me.
He’s right, though. Now is not the time to explain. We can be saved later. I need to deal with Dwight one way or another. With a curt nod, I grab my purse and walk out the door, expecting to be nabbed at any second.
He’s watching; I know he is. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck are standing tall from the eerie sensation. Once in my car, I call Deanna, asking if I can stay the night. She doesn’t let me down, and for that, I’m thankful. It’s my last night of peace, I’m sure, before Dwight makes my life hell.
I stand in front of Deanna’s door for the longest time, debating if I should knock or turn around and return to Collin.
“Oh, you make this too easy, angel.”
I don’t get the chance to scream before everything goes black.
My eyes return to that picture, over and over again. The more I look at it, the more it looks staged and the more Julie looks like she’s forcing herself to look happy. With a sigh, I eventually make my way to my room to stand in front of my closet. If I can distract myself, maybe this will turn out to be a dream instead of a mystery.
I stand there and stare for the longest time. At some point, I begin to rearrange things because our closet is a fucking mess and this gives me something to do, something to focus on.
What is this box? I thought Julie opened this. Wasn’t it a gift from her parents or something? One second I’m about to put it in its new place and the next I’m ripping the box open. The blood drains from my face. There is picture on top of picture on top of yet another picture. All of Julie. What the fuck?
Then I have a terrifying thought.
What is else Julie keeping from me in my own closet?
I tear the closet apart and come across another box. This one has folders inside. And what I find terrifies me.
This is what Julie was trying to say, but couldn’t for some reason.
It’s police report after police report about a Dwight Travis breaking a restraining order numerous times, and then there are the reports about the abuse. Oh, god. My Jules. Why couldn’t you tell me this?
After about the tenth report, I scramble to my feet. Julie left this apartment with a fucking lunatic after her!