“It’s not like that.”
“Like hell it isn’t. I will be damned if I let you ruin this for me the way you’ve ruined everything else!”
The bedroom door creaks open a little and for a second I think this is it. This is where the truth finally comes out. My new stepfather is finally going to see what his wife is all about. Even though I know she’ll blame it on me, it’s for the best. He needs to know.
Instead, Lucy flies over to the bed. “Mommy, no!” she whimpers.
“Get out of here,” Mom snarls, pushing her aside.
“Stop yelling, Mommy! Don’t hurt Morgan!” Mom whirls on her, and I see that look in her eyes. The one that says she’s going over the edge.
I scramble off the bed to put myself between them. “Leave her alone!”
“Don’t you talk to me that way.” Pain explodes across my cheek when she backhands me. Lucy bursts into tears, so Mom takes her by the arm and yanks her closer before smacking her across the ass.
“I’ll give you something to cry about.” She shoves Lucy away hard enough that the poor thing bounces off the side of the bed and lands on the floor. I throw myself over her, covering her with my body.
Mom only snorts in disdain. “Look at you. Pathetic. I’ll kill you before I let you get in the way. Just remember that.” Only once she closes the door do I look up. She’s gone.
“Are you okay?” I whisper to Lucy, whose soft whimpering tears at my heart.
Her eyes are big, filled with fear. “Mommy was hurting you.”
“Oh, sweetie. I’m okay.” I sit up before gathering her in my arms and holding her close. “Remember, I told you before. If Mommy is mad at me, I need you to stay away so you don’t get hurt.”
“I forgot.”
“I know, sweetie. Thank you for trying to help me.” I rock her a little until her crying turns to sniffles, my face throbbing the whole time. Stupid me, thinking we were past this now. We never will be. It doesn’t matter who she marries or how much money she has. She’ll never change.
And now she’s about to have another baby. I won’t be here to protect this one, or to protect Lucy. I can’t help Hayes, either.
I’ve never felt so helpless in my whole life.
31
“What happened to you?” Salem winces when I get in the car. She’s staring at my face, which doesn’t hurt as badly anymore but looks uglier hours later.
“Don’t worry about it.” She reaches out, her fingers almost touching the bruise, but I turn my face away before she can. “Please. Don’t touch.”
“Was it your mom?”
My throat tightens. The only thing that stops me from breaking down is when I remember Hayes. He’s out there somewhere. He needs help.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “Have you heard anything?”
“Not since I just talked to you before I came over. I texted a bunch of people, but nobody saw him.” She pulls out of the driveway, and I can only hope Mom doesn’t find out I left. I don’t need a bruise on my right cheek to match the one on my left.
“Where else could he be, do you think?”
“I don’t know. We can check down at school. Maybe he’s there. But I doubt it.”
I can barely breathe. My chest is so tight, and my heart has raced faster with every passing hour. It’s been five since he left, and I don’t know how much more I’m going to handle before my heart gives out completely.
“So that’s why he left?” Salem asks. “Because they got married and they’re having a baby?”
“He lost it. He really hates us.”
“He just, you know.” She flaps her hands around before putting them back on the wheel. “He blew up. He’ll get over it. He’ll probably spend the night at some place, and tomorrow he’ll come home after school, and everything will go back to normal.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“Why? Why aren’t you telling me?”
I want to tell her. Finally, so I don’t have to carry this around inside me anymore. But it’s still not my story to tell. “He’s going through a lot of stuff he doesn’t want anybody to know about. I only know about a little of it. He wouldn’t even tell me everything.”
“I swear to God. Men. I think they’re being strong when they hold everything inside.” She’s not wrong, but she still doesn’t know the whole story. She can’t imagine his shame.
I keep my eyes peeled for his car while she drives me around town. I hate thinking about him wandering around, seething and aching.
“This is impossible,” I say. “He must have gone somewhere he can stay for the night. He won’t be hanging around town.”
I take out my phone and send a text to Franky and Theo. Can you please help us look for Hayes? I’m really worried about him.