Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 72616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
"I was unconscious in the corner of a motel room," she answers him. “They were going at it, I don’t even know why anymore, and I told them that someone was going to call the cops." She shakes her head. “I knew it wasn’t true. It was a run-down motel that rented rooms by the half hour. He backhanded me a couple of times, and then when I came to, he was sitting on the bed looking down at Rosalie. She was lying there with her eyes open, looking back at him." She puts her hand to her stomach, and her face goes as white as a ghost as she relives it. "He put her in the car and drove her to the hospital and dumped her there." She closes her eyes and moves her hand to put it on her head.
“This is over,” I say, my voice coming out tight. The guys look over at me. “This is enough for one day.” I look over at her and see that her head is down. I want to walk over to her, put my arm around her, and tell her she is so brave as I kiss her tears away from her cheeks.
"We’ve got enough." Mayson steps up. “We don’t need anything else." He looks at me, and we share a silent look, then he turns back and looks at Willow. “I’ll bring your bag."
She nods at him as he walks out of the room. Beau, who hasn’t said a word this whole time, looks at me and then turns to Willow. “Thank you,” he says, his voice soft, “for your courage."
She sniffles, looking down at her hand that is shaking. I step forward and hold it in my hand. It feels like ice. She side-looks at our hands together. “I have to say," Jacob says. “It’s an ongoing investigation, so I have to tell you this next part." I look at him, and he looks at me and then at Willow. “You can’t leave town."
She looks at him. “Where the hell am I going to go?"
"She’s staying with me,” I say out loud, and all eyes come to me. “When she is discharged, she’ll be staying with me." I look at Willow, who just stares at me with her mouth open.
"Perfect," Jacob says. “If you remember anything else, let me know."
He looks at me and then walks out of the room. "Willow," my father says. “I’m sorry that you had to relive all of that."
"I know that you guys needed answers,” she says. “You guys have to know that if I could have gotten you help, I would have."
"We know,” he says, smiling at her. Walking out of the room, he grabs a brown bag. “Now, I don’t know if you can eat yet or not, but …" He puts it on the tray. “But my mother found out you like blueberry pie," he says and then takes the pie wrapped in hand towels out of the bag. “It was baked fresh this morning." He places it on the table and then unties the top of it.
"What do we have here?" Shirley says from the doorway, looking at us. “Is that blueberry?”
"It is,” Willow says, looking at the pie. “She made it for me?" she asks, confused, and my father nods his head. "She doesn’t even know me." Her voice is almost a whisper.
My father laughs. “She knows that you got hurt trying to save Chelsea. That’s all she needs to know."
"Do you want a piece now?" I look at Willow and can see in her eyes that she wants a piece, but she is too afraid to say anything.
"I want one,” Shirley says, and my father takes out paper plates and a knife from the bag.
"If it’s okay with you, Willow"—my father looks at her—“I’d like to bring Quinn’s mother by for a visit."
"Dad,” I say, thinking it’s going to be too much for her.
"She was here five days ago," Shirley says, and Willow looks over at her in shock. “We were all worried about you. You can have three bites,” Shirley tells her. “And then maybe some more later.”
My father hands her a piece that is so heavy she won’t be able to hold it with her hand. “Water,” she says, looking at Shirley. “Can I have some water?”
“Where is your cup?” Shirley asks. She looks at me and then the floor, seeing it all smashed. “I’ll get another one."
"I have to get going," my father says and then waits for Willow to look at him. “Thank you, Willow, for today."
"You’re welcome," she says and looks down at her hand. My father looks at me one last time, and I know he will be calling me later.
“Are you okay?" I ask her softly when it’s just us in the room. "Willow," I call her name, and she looks up at me, and I see the tears filling her eyes. "I’m so sorry that you had to do that,” I say, and her lower lip trembles.