“See you then.”
I pressed out of the car and made my way for the front door. And when I found it unlocked, my stomach dropped. Mom always locked the door. Even when she was home. Which meant someone had left and she hadn’t bothered to lock it. The second I heard her sniffling, I knew. I knew exactly what had happened tonight.
“Rae? Is that you?”
I closed the door behind me. “Yeah, Mom. I’m home.”
“What’s that smell?”’
“Cobbler and dinner from the Denvers’ house.”
“Can you bring it into the kitchen, please?”
I sighed as I made my way down the hallway. Shadows flashed across the walls as Allison backed out of the driveway, and I wanted nothing more than to chase her down. My home had become a living hell, and I didn’t want to be here anymore. Especially when I saw my mother wiping at her eyes.
Because of fucking D.J.
“You hungry?”
She shook her head. “Just put it in the fridge.”
I did as she asked, then walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. I squeezed it softly as I gazed blankly at the wall, wondering if it would ever stop. If my mother would ever notice her worth. If she’d ever pull herself out of this hole and move on with her life.
“I’m sorry for whatever he did to you tonight.”
Then, without letting her explain, I showed myself off to my room.
32
Clinton
I sat in the lawyer’s office, hating the fact that my father was here. I knew this would happen, too. I told Cecilia not to tell him. I told her to just keep it between us. I didn’t need Dad coming to this damn meeting with me. Cecilia would’ve been fine. Hell, I could’ve done this damn meeting myself! I mean, it took me a little bit to grasp the fact that I was about to press charges on four boys who tried killing me. But, all I had to do was digest that fact. Digest the—the realness of it all.
And of course, the second Cecilia updated my father, he was on the first plane ride home.
“Did we have to do this today? This couldn’t have waited?”
Cecilia scoffed. “Howard, you didn’t have to come. I told you I had this under control.”
Dad shook his head. “The only thing you would’ve done is rack up a larger bill than necessary asking tons of unnecessary questions.”
“So, you’re only here to moderate your funds. Is that it? You don’t care that we’re here to prosecute the boys who almost killed our son?”
Dad paused. “You mean my son, Cece?”
I kept myself poised in my chair, even though I wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor. The second the lawyer’s door opened, though, Dad shut his fucking face. Guess he’d learned his lesson with the doctor in the hospital. I peered over at Cecilia, watching as she crossed her leg over her knee, trying to keep her composure as much as possible, even though I saw the anger in her eyes.
Thank fuck, I’m sitting beside her.
“Afternoon. My name is Omar Littenberg.”
The lawyer held his hand out for Dad and he stood to shake it. Cecilia stayed seated, but she shook his hand in kind. I stood, staring the man in the face with a grateful smile. And as I shook his hand, he held mine just a little longer than necessary.
Had he heard what had happened from the hallway?
Fuck. “It’s really nice to meet you. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.”
He dropped my hand. “Of course. When I caught word of what happened from the police station, I immediately cleared my schedule.”