Eve bit her lip, walked into the back of her closet, and bent down. She pried up one of the boards and took out a few pictures.
“What are those?”
Eve looked at Brylee. “These are the only pictures of my mom I have.”
Larkin glanced at Patrick, and he shook his head. When it was time, they would tell Eve her mother was still alive. At that moment, they just needed to get her out of there.
“Let the girls pack the rest, and you and I can find a paper and a pen and write your father a note.”
Eve led Patrick down the stairs and into her father’s office. Patrick looked around in disgust. It was a whole other world than what Eve’s room looked like. His office had beautiful wood paneling, several bookcases filled with books, and an antique desk. Plus, a comfortable chair, a lovely leather sofa, and a chair with a widescreen TV.
He didn’t think he could hate the man any more than he already did, and it deepened when he caught sight of the bruise on her cheek that he knew her father caused. Now the view of the office compounded his anger and disgust until it almost took over his control.
He watched Eve pull out a piece of paper and pen and then look to him.
“What should I say?”
“Tell him that you feel it’s time for you to move on. You’re an adult and want to find your own way in the world. Tell him you’ll be in touch and to not worry. Then sign it ‘Sincerely, Eve.’”
Eve wrote it word for word as Patrick had told her to. She folded the sheet of paper, placed it on top of the desk, and set the pen on it.
He smiled and held out his hand. “Ready?”
She looked around, nodded, and reached out for his hand.
“Then let’s go.”
Eve and Patrick met the girls at the front door. The four walked out and got into Patrick’s car.
Larkin was in front with Patrick. Eve and Brylee sat in back, holding hands.
Larkin and Brylee talked about anything to keep Eve calm and entertained. They told her funny stories when they likely saw Eve getting more and more agitated the farther they drove from her father’s house.
Chapter Four
Patrick pulled up into his garage and closed it behind them. He opened the back door and waited for Eve and Brylee to slide out. Then he grabbed the bag and dresses from his trunk and followed the girls into the house.
“Do you guys live here, too?” Eve asked. “You seem to know the house really well.”
“No, we visit Patrick a lot, though. He has an awesome pool in back with a waterfall,” Brylee told her.
Eve walked behind the other girls up the wide wooden stairs and into the second door on the right. It felt like every step she took made her more nervous but also made her feel freer.
She gasped and froze just inside the door with her hands over her mouth and tears stinging her eyes.
“Whose room is this?” she asked in total shock. She’d never seen a more beautiful room in her life.
Patrick set down the bag. “This is yours, baby. Brylee and Larkin helped me design it just for you.”
Eve bit her lip as tears poured down her face. Her gaze jumped all around the room, trying to take in everything, but she was too overwhelmed.
Brylee grabbed her hand and pulled her across the room. “Let us show you the dollhouse Patrick got you.”
All three girls sat in front of the three-story dollhouse.
Larkin smiled at her. “He got you a bunch of furniture for it, and we gave you a few of our dolls, but Patrick wants you to pick out whatever else you’ll want. We didn’t know where you would want all the furniture, so we didn’t do anything.”
Eve picked up an old-fashioned-looking bathtub and gently put it in the upstairs room that looked like a bathroom. With Larkin and Brylee’s encouragement, Eve set up a few more rooms.