Jenny apparently does, because she turns in Judge’s arms and smiles.
Before I turn to leave the room, I glance at Judge. His expression is still icy, but it seems to have thawed some.
Once in my room, I plop down on the bed and blow out a breath. I’m not looking forward to this phone call. In fact, the thought of it has my chest feeling tight, like a band is slowly constricting around my sternum.
Pursing my lips and steeling my resolve, I swipe my screen to life, find the name I need, and bring the phone to my ear.
“Hello?” Millie, one of my best friends, answers sleepily.
“Hey, Mills.”
There’s a pause and a shuffling sound on her end, as I’m sure she gets out of the bed, not wanting to wake up her husband, Justin.
“Jesus, Eden,” she hisses quietly. “Where are you?”
I lean back against the head board and stare up at the ceiling. “A small town northwest of San Antonio.”
She huffs out a breath. “You were supposed to call me a couple days ago. I’ve been calling and texting. Why haven’t you answered?” I inwardly wince when her voice rises, and guilt weights my shoulders down at the reminder of all the missed calls from Millie I’ve gotten over the last couple of days. “You had me worried sick. I almost called your mom.”
My stomach bottoms out. “Please tell me you didn’t,” I beg.
“I didn’t,” she answers with frustration. “But I was going to today if I hadn’t heard from you by tonight.”
“I’m fine, okay? I just needed a couple days to adjust.”
&
nbsp; “Are you safe?” Worry laces her voice.
I think about her question. Am I safe here in Malus? It may be foolish of me, but my first instinct is to say yes. JW has no reason to want to protect me, other than his civic duty as a sheriff. But there’s more to it than that. I feel it in my gut. It almost seems like it’s personal to him, which is ludicrous, because I’ve never met the guy before in my life.
I tuck my knees to my chest and wrap one arm around my legs.
“Yes, I’m safe,” I answer with the truth that I believe.
There’s static in my ear as Millie blows out a breath. “Good. What are you going to do? You can’t hide forever.”
Millie is the only one who knows the truth about why I left, and that’s only because she was at my house when I came barreling home, freaking out. I’m glad she knows because it means I have someone I can talk to about it. I’ve thanked God several times she wasn’t there when Diego came by hours later.
“I’m not sure yet, but the sheriff here is helping me. I need you to do me a favor and talk with Clayton and Hannah. Just tell them I had a family emergency. I don’t want them to think I’ve abandoned them.”
Clayton and Hannah are siblings who visit the homeless shelter where Millie and I volunteer three days a week. Technically, we’re only supposed to offer the shelter to people who are actually homeless. Clayton and Hannah aren’t, but where they live is awful. They mainly come to the shelter to get away from home and to eat. They haven’t outright admitted to being abused, but I’ve seen the bruises. They always play them off as being clumsy accidents, but I’m no fool. I’ve contemplated calling the authorities, but the two have already been in the foster system and are deathly afraid of going back. They were separated the last time, and both were sexually abused. I’m not sure how they managed it, but their parents were somehow able to get them back.
“They asked where you were yesterday,” Millie states solemnly. “I told them you were sick.”
A ball of anger forms in my stomach. I wish I could find Diego and beat the shit out of him.
I clear my throat and try to sound like I’m not on the verge of murder.
“Tell them I miss them, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I will.” Millie turns quiet for a moment. “Justin still thinks you should report Diego and what he did to that girl, and what he did to you.”
I shake my head, even though she can’t see it. “It wouldn’t do any good. If anything, it’ll piss him off more.”
“Keep me posted, okay? And for goodness sake, answer your phone when I call,” she finishes, exasperated.
“I’m sorry.” I hate that she worried so much. “Just don’t call my parents. They’ll call the police, and it’ll put them on Diego’s radar.”