Angel heard the bolt lock after Cole walked out.
She stood and walked into the bathroom. There was a shower stall with an old plastic shower curtain, yellowed from age. She pulled it back and looked inside. It was surprisingly clean. There was a bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo.
She turned on the water and adjusted the temperature. Soon the steam was rising. Peeling her clothes off, she stepped inside. Cole was right. The hot water felt so good, the warmth soothing her aching body. The cuts on her wrists stung when the soap got on them, and she was reminded what happened with each bruised area the soap touched.
She stood with the hot water pouring over her, and the tears began to fall again. She let it all out, until finally there weren’t any tears left. Then she took a deep breath, picked up the shampoo bottle, poured some in her palm, and washed her hair, vowing that would be the last time she’d let herself break down.
When the hot water started to run out, she turned it off and stepped out. She wrapped a towel around her and took another one to dry her hair. Stepping out of the bathroom, she ran the second towel over her hair, squeezing out the excess.
She stopped short.
Cole was stretched out on the bed propped against the headboard. He looked lost in thought until he turned and looked at her.
Had he heard her crying again, she wondered.
His eyes ran over her. “I brought food.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
Cole sat up and reached for the white bags of fast food. “The all-American meal. Burgers and fries.”
“Smells great. I’m starved.”
He got up and walked over to the dresser. Opening a drawer, he pulled out an old t-shirt and held it out to her. “Here.”
She reached out and took it, and then went back into the bathroom to get dressed.
When she came back out, he had turned the desk chair around to face the bed and was eating a burger. She sat on the bed and pulled a burger out of the bag.
They ate quietly.
He finished, crumpled up his wrapper, and tossed it on the nightstand. Then he leaned back in the swivel chair and sat watching her eat. “There’s another one in the bag, if you’re still hungry.”
She shook her head.
He sat staring at her.
“Now what happens?” she finally got the courage to ask.
He shook his head and looked away. Then he leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and looked at the floor. “You should call home.”
When she didn’t reply, he looked up at her.
She shook her head. “No.”
“Yes.” His tone made it clear this wasn’t up for debate. “Tell him you’re okay. You need to keep Daddy from coming looking for you, babe.”
“What you said last night, did you mean it?”
His eyes met hers. “Yeah. I meant it.”
She stared into his eyes.
He pulled her phone out of his pocket and handed it to her.
She stared down at it a minute, and then punched in the number.
Cole watched her.
“Voicemail,” she mouthed. “Dad, its Angel. I got your message. Everything’s okay. Don’t worry about me. Umm, I’m going out of town for a few days, but I’ll call you when I get back.” She hung up and lay the phone down on the bed.
Cole held his hand out. He still didn’t trust her completely.
She looked down at his outstretched hand, and then his face.
He waited.
She handed the phone back to him.
He slid it in his pocket.
She watched as he stood and walked into the bathroom. He came out a moment later and held out his palm to her. There was a little pill lying on it.
“Take it. It’ll help you sleep.”
She shook her head. “I’d rather not.”
“Just the same, you’ll take it,” he insisted.
She stared up at him.
“Look, I’ve got some club business to deal with. I’ll be gone for a couple of hours. You need to get some rest, okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Babe, I don’t claim to know you, but I think it’s safe to say you’ll lie here and replay that nightmare over and over in your head. Am I right?”
Angel looked down, knowing it was true.
“Come on. Don’t fight me on this.”
She took the pill from his hand and washed it down with cola.
He brushed her cheek with the back of his finger. “Good girl.”
She watched him leave again.
And once again she heard the bolt lock.
***