“Tell me what you need,” Hallie said gently.
“I didn’t bring clothes and these ones—”
“Here.” She led Audrey over to the closet. “The only things I keep here are oversized, overly comfy things. You can wear whatever you want.”
Audrey smiled weakly at her. “I bet this isn’t what you thought you were getting this week. Especially not from someone like me.”
She narrowed her eyes at that last bit, clearly not hung up on the same things others were about how, if you reached a certain level of academic and professional success, you sacrificed your right and ability to have emotions. “I like River well enough, but spending the week hanging out with you is better than hanging out with your shitty family.”
Audrey laughed a little. “I’m sorry she brought you around them. You don’t belong there.”
“Neither do you.”
Her heart ached. She’d spent her whole life wanting to belong with them. Not with their attitudes, but with the people who were supposed to love her. And that was the biggest part of the disconnect, always had been, because she didn’tlikeher family. She didn’t agree with them. If they weren’t related, shewouldn’t want anything to do with them. But she still wanted them to love her because they were all she had.
Except, they weren’t. Sure, she couldn’t get another family she’d been born into, but she had Zora, she seemed to have Hallie and the Fullers, at least temporarily. She could build another family. One that liked her. One that didn’t try to change or blame her.
She picked a sweatshirt and pants from the closet, enjoying the satisfied look on Hallie’s face when she did.
“I’ll call River while you get ready,” Hallie said. “Here, I’ll show you the bathroom and all the toiletries. You can take a shower, whatever you need. We’ve got loads of really good hot water.”
Audrey laughed. “Thank you.”
“Do you want me to take a shower too?” Hallie asked as she led the way. “Uh. After you do, just to be clear!”
“It’s okay,” Audrey said. She could be controlled by her mind but she could not let it dictate what Hallie did, no matter how much it wanted every particle of the Sinclairs and that cabin off Hallie. She knew it was just nonsense.
“I’ll take a shower.”
“You don’t need to—”
“I know.” She smiled and flicked the light on in a beautiful, welcoming bathroom, and she opened a cupboard to show off all of the toiletries.
???
When Audrey was done scrubbing every trace of the day and her family off her that she could, her skin felt a little raw but the clothes Hallie had given her were soft and soothing. She headed back to the bedroom and was surprised to see Hallie sitting on the bed with wet hair and a different outfit.
She smiled up at Audrey and put her phone away. “I used my mom’s en suite.”
“Oh. Right. Cool.” Audrey cleared her throat. She wasn’t sure why she was suddenly being so awkward at the sight of Hallie in pajamas and wet hair. “Did you, uh, speak to River?”
She nodded. “I did. Everything is taken care of.”
Audrey’s stomach ached. “Was she angry?”
“Not at all.” She hesitated. “Well, actually, a little, yeah, but not at you. She’s annoyed as hell at your family.”
“She is?”
Hallie smiled and nodded, patting the bed beside her. “I think this whole thing might be…goodisn’t really the word, but good for her.”
“How?” she asked, bewildered.
“River’s been very… don’t rock the boat up to this point. She doesn’t love how they treat you but she hasn’t really internalized how bad it is for you. Now, she’s seeing it.”
“We all have to grow up at some point? Is that what you’re saying?”
Hallie laughed. “I guess, a little. And, hey, better late than never.”
