I stay silent, taking them both in. They’re both incredibly beautiful and insanely rich. Everything about them screams money and it makes me nervous. I come from a struggling household where I had to skip dinners because we didn’t have money. Seeing them, I realize they would never accept me.
It’s a miracle that their son somehow fell in love with me.
Carol runs her fingers through his hair and the tension drains from his body like a tide pulling back to sea. He relaxes and pulls down her hand and kisses her knuckles.
“See, you don’t have to be afraid of him,” she shoots me an encouraging smile. “Why don’t you sit down and we have a quick chat?”
I quickly shake my head. “No. I need Heath. Can you please call him?Please.”
She looks miserable. “I can do that but if it’s okay with you, maybe we should talk first?—”
“Please.” I beg her.
“Hope—”
It’s then he speaks in a deep voice. “We know what happened two weeks ago.”
Color drains from my face. I have to hold the counter to not turn into a puddle on the floor from the shame.
I want to go.
I want to leave.
I want to disappear.
They know.
Did Heath tell them? I know he would never but what if… My stomach clenches at the thought of betrayal. But can I blame him? I’m the reason why he was at the police station. I’m the mistake that cost him a record. I’m the problem.
Tremors dance under my skin.
“We also know why you’re here,” he adds.
Those words make me sick.
No. That can’t be right.
They can’t know why I’m here.
I heard him wrong.
He is lying to me.
I keep telling myself that, but the way those two pair of eyes look at me, I know my answer.
I move but barely make a step because my feet are shaky. I stumble over and almost fall on ground, but grab the counter at the last moment.
Tears pool in my eyes as I feel like I’m standing naked in front of them, letting them see every scar and bruise on my body. Everything I want to hide, they can see it. And I hate how helpless I feel.
“Oh dear,” I hear Carol, and a few seconds later she appears beside me. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” She wraps me in her warm arms and tucks me against her chest. The switch flips and I turn into a statue.
I don’t know what to do or what to say.
I go numb.
“You’re gonna be okay, love,” she tells me softly, rubbing my back with such tenderness that it melts my rigid stature.
“Calm down.”
