Chapter Thirteen
Kylie
Kylie was starting to feel like warmed-over shit. For four days now she’d gotten little sleep. She wasn’t waking Emelise anymore when she had a nightmare but she saw the concern in her friend’s eyes. She knew Emelise was worried about her. Remy was even worse. He stopped in to check on her all the damn time and she just knew he didn’t buy her ‘I’m fine’ any more than Emelise did. At least neither of them called her on it.
This morning she’d awoken from a particularly nasty nightmare that had left her shaking and filled with shame. It was from the day Ezra had kidnapped her. The memories were so strong they were almost overwhelming.
“Morning,” she mumbled when she found Emelise in the kitchen fixing Hailey an omelet.
“Morning. Kylie, I wish you would talk to me. I know you’re not sleeping right. It’s obvious. You might feel better if you got it all off your chest. If you won’t talk to me, then…maybe you should talk to a counselor, someone who specializes in helping victims of trauma.”
Kylie shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t. You don’t need the ugly images that are in my head, Emelise and I can’t…talk about this with a stranger. I’ll be fine. I think I’m going to head into the club early, get the inventory check in the VIP Lounge done.”
“You should eat some breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry right now. I’ll get something later.” She needed to get away from the questions and the concerned looks.
“Would you like a ride into New Orleans?”
“No, you’re getting Hailey’s breakfast. I’m sure someone is heading into the city; I’ll just catch a ride with another Pard member.” She beat a hasty retreat before Emelise could try to change her mind. Maybe if she wore herself out at work she would finally get some sleep.
Remy
Remy was sitting on his front porch drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying the morning air. It was a little cooler than it had been in recent weeks.
“I’m worried about Kylie.”
Remy had just set his cup down on the table beside him when Emelise’s voice reached his ears. He shifted in his chair to focus on her. “Why is dat, cher? What happened?”
“She’s not eating or sleeping, at least, not very much. I know she’s still having nightmares but she refuses to talk. When I offered to listen to her, again—in hopes of helping her to cope with what happened to her—just a little while ago she told me I didn’t need the ugly images that were in her head. I’m worried she’s going to end up having a breakdown.”
“Fuck,” Remy growled under his breath. “I’ll talk wit’ her. Is she hidin’ in da guest cottage?” It was where she’d spent most of the last few days, only leaving for work.
“No, she headed into New Orleans to the club. She said she wanted to get the inventory check in the VIP Lounge done. I think she’s using it as a way to hide from everything.”
“I tink you’re right about dat.” He set his cup aside. “I’ll go on in and see if I can’t get her to talk.” He wanted to see her anyway. She’d been keeping her distance ever since the fight with Ezra and he wondered if she was afraid of him.
Remy stepped into Scarlet Flux and made his way up to the VIP Lounge. He paused at the top of the steps to just watch Kylie for several moments before he approached her. “Mornin’, Kitten. I brought you some of dose breakfast sandwiches you like so much.” He watched as Kylie stopped what she was doing to frown at him.
“Thanks but you didn’t have to do that. I’m not really hungry right now.”
“Did you get someting to eat already?”
“No, I’m just not very hungry. I’ll eat later.”
“You need to take better care of yourself, cher. Emelise said you’re not eatin’ or sleepin’ but you won’t talk to her. Why is dat?”
He watched as Kylie set down the bottle she was holding before she turned her attention to him. “She doesn’t need to be stressed out over my shit. She’s already helping Hailey when she has bad dreams and she’s pregnant. She doesn’t need to bother with me. I’mfine.”
“Da hell you are, Kitten. You wouldn’t be goin’ without eatin’ or sleepin’ if you were fine. Talk to me, cher. You don’t want to upset Emelise, I get dat, but you don’t have to worry about dat wit’ me. So talk to me.”
“You know what, Remy? I don’t have to put up with your shit. Don’t youevertry to order me around again. I spent the last five years with an abusive, controlling asshole who barked out orders every second of the day. I willneverlive that way again. Lily and Emelise both said you were different, but right now I’m not seeing it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have inventory to get back to.”
Remy sat there staring at her. She’d turned and given him her back. He wasn’t sure how she could have taken what he’d said as him trying to order her around. He started to open his mouth to question her but closed it. He didn’t want to risk making things worse by saying the wrong thing. “All right, Kitten, I’ll go,” he murmured and left.
Kylie
Kylie waited until she was certain he was gone before she let her legs give out on her. She sat on the floor behind the bar, knees bent, and wrapped her arms around her legs. She buried her face against her knees and let the tears flow. Her body shook with the force of them, and she had to muffle her sobs so they wouldn’t echo to downstairs.
