“You know, I don’t feel like a Sabrina. I don’t think I ever did.” She looked at the check in his hand. She couldn’t see all of it, but she had no doubt that it was an obscene amount. If not for the money her grandparents had left her, if not for the book deal, the number of zeros on that check would be impossible to refuse. “Was I the only problem your money couldn’t fix?”
“If not for your mother’s parents’ money—”
“Ah. Nice ploy trying to have me declared dead or incompetent,” Kaelee said, voice still not wavering. “Now you want to lie about my mental state to take away the money that allowed me to be who I am. Clever. Deceitful. Cruel. It’s a veryyouthing to do.”
The elevator chimed, and Kaelee didn’t have to look up to know that Greta was here. Her steps stabbed the floor in a quick, aggressive march.
“Did you give Kyle permission for what he did to me? He said you did. Is it true?” Kaelee asked. “That’s the only question I have before I leave. Did you?”
“Women need a firm hand. Discipline. Some more than others.” He didn’t even have the grace to look ashamed. “Yes. I suggested he encourage you to see the right order of things. Your rebellious claim that you were a…”
“Lesbian,” Kaelee filled in, dragging the word out exaggeratedly. “I am a lesbian, Tripp.”
Needing to look anywhere else to keep her minimal in-flight lunch from rising, Kaelee jerked her gaze away from him. Greta was staring at her, not looking angry but worried. She had reached Kaelee’s side and stood like a sentinel. Her hand closed on Kaelee’s shoulder. “Okay?”
Kaelee nodded once.
“Thank you for coming. Ms. Carpenter and I were hoping this wasn’t necessary.…” Greta wasn’t looking at Tripp, though. The attorneys, Marissa and Tasha, flowed across the lobby like avenging angels. “Do you have this?”
“We do.” Marissa looked at Kaelee. “This will be what we need to argue for a no-contact order.”
“I do appreciate you doing the work for us, Mr. Alden. Your actions today will be enough to convince the judge that you are, in fact, threatening our client.” Tasha had the sort of vicious glee in her eyes that would be more suited for someone holding a sword or a gun. Instead, she had a sheaf of papers.
“Sabrina.” Tripp stood and extended the check. “Don’t be unreasonable.”
Kaelee took the check. She stood there and calmly shredded it into tiny pieces.
Then she met his eyes again. “Unreasonable was giving Kyle permission to rape me. Unreasonable is hitting my mother. Unreasonable is donating your money to hate-mongers.” She dropped the pieces of the check on the floor. “My name, incidentally, is Kaelee. Kae for my grandmother. Lee for my grandfather. And Carpenter… you’d think you would have caught that reference since youclaimto follow Christianity, despite your hate, your adultery, your lies and greed and gluttony and pride.”
“You talk tomethat way? Surrounding yourself with harlots and jezebels.” His face was red with rage.
Kaelee laughed briefly and whispered, “Fuck you.”
And then she took Greta’s hand in hers and walked away. Someone had already pressed the elevator button, so they strode from the lobby into the elevator car without pause.
As the doors closed, Kaelee let out the breath she’d been holding. Telling Tripp off felt validating, and she wished she could tell the teen version of herself who had cowered before him that one day, they would finally get their say. She wished she could tell young Kaelee that everything she could dream would be hers one day—freedom, safety, courage, security, love. All of it.
Instead, I will write my sapphic books, and tell other kids that we can be heroes, that we can find love, that we can be happy.
The adrenaline crash from facing Tripp was real, though. She shivered. Once they were in the elevator, Kaelee felt as if the strings that held her upright had loosened.
She tugged Greta into her arms. “You know, I was trying to keep you out of his path while I confronted him. That’s why I sent you away. I wanted to protect you.”
“And I was trying to be sure you knew you weren’t alone. Youdon’t have to face every monster alone.” Greta stroked Kaelee’s back in small soothing circles as Kaelee clutched her. Greta added, “Risa and Tash will take care of things.”
“He’s smaller.” Kaelee flushed, feeling foolish saying it, but it was the truth. “As a kid, he seemed huge and terrifying. Today… I don’t know. He was an old man in a nice suit, but he didn’t scare me the same way.”
“It’s easier to terrorize children, to try to intimidate those who are physically smaller than you.” Greta led her out of the elevator and into the hallway.
Kaelee twined her fingers with Greta’s. “Honestly, men like him are part of why I go to the gym. I hated feeling weaker, afraid of him, flinching when he moved like he was going to hit me.”
Greta opened a hotel room door, and Kaelee realized that her bags were already here. Greta shrugged. “They were in the elevator with me.”
“Would you hate me if I said I need a few minutes to get my head in order?”
Greta kissed her tenderly. “Shower. Nap if you need. I can order food.”
After a shower, sex, food, and a nap, Greta calmly led Kaelee to the lobby where Toni and Charlie were waiting.
