Sabrina, what were you thinking! You know how he gets, and his reputation will be tarnished if your indiscretions are revealed. Kyle has mended his heart, and of late, your father has suggested that your cousin has been an aid in that. We had hoped your sister would fulfillthis duty, but she made other choices for her marriage. Cousin Jordan is such a good girl, and Kyle is willing tohonorhis commitment to your father by marrying Jordan.Hewould still marry you, or we can have that wedding forhimand Jordan all in order before you return. Then we will pick a younger boy for you.
Nothing will work out if you insist on claiming to be one of those women, though. Good Christian ladies follow their father, then their husband, and God forbid, if he passes, you have a son to look after you. Without firm guidance, well, look at your own situation!
You must stop this nonsense and come home, Brina. Your father’s candidate this year is campaigning on a platform of strict morality, and your rebellion must end before it embarrasses everyone. Come home. We’ll have a party to celebrate your return, like you’re Lazarus returned to the living or the prodigal son come home. It’s time to set things right. You owe it to your father.
Julia (Mom) Alden
Greta finished reading and winced. “Does she always sign letters to you that way?”
“I guess when you fail so badly at motherhood you need to find some way to pretend you are a mother,” Kaelee said. Her shoulders were tight with anxiety or rage or some combination.
“Is your cousin in danger?” Greta asked.
“You mean, has anyone told Jordan that Kyle raped me? I have no idea. I thought about calling her, but maybe he’ll be different with her. I don’t know. I’ll still probably call her. He was awful. I gagged the first time he kissed me, and I think it hurt his feelings.” Kaelee had a faraway look in her eyes. “I told them that night, said that I preferred women, that I couldn’t marry him.”
“Oh, honey,” Greta murmured, stroking a comforting hand down Kaelee’s arm and back. “How old were you when that happened?”
“Eighteen. I was planning to start college in the fall, and… honestly, I was too young to marry anyone, but Tripp was sick of my disobedience. He told me that if I was going to act like a spoiled brat he was going to make the decision for me. Marry Kyle or no tuition, no Duke, no anything.”
“Bastard.”
“Yes. Both of them.” Kaelee made a noise that was probably intended to be a laugh. “Kyle was Daddy’s clone. He did whatever he was told. Honestly, he didn’t want a wife, but I came with a promotion to VP in the company at only twenty-eight. A raise? More influence? He agreed to take me.”
“And no one thought how young you were was disturbing?” Greta gaped at the thought.
“Darlin’, in his version of morals, if a woman can bleed, she can breed. The candidates he backs are the ones who see no issue withchildbrides. I was practically on the shelf for that sort of conservative man.” She looked over her shoulder again, met Greta’s gaze, and said, “Kyle said my father told him that a lot of women say no at first, but thathewas saying yes for me.”
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“You will not have to deal with him. Not Tripp Alden and not Kyle Gray.” Greta glared at the pages. “I’m so sorry that no one protected you before, but you are not alone.”
“They had a memorial, even though they knew I wasn’t dead,” Kaelee whispered. “They would rather I be dead than a lesbian. I don’t even know what to do with that.”
“You don’t have to do anything with it.” Greta took her hands and pulled her to her feet. “We’ll talk to legal, and we’ll make sure you’re safe and secure at any events. I know a few lawyers through my ex’s firm, too. Good ones. And when you do events, either Charlie will travel with you, or Toni will. She’s already agreed to do afour-city tour with you. And if neither of them can be with you, I will be. I swear to you that you will not be left alone.”
“You can’t be with me everywhere. Not on campus or at the gym or the grocery—”
“We can figure this out. I swear we can.” Greta wrapped her arms around Kaelee. “Whatever it takes. As your friend, your editor, and whatever else I am, I will have your back, Kaelee Carpenter. Whatever they said about Sabrina Alden being gone,youare not. You are a phoenix that rose from the ashes of their mistakes.”
“I’m scared,” Kaelee admitted.
“I know, but we can figure it out. We won’t let them near you.” Greta cupped her face in both hands. “I care about you. Let me help with this, okay? You’re not a teenager facing them all on your own this time. You have friends, money, and a life we will not let them interfere with. Plus, you still have the courage you had to leave their cage. We’ll keep you away from them. I swear it.”
Kaelee nodded.
“We will need to talk to Toni before the events, and we’ll talk to publicity and to legal, but trust me, Kaelee, these people willnothurt you. Never again.” Greta scooped all the papers up and put them in the envelope. “Next week, we’ll talk to legal, okay? Like I said, I know a great firm with great attorneys for the not-publishing parts. We’ll make sure your trust is secure.”
Kaelee nodded again. “I don’t lookthatmuch like her. Not now. They had a memorial; they want everyone to think I’m dead. I’m not going to say I’m their daughter. Why not just let it go?”
“Fear of facing who you are? That’stheirbaggage, though. Not yours. I’m here with you while we figure it out. And you know Toni and Addie and Emily would have your back, too.” Greta stared at her. “And Cherie? That was your friend’s name, right? Her, too. You are not alone.”
Kaelee let herself be led back to bed, and in an uncharacteristic move, she curled her body against Greta, pillowing her head on Greta’s shoulder and chest. “I don’t understand how they hate me somuch that they want to fuck up my life when they aren’t even in it. No one will guess that Kaelee Carpenter used to be an Alden. Why try to drag me back? They don’t want me, but they don’t want me to move on either.”
“Some people can’t see beyond their own hate. I’m sorry that they are missing out on knowing you, but right now, it certainly doesn’t sound likeyouare missing out by not seeing them.” Greta stroked her hand over Kaelee’s hair and down her neck. “Plenty of people care about you, Kaelee, and I hope you remember that if these asswipes attempt contact again.”
They fell asleep that way, with Greta holding Kaelee in her arms, and the following morning, they woke up still entangled.
Kaelee stared at her and said, “You know I don’t break down as often as it seems. Yesterday and then the drunk thing… before that I don’t think I’d been drunk in almost nine years. I’m not fragile like this.”
