“Ah, something for her. I think she’ll like that.”
His words have my tense shoulders relaxing.
I trust Ash.
Ash gets it. The red. The anger.
I gently tear off the note for Mirabelle and fold it in half. My hands are still shaky, so the fold is uneven. Hopefully, she won’t mind.
Then I crouch down again and start writing on a fresh page.
Are you sure?
I hold the notepad out to him.
“Well, I guess it depends on what you said to her, but knowing you, I think she’ll like whatever you have to say. She’s had a soft spot for you since day one.” He looks at me, his lips quirking up into a small smile. Rare. He never did that before Mirabelle. “You know, I’m glad you’ve got a way to get the words out. I thought for a long time there wasn’t much of you left up there.”
I feel weird talking.They didn’t like me talking. I think I cried a lot.
The pen shakes in my hand even more as I fight through the fog that is my memories. To the time before Ash. When I was all alone at the farm.
I was young.
I don’t remember how young.
But I remember the punishments. The pain. The confusion.
Then I got hurt. And I never talked again.
His eyes scan over my words before he nods slowly.
“That’s fucked, you know. They seriously wanted to turn us into animals,” Ash growls. “Do you think you’ll ever be able to talk again?”
I swallow hard and try clearing my throat. It’s a harsh, gravelly sound.
I know I can make noise. I make it all the time.
But talking is different.
I open my mouth.
I know I can do it. I did it with Mirabelle.
But Mirabelle is special.
“Maybe.” The single word is barely above a whisper. I wince as I speak, the phantom remembered pain of my throat getting stomped on radiating through my body.
“Fuck yeah, you did it!” Ash says, his face splitting into a true smile as he slaps me on the shoulder. “We’ll work on that, but that’s a fucking fantastic start.”
I nod slowly, my own lips quirking up to match his smile.
Maybe I can do this.
CHAPTER 45
Mirabelle
“All done!” Roxie says, gently patting the waterproof bandage cover she put over my shoulder.
