“Where did you go?” Ethan asked.
I huffed a short laugh and shook my head. “Not far. My left eye was swollen shut, and my head was pounding. I got pulled over by a police officer for driving erratically.”
“Oh no!” Becky exclaimed. “Did they help?”
A fond smile curved my lips. “Yes, he did. He encouraged me to go to the hospital and to get help from the county domestic violence shelter.”
“Did you?” Ethan asked.
I nodded. “I did. I got help, and I got out. I pressed charges and got a permanent restraining order against Randy.” I glanced at the door between the rooms. “All thanks to Officer Tony D’Angelo.”
“What?” they both exclaimed at the same time.
Becky looked even more confused than before. “How? I thought he owned a security company?”
“He does now. But twelve years ago, he was a Belmar police officer.”
She frowned. “But you said you met him two years ago through Jeremy.”
“I did. At the time, I didn’t recognize him. That happened this year when we started dating.”
Ethan shook his head. “That’s wild.”
“It really is,” I agreed. “And it’s arguably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“You love him,” Becky observed.
I opened my mouth to object, but no words came out. I did love him. I knew that. I’d just been afraid to say it aloud. I swallowed hard. “I do.”
“But you haven’t told him,” Ethan rightly guessed.
“I haven’t,” I confessed.
Becky reached across the small coffee table and smacked my arm lightly. “You should. That man looks at you like you hung the moon and stars. Don’t let him get away.”
Ethan jerked a thumb in his sister’s direction. “What she said.”
“I will,” I promised, even though the thought sent butterflies careening in my stomach. “But first, I want to tell you both I’m sorry for all the shitty things I said to you and all the grief I gave you for rightly leaving a horrible home life. I was terrified of being alone, and I took it out on you two.”
Ethan stood and drew Becky up with him. “Get over here, big brother.” I went to them, and they pulled me into a group hug that ended with all three of us in tears.
We finally sat, all wiping our eyes. “So tell me what you two have been doing for the past decade or so.”
Hours later, full of joy that I finally had my brother and sister back, I said goodnight to them, knowing I would see them, not only the next day, but again and again in the future. In the bedroom, the lights were out and Tony was asleep. I undressedquietly and crawled under the blankets, snuggling as close as I could get to him.
To my surprise, he rolled over and pulled me into his arms. “I guess it went well,” he said, his voice raspy with sleep.
“It did. It really did.”
He hummed softly. “That’s good. I’m happy for you.”
“Tony?”
“Yeah?”
“I want to tell you something.” I took a quiet breath to soothe my nerves.
“What’s that?” he asked.
