The buzz of my cell phonehas never sounded louder.I jump up out of my chair, fumbling forthe damn thing before it can wake Rory.I'm about to decline thecall, but I check the caller ID first just in case.The 212 numberis one I've recognized since I was little.
I accept the call beforeit can buzz again, and slip out of Rory's room, keeping the doorajar so the click of the jam doesn't wake her.
"Hello?"I answer, thoughI know who's on the other end.
"Sammy."My father's voicerings loud and clear over the line."I figured you'd be in school.I was just going to leave a message for you to call me when you gotout."
"Well I'm here, so what doyou need to tell me?"God I hope he gets to the fuckingpoint.
"Why aren't you in class?"he asks.He hasn't given two shits what I've done for the past fiveyears straight, so why he thinks he has a right to question me now,I can't fucking imagine.But I still need him to help Rory, so Idon't call him out on it.
"It's my lunch hour," Ilie, not that he would have known what time I took lunch evenbefore he left us.
"Can you talk now?I meanwith privacy?Or-"
"Yes, Mitch.I'm alone,just talk," I urge.
I hear my father's deepexhale, and nerves creep up my spine, intimating that I'm going tolike this conversation even less than I thought.
"How well do you know thisAurora girl?"he asks.
"Rory," I correct him forno goddamn reason at all.
"How much do you knowabout her?"he presses.
"Everything," Ipractically growl through my clenched jaw.
"Look, I spoke to a coupleof people down in her hometown.I should get the files I asked forby the end of the week, so I don't have anything solid, justtalk—"
"What kind of fuckingtalk?"I'm already fuming.I know what he's going to say.But Ineed to hear him say it.And then I need to tell him to go fuckhimself.I can feel myself getting heated, so I pull the door shutand lean back against it, knowing now that the click of the lockwon't be louder than this conversation.
"Calm down,Sammy—"
"Don't fucking callmeSammy.I'm notyour littleSammy.I'm fucking eighteen, and I haven't seen you since I was akid.I asked for yourhelp, and I'm already fuckingregretting it," I say slowly and carefully.
There are a few moments ofsilence while we both regroup.Despite my words, I do as he's askedand try to calm myself.
"I've just spoken to a fewlow level people.I'm waiting on the police reports and some otherconfidential documents I've gotten wind of," he begins.
"Do you think I needed tocallyouto talktosome low level people?"I say patronizingly.
"You know what,Sam, I think I know whatI'm doing here, so why don't you just relax."Now he's the onelosing his cool, and I'm sure his infamous temper isn't far away.The real monster only ever came out with the coaxing of alcohol,but that doesn't mean he couldn't be a real dick without it, evenif he didn't put his hands on us.
I stay carefully silent,certain that anything I might say would be counterproductive atthis point, especially since it's on the tip of my tongue to tellhim to fuck himself and figure out a Plan B.But I don't actuallyhave a Plan B, and so I wait with practiced false patience while hecontinues.
"I'll speak to the higherups after I've reviewed all of the evidence myself.From bothcases.But sometimes the people on the ground have access toinformation that doesn't make its way into the files or up theprofessional food chain," he explains.
It makes sense, what he'ssaying, but I won't concede the point, I just continue to staysilent.
"I'm just asking how wellyou know thisRorygirl.Because I know what she accused the Forbes kid of, andI know what you saw in Miami.But we have to consider that thetruth of one doesn't necessarily prove the truth of the other.Because there are a hell of a lot of people down there who areconvinced she made the whole thing up.That it was her way ofgetting revenge after he ended their relationship.And I know it'shard to hear, but it isn't unheard of—girl's cryingrape—"
I did my best, but it'sall I can listen to."She didn'tcryanything.Themotherfucking bastardabused her for months,rapedher,for months!He tried tostrangleher, cut her open with hismotherfucking house key, I've seen the fucking scar.His bullshitrumor that you're repeating right now—it's the reason he was freeto come after her again in Miami.I won't let it happen again.Ican't.She'stelling the truth.Every word.You don't know her.I do.So don'tbelieve her.Believeme."
I'm breathing hard, everymuscle in my body tense with barely contained rage.It's hardenough to listen to someone repeat this bullshit about Rory, tohave a fresh view of exactly how that piece of shit got away withit the first time.How easily people believe the lies.But tolisten to my own father doubt her?And Mitch fucking Caplan—anabusive bastard himself—with the gall to question her word aftereverything she's already suffered?It's about all I can fuckingtake right now.
"I think we both know howeasy it is to spin stories to hide abuse."I keep my tone low andeven.And though I know he hears the accusation, I won't make thisabout us.It's not about us."She's suffered enough.I won't haveyou questioning her."
I end the call and slam mythumb into the power button and shut the damn thing off.I'm donewith this conversation.With any conversation right now.My headhangs to my chest and I catch my temples between my thumb andmiddle finger and try to rub out the stress poolingthere.
