“Graphic, but yes,” Lyle says. “My lawyer hat is hung up for the night, y’all. At least, the part that enjoys harassing you. I want to understand what will be necessary to keep Winter and Bellamy safe.”
“Madam Clara will never stop looking for us,” I breathe. “I hate to be dramatic?—”
“Even if you were being dramatic, this is a safe place to do that,” Easton says. “Since Madam Clara is a swellheaded thundercunt, I think drawing her in is the only way to do that. Thoughts?”
“I think you’re right,” Abbott agrees. “We can pull Matilda’s cell phone number for you to call, Winter, unless you remember it?”
“I might,” I admit. “My mother ingrained it into my brain growing up in case of an emergency. I guess she’d consider this one.”
“My number comes up unknown when you call out,” he says, handing me his phone. I’m not used to carrying a cell phone, which means mine is still at the house.
I used to be attached to my cell at all times. It’s funny how things change.
Staring at the phone, I take a deep breath and dial Aunt Matilda’s number from memory. I’m going to need to act my ass off during this.
“Hello?” my aunt answers, making my heart stop in my chest. I don’t think she was always a terrible person. My mother wouldn’t have loved her if she was. Right?
“Who is this?” she demands.
“Aunt Matilda…it’s me,” I rasp, my anxiety manifesting into fear as I put the phone on speaker. “Are you still there?”
“Winter…. Where are you?” she asks.“And is your brother with you?”
My aunt has called Bellamy my brother since my mom married Alan. I think it helps her moral high horse. I do not regularly fuck my brother. I have many kinks, but that’s not one of mine.
“Yes,” I say tiredly. “He is.”
“Did she pick up?” Bellamy asks, leaning into our performance.
“I hear him,” Aunt Matilda says, laughing in disbelief. I can practically hear her counting her imaginary money for selling us again in her mind now. “Where are you?”
“We’re in Savannah,” I tell her. “I don’t know what to do, Aunt Matilda.”
Abbott rubs the side of his face in worry, while Ansel fists his hand and releases it. We’re all strung tight with anxiety and anticipation, hoping this goes our way.
“You come home,” she says. “You’re family. I…forgive you for running away from wherever you’re supposed to be right now.”
Gross. I think she really believes that Bell and I should be used as sex toys. Technically, that’s what we’ve been while being the puppets of our traffickers.
Never fucking again. I can see how people fall into this trap again and again without resources, and that’s what Bell and I are pretending to do.
“How?” I ask. “We don’t have any money, Aunt Matilda. We’re living on the streets and sleeping on park benches.”
Cassidy covers her face as she listens to me, forcing herself to breathe. God, this sucks. It simply reminds them of what Bell and my life could be without them.
“I’m living in Atlanta now,” Aunt Matilda says hesitantly.“I can come get you.”
“You moved?” I ask, my eyes somehow connecting with Lyle.
Grabbing a legal pad, he writes down two words before showing it to me:West Savannah.Nodding uncertainly, I watch as he tears off the page and then writes down an address.
“I moved shortly after you left,” she says nonchalantly.“I was tired of the cold. Since you’re nearby, we can all live together now. Isn’t that nice?”
Yeah, when pigs fly, lady.
“I think that’ll be nice,” I lie. “I heard of a place Bellamy and I can sleep tonight. It’s in West Savannah.”
Lyle nods quickly, pointing at the address again.
