Wait for you

Okay. This was not going to be easy. “I’m not a big fan of reading emails from people I don’t know after being in high school and getting bombarded with hate mail. And there’s the factthat you sent me a ton of not too pleasant messages.”

Crossing her arms, she lifted her chin. “You know why I sent you those messages.”

“Because I didn’t respond in the begi

She pressed her lips together. “So you’re still sticking with the ‘not a lying whore’ story?”

I exhaled through my nose as I stared up at her. Anger pricked at my skin, but like with my mother the day before, I kept my cool. “Like I told you on the phone, I hadn’t lied to the police.”

“Then why did you drop the charges?” she demanded.

“It’s a long story.”

She spread her arms out. “Obviously I have time. Tell me.”

Her demanding tone was making it a struggle not to be bitchy back. Keeping my voice level, I told Molly everything about that Halloween night and the days afterward. For the most part, her expression remained unyielding and as unforgiving as a seasoned cop. The only crack in the exterior was when I told her what Blaine had done. I didn’t have to ask her to know that it was the same.  When I was finished, she turned away, shoulders bowed but spine straight.

“I’m not allowed to tell anyone this, but I needed to tell you.”

“Did you tell your boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

She kept her back to me, silent.

“I wish my parents wouldn’t have agreed and I wish I hadn’t either. I wish I was as strong as you are and that I—”

“You don’t know anything about me.” She spun around, eyes a flinty gray.

I held up my hands. “But I do know you are strong—stronger than me. You did the right thing and I know it couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t easy.”

“I know.” I think this chick just wanted to be argumentative.

Her sharp chin jutted out. “Nothing about this was easy. Talking to the police—the detectives and then the lawyers. Having to keep going over every fucking thing he did to me?  In detail? Wasn’t easy. And I wouldn’t have to have gone through any of that if you had stuck with the truth!”

“I’m sorry—”

She moved so fast and I was so unprepared for it that I just sat there.

Molly smacked me, snapping my head to the side. Tears of pain and surprise pricked my eyes.

She had smacked me right across the face.

I almost couldn’t believe it. The entire side of my face burned red-hot, stinging. Damn. For someone so ski

Fury stamped down the shock and my hands itched to replay the favor. But I got Molly’s anger. Her pain was still so fresh and it was cutting too deep. I’d been in her shoes, was still there every so often. The anger never really left. Maybe it never would. So I got why she was so furious.

That was one of the reasons why I wasn’t currently introducing my fist to her face.

“You deserved that,” she said, voice shaking.

My cheek stung as I stood. “Maybe I did. But I didn’t deserve what Blaine did to me and I don’t deserve all the shit you’re giving me for something I decided when I was fourteen and had very little choice in.”

“Your parents didn’t put a gun to your head and make you sign those papers, did they?”

I shook my head. “What would you have done if you were fourteen and your parents demanded that you do that?”

Her mouth opened.

“Don’t even answer that, because it doesn’t matter. I am sorry—but if you hit me again, I will hit back—I’m sorry that this happened to you. And I’m sorry that you have to go through a trial and all of that. And trust me, the biggest thing that I’m sorry about is signing those fucking papers and agreeing. But I can’t change that. All I can do is let it go.”

“Well, you have fun letting it go then.”

Standing here, staring at the girl that I shared a terrible commonality with, I felt… empty. There were no harking angels or golden light of revelation. I felt the same way I did walking out of my parents’ house. Nothing. In a sudden instance, I knew Cam was right. I didn’t need to do this to move on. I hadn’t really even needed to confront my parents. Although that had felt terrific.

I had begun to move on the moment I had told Cam the truth.

It just hadn’t happened overnight. Letting go had been a slow process that took a bitch slap in the face to figure out.

I didn’t need to be here.

I needed to be out there, with Cam, and back home, in West Virginia, with my friends. I needed to continue letting it all go.

I started for the door.

“Where are you going?” Her bony fingers dug into my arm, stopping me. “Avery?”

Removing her hand from my arm, I kept my voice even. “I’m leaving, Molly. I’m going back out there to a man who loves me no matter what happened in my past or what stupid decisions I’ve made. I’m going home, which isn’t the house on Red Hill, and I’m going to go see my friends. That’s where I’m going.”

Molly’s throat worked, but she said nothing as I walked to the door. I stopped and turned back to her. “Look, if you want to call me to just talk or something, you obviously have my number. Call anytime you want, but I’ve learned from my mistakes. If you send me anymore messages that piss me off even the tiniest bit, I will call the police and I will press charges against you.”

She clamped her mouth shut and took a step back.

“I wish you the best. I seriously do. Goodbye, Molly.”

She didn’t stop me as I left and didn’t come outside like my father had. I slid into the cooled exterior of the car and let out a ragged breath.

“How’d that—why is your face so red?” Cam caught my chin and gently turned me toward him. “Did she hit you?”

“Yeah.” I winced at his explosive curse. “But I think it made her feel better after she got it all out of her system.”

His eyes narrowed. “That does not make it fucking okay.”

“I know.” I wrapped my hand around his and pressed it to my sore cheek. “But it’s over. I’ve said what I need to and I don’t think I’ll be hearing from her again.”

Cam opened his hand, gently palming my cheek. “Avery…”

“You were right. I didn’t really need to do this, but I’m glad I did. I’m okay with it.” Closing my eyes, I turned my head, pressing a kiss to his palm. “Take me home, Cam. That’s where I need to be.”

Chapter 34

The only problem with summer once you grew up was that it was over before it felt like it got started. Or that could have something to do with taking summer classes, which seemed to suck the summer right out of life.

Prying one eye open, I groaned. First I saw my bracelet—not the silver one. Cam had replaced it with several loops of rope that carried an infinite charm. Then I saw the time. Why had I set the clock for this early? I didn’t have class until nine.

The bed shifted beside me.

And Cam didn’t have class until ten. It was going to be a light semester for him as he was winding down on his college career.

A sleepy smile pulled at my lips as I rolled onto my stomach, stretching my legs out and pointing my toes. The sheets slipped over my bare skin and ended up somewhere at the foot of my bed. There was either a perverted ghost in my bedroom or Cam was wide awake.

Lips pressed down between my shoulder blades as a hand flattened on the base of my spine. Fingers trailed up, causing a wave of little bumps to race across my skin.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Cam’s voice was thick with sleep.

Ah, this was why I set the alarm for so early, which was so different from a year ago. I had been worried about being late, a