AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Zara shook her head but touched her throat.She didn’t want to explain about Gia being on the floor or Benlaughing about “no marks.”
“Didn’t need to. He was making Gia cry, andI … I just begged him to stop. He thought it was funny.”
He reached for her hand again. “Listen tome, Z. Your dad needs to know about this. If you don’t want Bencoming back—if you’re worried the other night wasn’t enough,tell him.”
“Right, because he’ll believe me?”
“He will!”
“He’ll say I’m lying for Gia, like always.That’s halfway what you think, isn’t it?”
Dane’s head shook. “No. There’s no way you’dlie about this.”
“He didn’t notice the cigarette burns or allthe extra bruises. Did all of you think ballet class was full-onjiujitsu?” Zara scoffed.
“It isn’t—”
“Oh, shut up! Stop pretending,” she snapped,glaring. “They never noticedushiding from him either, didthey? You’re his best friend, but you hid too. And nobody noticed.”She wrapped her arms around herself.
“I was hiding with you. I didn’t think he’dbe stupid enough to do you any real harm.”
“And what is real?” she shot back. “Justthat same old never-ending stream of excuses for poor, littleBennett. But you don’t see the rest of us torturing teachers orbeating people into comas because Mom doesn’t love us.” She winced.It wasn’t true. Their mother loved them. But she hadtroubles. That was how Grandma always put it—anold-fashioned euphemism for postpartum psychosis and theencyclopedic list of Sophia Darmody-Fitzgerald’s manydiagnoses.
“You’re right.” Dane’s hand moved up alongher arm and back down in a slow, steady rhythm. “They should’ve puthis ass down already. But I think if you take this to Adam, he’lltrust you. He’d listen.”
“He’d put me in freaking therapy.” Zarasniffed. “And you aren’t telling him either. We’ll just figuresomething else out. Maybe Ben will find somewhere he likes betterthan here anyway.”
“Maybe,” Dane echoed, his expressiondistant.
Zara pushed her hair away from her face andwiped at her cheek. “Can we turn on Netflix? There’s a new show Iwant to watch.”
“That’s a shit segue, Z.” Dane sighed.
“I know. But I … I just can’t anymore. Withany of it. Not tonight.” She put a hand to her throat for emphasis,and sympathy. “I’m tired, D. Everything hurts.”
“Don’t buy it. But I’ll let you have it.” Hepicked up the remote again and hit a button. Soothingly familiarred and black filled the massive screen in front of them.
For the next three hours, the world feltalmost normal. Better than normal because a long-lost friend wasbeside her, amiably snarking at the dumb characters and badwardrobe on the screen. Everything else blurred into nothing. Untilher phone pinged with her nighttime alarm. Time to let the dogs outand get to bed for an early ballet practice. She left Daneentranced by a pirated DVD of some anime that her little brotherloved and finished her nightly routine.
She’d just nudged Fallon and Dodger off toone side of the bed so she could sleep on it—how did one foxhoundand one pit bull take up so much space?—when someone knocked on thebedroom door. Zara turned in time to meet her father’s brightcerulean eyes.
“Zara, love. I think we need to talk.” AdamFitzgerald’s usually booming baritone voice was near a whisper, andhis iron features creased with uncomfortable concern. Zara’sstomach sank while her heart tried to hammer its way out of herribs. “Let’s have a seat—”
“What are we talking about?” she tried toask it lightly as if she didn’t already know. As if broken promisesweren’t spurring his every step.
“Ben. Dane said—”
“Dane needs to learn to keep his mouthshut,” she cut in, her broken heart melting into anger. “There’snothing to talk about.”
“Zara, please. Sit down.”
She didn’t mean to obey but found herselfsitting on the edge of the bed anyway. Her father had that effecton most people. Dodger’s massive black head insinuated itself underher arm and settled on her leg. Zara patted him, running herfingers through the fur along his back, following his tuxedo-likemarkings. Fallon was busy wagging her tail and bounding towardAdam, who gave her a few absentminded pats. “If he said enough todrag you up here, I don’t know what else I’m supposed to say.” Zarafocused on her dogs instead of her father.
“Nothing. Let me say a few things instead.”Adam cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, pumpkin. I had no idea whatwas happening under my own roof, and that’s un-fucking-excusable.Worse, I didn’t show that you could come to me with anything underthe sun. You didn’t feel safe enough to trust me. And that’s agoddamn crime on my part.”
“You should be saying this toGia.”
“I will. I love you. I need you to know, Ilove you both.”
