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“Why didn’t you go?”
“Remi asked if I’d wait here, just in case you needed something. He asked Ollie, too. Dec’s here also, but…well, you know.”
Yeah. I knew.
“They’ve decided to clean the bathroom. We have a mold issue. Remi said he’d do it, but honestly, he and Woodrow do everything here, so it won’t hurt them. I hope it’s going well for them.”
“You didn’t have to hang back.” I felt guilty. I hated that feeling.
“He said you weren’t keen about Kate.”
I plumped myself down on the arm of the chair, the seat big enough for two. “I do like Kate just fine, but I need a friend, not a therapist, and she doesn’t give off happy medium vibes.”
“No. She’s all work, no play, that one.” Jolie laughed.
“Were you okay about staying here? You and Woodrow don’t really separate.”
“I’m a little edgy about it, I’ll admit, but I’m okay. Reading helps me escape, and we have to try to learn to be normal again, I guess. Normal relationships don’t have you joined at the hip.”
“If that’s how you’re comfortable, no one should judge.”
“True. We’ll probably be glued to each other for another year when he gets back.” The laugh that followed felt forced and full of nerves.
“Whatever works for you.”
“Exactly. It’s been slow healing for me and Woodrow. Are you doing okay?”
It wasn’t that way for me. Aside from the guilt and body hangups, I didn’t feel much else. I’d been trained to please by Rothbart and trained by myself to block out the feelings of disgust and fear it brought.
Maybe, in part, I had less PTSD because I couldn’t remember so much of what happened. I couldn’t remember why it was wrong for him to touch me the way he did.
“I’m doing good.” I smiled, wrapping my arms around myself. I had another of Remi’s hoodies on, hiding my new tattoo, falling over my fingers and hiding my ring, too. “What’s your book about?”
“Oh, it’s about this guy who’s obsessed with this girl who lives in this huge manor. He watches her from outside.”
“Like a stalker?” In the last month, I’d seen a movie or two with Dec about them. Some documentaries, too. They equally terrified me.
“Yeah. I think they’ll fall in love by the end.”
“The girl and her stalker!” The words fell out, my gapping mouth making it easy for them. “Isn’t that kind of creepy?”
“A little, I guess. Kate doesn’t approve of my books. They have dark themes, like things similar to what we both know so well. Girls who fall in love with their kidnappers, their stalkers, the men that own them.”
“So, like me and Rothbart?” I gagged over the thought alone.
“Not like you and Rothbart. I don’t imagine him to be anything like the guys in my books. But, kinda like me and Woodrow. Technically, he owns me.” Jolie shrugged. “The books feel like a better form of therapy for me. Not for everyone, maybe, but for me. And I only read ones with happy endings. You can borrow this one when I’m done if you like, or any of the ones on my shelf, but please don’t dog-ear my pages. I love my books.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think I’m ready to read about that stuff yet.” I wanted to stay in my bubble, where it no longer existed. “I think I need books with a hero to be able to relate.”
“I think we’re stuck with anti-heroes. Sorry.”
I closed that conversation with a smile. “Will you help me with something? Seeing as the boys aren’t here.”
“Of course. What do you need?”
“Remi had some plans for this afternoon, but he had to cancel. So, I’d like to plan a date night with him for Valentine’s Day, and I’d like to celebrate it tonight. I know Valentine’s is next week, but he says he has a work thing.”
“He does, and he isn’t overly enthusiastic about it. I think he’d like a date night.”
