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“You never told.”
“Of course not. Because best friends have each other’s backs. They don’t let their husband put their best friend in a horrible basement or use them because they need the money. Or make them feel terrible for finding a man who dotes on them.”
Cammie sucked in a breath. “I don’t know when I turned into this person. I really don’t. Eric, he . . . he’s not the same man he once was. He gets angry so easily.”
“Is this the first time he’s hit you?” Faith asked. She wished she could reach over and take her friend’s hand. But she wasn’t sure she could handle being rejected.
Cammie couldn’t meet her eyes. “It’s happened a couple of times before. But he’s under a lot of pressure! And sometimes I get too pushy and demanding.”
“Cammie, he never has the right to hit you. To emotionally manipulate you. Abuse is never excusable.”
The other woman nodded, although Faith didn’t know if she was getting through to her.
“Eric invested our savings in this scheme and lost it all. That’s why we needed the money. I wanted you to stay upstairs, but he . . . he couldn’t handle that. I don’t know why, but he’s never liked you or your family. I think he was always jealous, and he got a kick out of the idea of one of the Blossoms sleeping in his basement. I thought it would be all right. You’d stay for a while, and we’d be able to keep the house. But he got angrier, and I started to resent you being there because it made him so upset. I’m sorry, Faith.”
“I know. I’m sorry, too.”
“What happens now? Where is Eric?” Cammie dared to glance up at Reuben.
“Eric is at home,” Reuben said, surprising Faith who turned to look back at him. “Do you want to see him?”
Faith turned back to Cammie who was obviously struggling. “I . . . I don’t know.”
“We can help you get away from him, Cammie,” Faith told her. “Get a divorce, a place of your own. You don’t have to stay with him.”
Cammie stared at her for a long moment. Then she nodded. “I don’t want to go back to living like that.”
Faith let out a long breath.
“Excuse me a moment.” Cammie stood and walked out of the kitchen.
53
Reuben walked over and sat next to Faith before lifting her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him.
“Thanks for letting me talk to her.”
He kissed the top of her head. “It wasn’t easy. I wanted to tell her exactly what I think of her for the way she treated you.”
“But you didn’t. Because you’re the best Daddy ever.”
“This is true.” He placed a finger under her chin to tilt her face back. “Enough about your friend. What do you need, baby?”
She needed some time with him in her playroom. But she couldn’t do that with Cammie here and they needed to go to work.
“We should go to work.”
“Baby, you’re tired and you just went through something terrifying last night. You need to rest.”
“I can’t rest. There’s work to do.”
He cupped her face between his hands. “You are going to take today and rest. Daddy’s orders.”
She gave him a small smile. “Can I stay here while I work everything out?”
He narrowed his gaze. “I’m insulted that you thought you have to ask. Or that there’s any question of where you’ll be staying. You’re staying here. Now, what do you need?” he asked again.
Faith wished she could tell him what she needed, but she just didn’t know.
