Page 41 of Grace

The next morning, not only did Cyrus show up—his car was followed by a large truck loaded with usable secondhand furniture, kitchenware, and clothes. Our old things were taken away.

As soon as the morning bustle quieted down, Cyrus walked back to his car and took something out. I watched from the porch as he held it against his chest and murmured to it softly.

He stepped toward me carefully and put the small furball into my hands. It opened its mouth wide and started meowing sharply.

“Take it before it tears my leather seats apart,” Cyrus said quickly and awkwardly. “I think he’s gonna be a great hunter. The mice will have to move out soon.”

I couldn’t smile. My heart was beating unnaturally fast. My veins tingled with joy because Cyrus cared about me and was kind to me. However, as soon as I looked down at the white, blue-eyed kitty, I broke into tears, because I remembered…

Poppy.

I held the kitten in one hand and put the other in front of my face, which was contorting in pain.

“Grace…” Cyrus tried to get to me, but it was horribly difficult to stop crying. I cried and cried like an idiot.

It took me by surprise when he stepped up onto the porch, pulled my head against his chest, and embraced me with his huge arms. At that moment, I was just like that small kitten. I melted into Cyrus’s body, hiding from the pain. I listened to his slow, peaceful heartbeat.

However, I could not hide from the world. When Nikky stepped out of the house, she looked at us with a disapproving gaze and clicked her tongue. Her face held no compassion, her lips, red with lipstick, pulled into a spiteful sneer. I wanted to break free from the embrace, but Cyrus didn’t let me. He held me in his arms until my salty tears dried on my face and my body stopped trembling.

“How was your first day?” he asked me when we entered the house.

“Dark and lonely,” I replied tersely, but then… words started pouring out of me against my will. “When I broke free, I thought my parents were waiting for me. I hoped to see them. Deep in my heart, I was longing for their embrace. I wanted Mom to stroke my hair while I cried myself to sleep in my old room. But… this is not what I got. My siblings barely acknowledge my existence. Maybe Jamie is somewhat happy to see me, but Nikky… Nikky has never loved me. I spent my first day in that dark room, lying on that ugly mattress, listening to music and crying.”

Cyrus nodded gravely.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

“For what?”

“For everything,” I gestured around, “but especially for that comforting hug. I really needed that.”

He put his hands into the pockets of his jeans, with an expression on his face I could not decipher. Pity? Empathy? Understanding?

He probably knew what to do because this wasn’t the first such case in his career.

“We should go now.”

I forgot about the doctors.

I put the kitten in my room, washed my face, and combed my hair with my fingers. I had an idea of what was waiting for me, but I hadn’t known how terribly difficult it would be to walk down the street or into the doctor’s office. The news of my arrival had been spreading like wildfire.

After the examinations, Cyrus parked the car in front of the Madame LeBlanc boutique, whose storefront was filled with elegant clothes.

“Why would I need anything from here?”

“You need something appropriate for your hearing.”

My heart leaped into my throat and beat wildly. “Have you caught him?”

He nodded.

“So quickly?” I opened my mouth in surprise. I didn’t know how I felt about Chase. He had been arrested. He was in custody. Being far from him was both pain and pleasure.

“I know you’re scared of meeting him. Most victims don’t even get to the courtroom. They file no charges because they’re afraid of the perpetrator or are ashamed of what happened to them. But you shouldn’t back out, Grace. You need to stay strong and see this through. Chase Baker must be put behind bars. And don’t worry, I’ll be there with you and support you.”

My mouth was dry.

I stared straight ahead and tried to untangle what my true feelings were, because Cyrus was right. I didn’t want to look into Chase Baker’s eyes. I didn’t want to meet him, but he had to pay for what he’d done.