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Quickly getting the car on, I blast the A/C, trying to cool the inside of my SUV. Summers at the beach aren’t crazy hot, but the inside of any car that sits in the California sun is about a billion degrees at this point of the day.
“I mean about her getting mugged.”
My foot, which had just begun to gas my car to back out of my spot, immediately slams on the brake.
“Excuse me?”
August fills me in on what happened Saturday night, beginning with Emily getting mugged outside The Lighthouse and ending with her staying with him because she’d been in a sketchy living situation.
“What does sketchy living situation mean?” I ask, my entire body strung tight at the fact all of this was happening and I knew exactly none of it.
August sighs. “Look, she’s never been one to talk about her life very much, but she had it really rough growing up. Her mom is a piece of work, and Emily has worked her ass off to try to get out from under the life that was always pushing her down. I’m not trying to spill her whole story, but I’m just letting you know she’s staying with me right now until she can figure out what to do.”
Something inside of me tightens at that knowledge. I don’t like the idea of Emily sleeping on the other side of August’s bedroom wall.
“And I’m happy to have her continue staying with me,” he says. “But I remember there being a conversation at one point that maybe Emily was supposed to be a live-in nanny, and I thought I’d at least put that on your radar, in case it’s a possible solution to this whole mess.”
“Yeah, I…” I pause, shaking my head. “Thanks for telling me. She didn’t mention any of this.”
“I’m not surprised. I only know because of Leighton, so…”
“Well, yeah, thanks again. I’ll…talk to her.”
“Good.”
We get off the phone and I sit in my car for a few minutes, just thinking it over. Trying to sort through my emotions about…everything.
First of all, finding out Emily was mugged has me feeling those familiar feelings of rage I’ve been trying so hard to manage. Just the idea of someone putting their hands on her…
I shake my head, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Then there’s this whole sketchy living thing. It makes me think she was sleeping in her car, the pillow and blanket situation from last week coming to mind and making a lot more sense. And isn’t that just depressing as hell.
Here she is, smart, strong, independent…and sleeping in her car? God knows how dangerous that can be, even in a town as safe as Sandalwood. Though I guess the fact she was mugged while leaving her job has done enough to rattle my idea of what safe really means.
I let out a long sigh and pull out of the parking lot, my mind scrambling over all this new information to try to find a solution.
By the time I walk through the front door, I don’t necessarily have an answer, but when I see Emily coming out of Teddy’s bedroom, I realize it wouldn’t be so bad having her here all the time. Right?
“How did your first day go?” she asks me as she reaches the bottom of the stairs.
That’s when I see the bit of red on her face. How did I not notice that this morning? Instead of answering, I take her by the chin and turn her face to the side, looking at the massive red scratch some asshole put there. Some absolute prick who decided he would just take whatever the hell he wanted.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me about this?”
Emily’s smile has fallen, and she tugs backward, out of my hold, taking a few steps away from me. But she doesn’t answer my question.
“August told me what happened.”
Her head tilts back and she crosses her arms, everything about her taking on a defensive posture.
“It was none of your business.”
I know immediately that I should have asked her in a different way. With a different tone.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just walked in and demanded…” I start, sighing as my words trail off. “Why didn’t you tell me you need somewhere to live?”
At that, her entire body tenses up.
