Page 80 of Paco
“You’re going to come to the barbecue, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“So you’re staying at the clubhouse?”
“I’ll let you know where I’ll be. It doesn’t look like there’s enough room for us, but we may crash there just for tonight and then get a motel.”
“And party? I know how you bikers love a good party. The club women looked nice.”Why did I say that? He’s going to think I’m jealous. I am, but I don’t want him to think that. I should just go inside.
“I’m not gonna fuck a club woman tonight if that’s what you’re implying.” His gaze no longer darted around—it drilled into hers.
“Chelsea? Aren’t you coming in? It’s cold as hell outside. Tell your friend to come in too,” a man shouted from the front door.
She rolled her eyes. “Peter, my stepdad.”
“Go on in. I’ll call you later.” He walked around to the driver side and climbed into the car.
She waved at him and turned around. When she brushed past Peter, she heard Paco start the engine, and then Peter closed the door.
***
The lock clickedon Chelsea’s bedroom door, and she switched on the overhead light bathing the room in a soft glow. Leaning against the wall, she ran her gaze over the posters of teen heartthrobs from ten years ago that hung on the walls. It was as if her room had been tightly sealed in a time capsule; her mother had kept everything exactly the same as it’d been the day she was kidnapped.
On her desk, a picture of her and Tyler in a heart-shaped picture frame, taunted her. The day they’d taken that picture was clear in her mind: after school at Fruity Freeze sharing an almond mocha smoothie.I was so happy that day.She went over and picked up the frame, her gaze homing in on Tyler’s lopsided grin.There’s no way you didn’t know what your dad was going to do. You fucking set me up. How could you have done that?Taking the picture out of the frame, she ripped it up in many pieces then threw them in the trash can. Sighing, she raked her fingers through her hair.How am I going to do this?
At dinner her family had talked about everything but what had happened to her. They kept glancing at her when they thought she wasn’t looking. Afterward, she’d been in the kitchen putting the dishes in the dishwasher when Peter came in. The only questions he’d asked her were what she was made to do, and how many men she’d serviced. Not once had he asked her how she’d felt, or expressed sympathy of what she’d gone through. She couldn’t get away fast enough, and she’d made her excuses and rushed up to her room.
She walked over to the window and stared at the lake; moonlight danced delicately across the water.Will my life ever be normal again?As she contemplated her present and her future, the phone vibrated on the nightstand. She dashed over and picked it up.Paco!
“Hiya.”
“How’s it going, babe?”
“Better now that you called.”
“Did you hold up okay under all the questioning?”
“No one asked me anything except for Peter. I thought my sister and aunt and uncle would’ve wanted to talk to me about it since they’re younger, but they all acted like nothing had happened. It was fuckin’ weird. Peter just asked me about what I was forced to do and about the men. It was creepy.”
“What the fuck’s up with him?”
She could feel his anger emanating through the phone. “He’s just an asshole… and he was drunk. I guessthathasn’t changed since I’ve been gone.”
“That can be tough.”
“It’s all so strange. I don’t feel like I fit in with my own family anymore.”
“I know it’s hard, babe. It’s just gonna take time. This is your first day home. No one wants to talk about it because they want to pretend it didn’t happen… that everything is the way it used to be. I bet your mom’s feeling some guilt over the whole thing.”
“She shouldn’t be. In no way was this her fault.”
“Moms want to protect their kids so when something bad happens, they usually think they could’ve or should’ve done something to prevent it.”
“I guess. The good news is that I’m going over to my grandma’s next week to try my hand at quilting again. I swear I’ll make a puff quilt for your new nephew.”
Paco chuckled deep from the throat. “Kendra will love it. I’m glad you’re doing something you used to do with your grandmother.”
“Yeah, me too. What are you doing?”
