Page 68 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
I had no idea if Khloe would talk to me but there was only one way to find out. I parked and wasted no time marching up to the house and knocking. When Khloe’s eyes peeked through the door’s window, she paled and ducked away.
“Khloe, please. I just wanted to check on you,” I said to the closed door. “If you can honestly tell me you’re okay and that the reason you’ve been ignoring my calls is because you hate my guts, I promise to leave you alone forever. I’m only visiting because I’m worried.”
I held my breath and listened, hoping to hear the unlocking door and not her retreating footsteps. When the knob twisted, I sagged and blew out a loud breath.
Khloe kept her chin down and only showed me one side of her face as she cracked open the door. “I’m fine. Okay? I don’t hate your guts but I just don’t have time for friends right now.”
“All right. I’m sorry to have been bothering you.”
“It’s okay.”
“If your schedule opens up, please keep me in mind?”
She nodded and started to close the door.
“I, uh, saw Derrick at the fairgrounds,” I blurted. “He was just hanging out. Having a few beers. He reminded me a lot of the same guy I knew in high school. The one that got a little . . . rough.” I was pushing but I hoped that by hinting at my suspicions, she’d realize that she
wasn’t fooling me.
My tactic worked. She stood straight and revealed her full face. The cheek that she’d been hiding was covered in a round, red welt and her bottom lip had a fresh split.
My first instinct was to call Jess, have him arrest Derrick for being the wife-beating piece of shit that he was, but I pulled back that urge. Khloe would have to be fully on board for Derrick to stay in jail. If she wasn’t ready for that yet, my meddling would only make things worse. So I did the only thing I could. I reminded my friend that I was here for her.
I clenched my fists to keep from fussing over her injury. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. “No.”
“Can I help?”
She shook her head again and dropped her eyes to the floor.
“Will you call me if I can?”
Her head bobbed.
“Happy New Year.” I touched her shoulder.
She looked up and gave me a half smile. “Same to you.”
I waved good-bye and walked briskly back to my car. Given how comfortable Derrick had looked at the fairgrounds, I wasn’t expecting to bump into him on my way out, but I also didn’t want to risk it. Who knew what he’d do to Khloe if he caught me visiting her?
As I drove to the Chinese restaurant, I was torn between savoring my victory at finally getting through with Khloe and worrying about her safety. There wasn’t much I could do if she didn’t want my help, but today I’d made progress.
I hadn’t gotten a full-fledged confession but I’d cracked her walls. Derrick was beating her. And she knew that I knew.
Now I just had to be patient and hope that soon she’d be ready to free herself from his abuse. Because when that time came, I’d prove to her that I was a friend she could count on.
I hadn’t seen the signs that Wes had been in trouble. I hadn’t done anything to save him from his demise.
I wouldn’t make that same mistake with Khloe.
“That was a waste of five dollars.”
I tossed my Cosmopolitan on the coffee table and face-planted into a throw pillow on my couch. I had bought the magazine earlier today because it featured an article on the benefits of taking a new relationship slowly.
Hogwash.
I had experienced all of the alleged benefits and could attest that they were definitely not beneficial. It was the middle of February, and Silas and I were stuck in the same place we had been six weeks ago: undefined.
