Page 36 of Fracture

Frannie breathed a laugh. “Hard to believe, I know. A few years ago, I gave a mask to another woman who needed to feel strong and know she wasn’t alone. And another, and another. Your cousin Karli has one, Raina has one, Jessica has one.”

“And you want me to have one?” Lorelei asked. She turned the mask over in her hands. It was simple. Plain black with a little sparkle in it like it was dropped in glitter and washed, but some stuck in the fabric. The loop to go around her head was tight, and the mask itself was soft. There was no way a mask would make a difference.

“I know it doesn’t seem like much, but the women who have them call themselves the Curvy Vigilantes. We’ve been fighting the same fight as you for a long time. You were the one leading the charge on the legal side, the one who was getting us closer to finding the answers we’ve been looking for.”

“You never found who killed that woman?” Lorelei asked.

Frannie shook her head. “I did, but it was a long time after. And he answered to someone else. We don’t just want justice for one person, we want it for all the women who’ve been hurt, killed, or targeted by this organization. Including you.”

Lorelei shook her head. She was a victim. She hated the word. It made her feel powerless. Like she wasn’t good enough to do something about the man who attacked her.

“You know my name, but do you know what I do?”

Lorelei thought for a minute, then shook her head. She wasn’t sure how she knew Frannie’s name, but it was all she knew about the woman.

“I own and operate a women’s shelter. Domestic violence survivors in many cases. Women who have nowhere else to go. Who feel like you’re feeling right now.”

“How do you know how I’m feeling?”

Frannie patted Lorelei’s hand. “I’ve gotten very good at reading people over the years. You’re feeling alone, scared, confused, and maybe like you hate that you are a victim.”

Lorelei shrugged. She couldn’t deny any of it, but she didn’t want to admit it either.

“I’ve felt all those things. So have the women who’ve come through Shelter in the Storm over the years. We don’t like to use the word victim because it has negative connotations. It sounds like something happened to you that you couldn’t stop. We prefer to call our guests survivors or fighters or just guests. We help women figure out what’s next for them. And that means letting go of the things that held them back. For you, I have a feeling fear is a big thing right now. Those dreams, nightmares, are making you want to not sleep or making you want to not remember.”

Lorelei nodded.

“I can’t imagine how hard it is to relive what you went through. But your memories are important.”

“I know. Because I know something.”

Frannie shook her head. “No. Because they’re a part of you. Your memories tell you about your first love, your family, the people you choose to spend time with. Memories define us in ways that we can’t explain. They make us who we are, and that’s why you’re drifting right now.”

“You think it’s a mistake to lean on Vinnie? Because I didn’t know him before.”

Frannie chuckled. “Not even a little. Vinnie is a good man. A great man. He’s someone I would trust with my life if I ever had to. He’s smart and kind and trustworthy. And that you know that without knowing him says there’s a part of you that’s working how it should.”

“I almost shot my housekeeper,” Lorelei admitted.

Frannie shrugged. “You’re going to remember some people and not others. You’re going to trust some instincts and not others. You can’t control how that happens. All I know is you’re not alone, Lorelei. You don’t have to be. There are people who want to be there for you, and who will be there for you. Probably before you’re ready, but it’s because we care about you and want to see our friend back.”

“Thank you,” Lorelei said. There was no pressure with Frannie. It wasn’t the same as Karli or Adam, where Lorelei felt like she was letting them down because she couldn’t remember them. Frannie accepted what Lorelei knew and didn’t know and trusted she would remember what she needed when the time was right.

“Take it slow. Talk to Vinnie, if he’s your safe person. And if you feel better with him by your side, ask him to be there. He’s beating himself up, and the only one who can get him to stop that is you.”

“I will. I wouldn’t be here without him, and I am beyond grateful to him. I owe him my life.”

“You owe no one anything. You are strong on your own. But you can show him your gratitude.”

Lorelei’s cheeks heated. “What do you mean by that?”

Frannie’s brows went up, and a smirk lifted her lips. “What do you think I mean, Lorelei?”

Lorelei chuckled, shaking her head at Frannie.

Frannie leaned over. “He’s a very attractive man, isn’t he?”

Lorelei snorted. “You’re trouble.”

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