Page 23 of I'll Keep Her Safe

I won’t make that mistake again.

“Shit, Dad.” Bailey’s words come out in a panicked rush. “You have to get him out of there.”

10

Poppy

Kurt places his hand on my knee, and my stomach lurches in fear. It was enough of a shock to come home and find Mr. Mathers here when I was sure he’d be at work, but to see Kurt standing in the kitchen… I nearly fainted in fright.

How did he know where to find me?

“…and it makes sense for us to be together, you know?” Kurt is prattling on about something, but I can barely hear him over the roar of adrenaline in my ears. I tried to ask Mr. Mathers to stay as he stormed past me in the hall, but I couldn’t get the words out when I saw the look on his face. Of course, he doesn’t want to deal with Kurt’s shit. He’s already sick of mine.

“What do you think, babe?” Kurt’s hand inches further up my thigh, and my gut twists.

What would Mr. Mathers do if I called out to him? He’d come help, right?

“Uh, I don’t think…” My voice lodges in my throat as I try to wriggle away from Kurt.

“Then I’ll do the thinking for us,” Kurt says, his lips curling in a smug smile, as if he’s somehow won. “I got your favorite flowers.”

I look at the lilies wilting on the counter, and frown.They’re not my favorite, actually.

“Come on, babe.” Kurt’s tone has an edge of impatience to it as his grip tightens on my leg.

Something happens to me, then. Sheer indignation somehow pierces through the fear, and I shoot to my feet. Howdarehe show up here? He must have hacked my email again. That’s the only thing I can think of. How dare he do that to me? How dare he think he can just swan in here with a bunch of shitty lilies and somehow erase all the hurt—all the damage—he’s caused over the years? How dare he even contact me at all?

I refuse to let this defeat me.

“Please leave,” I say, finally finding my voice.

He rolls his eyes, as if I’m being melodramatic. “Don’t say that. We’re good together.”

I scoff in disbelief. “You made me miserable. You manipulated me, you stole from me—”

“Oh for God’s sake,” he mutters. “Calm down. You know things weren’t that bad.”

I grit my teeth at his words. He’s doing it again—telling me something I know isn’t true. Making me question myself.

Gaslighting, Bailey called it.

Squaring my shoulders, I point to the door. “You need to leave, Kurt.”

“I don’t think you really mean that,” he replies, reaching for my hand before I can yank it away. He tugs me toward him and the room spins. “I think what you really want is—”

There’s a sound on the stairs and Mr. Mathers appears in the room, his brow set low in a scowl. My stomach plunges at the fury on his face, and for a moment I think it’s directed at me.

But relief trickles through me when he growls, “Get your hands off her.”

Kurt turns to Mr. Mathers, but he doesn’t loosen his grip. “We’re fine here, thanks.”

“I don’t think you are.” Mr. Mathers takes a menacing step toward Kurt, who tries not to flinch, but I see the flicker of uncertainty on his face before he quickly schools it. “I’m pretty sure she told you to leave.”

“Come on,” Kurt says, giving Mr. Mathers a look that saysbitches be crazy, as if Mr. Mathers will find some shared camaraderie in this and back down. “She’s being completely unreasonable.” This is typical Kurt. He makesmelook like the unstable one, and everyone starts to question me. Meanwhile, I get more and more worked up at the injustice of it, but to everyone else it simply looks like Kurt is right.

But he’s not right. I know that now.

Mr. Mathers gives a small snort of amusement, and I glance at him, panic detonating in my chest. Is he buying this? If he sides with Kurt now, what will I do?

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