Page 114 of If You Stayed

“Okay, okay, it’s all good,” Joseph said, placing a hand against Claire’s shoulder. “I think that’s enough for today. Let me get you safely out of here.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Claire cried. “He’s the monster,not me! I’m not crazy.”

“I never said you were crazy,” Joseph swore.

Claire shook her head. “But you’re looking at me like I’m crazy. I’m not crazy. Tell him, Kierra. Tell him I’m not crazy and tell him how Henry is the one who is! Tell him how Henry is hurting you the same way he hurt me. Tell him!”

I stayed quiet.

She looked betrayed as Joseph walked her away.

I stayed frozen in place while Joseph dealt with the system out front. The cops were called. They came to speak with me. I told them everything I knew without thought. My mind was a jumbled mess. I had a stalker. My client was a stalker. My client was my daughter’s mother.

This was all too much.

Life was becoming all too much.

When the cops left, Joseph reentered my office. The look of heartbreak in his eyes was heavy. He walked over to me and slid his hands into his slacks pockets. “Are you okay, Kierra?”

I shook my head.

He nodded in understanding.

“Is she really Ava’s mother?” he questioned.

“Yes. I think so.”

“Fuck,” he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Listen, I hate to ask this, because I know it’s a lot, but I’m now very concerned. Claire told me to look at your wrists. She said Henry is hurting you the way he hurt her. So…I need to ask because I love you, Kierra. Is your husband hurting you?”

My eyes filled with tears, and I burst into uncontrollablesobs as I nodded my head. Within seconds, Joseph’s arms were wrapped around me, and as I crumbled in his embrace, he held me tighter.

Everything in my world was falling apart.

I wasn’t certain how much more my heart could take before it gave out, too.

***

I wished Henry had a work trip to fly off to. It would’ve given me a breather to gather my thoughts for a few weeks, but it appeared that he was home more than ever before. The tension of the home was indescribable. It felt as if I were walking on eggshells, not knowing what might set Henry off. Not knowing what to say or do or even think.

Ava wasn’t herself, either. I couldn’t blame her. Henry took away the one thing that made her happy, and she didn’t even get a reason why, other than “because I said so.” It was one thing when my own happiness was being stolen; watching it happen to my daughter brought about a whole other realm of sorrow.

“Why can’t I keep going to Gabriel’s?” Ava asked at dinner. “I don’t get it.”

“Well, it’s not for you to get. Besides, with you back in school, you should be focusing on your studies. Not some silly mentorship.”

“It’s not silly. And I could go after school. I can bike over there.”

“You’ll do no such thing. Stay away from that place,” Henryscolded.

“But—”

“Ava,” I cut in. “Let it go.”

“No,” she said, looking at me as if I were insane. “I’m not letting it go. Why would you side with him? You know what that mentorship means to me, Mom!”

Watching her eyes fill with tears broke my heart. I hated that I had any involvement in it. I hated that I was a big cause of her heartache. “Listen, sweetheart,” I started, but Henry cut me off.

“Stop babying her. I already said no, so that’s the end of the conversation,” he ordered.

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