Page 6 of Saving Her

I can’t. I can’t.I can’t.

“Okay, beautiful girl.” I swallow over the lump in my throat. “Come find me if you need me.”

As much as I want to—as much as I’ve tried with other women—I can’t save her.

I can’t save any of them. I can only provide guidance to help lengthen their stay. And right now is one of those moments when leadership is key.

I stalk from the room, going in search of my friends—my sisters—finding Abi, Chloe, and Nina in the living room, each of them sitting on different armchairs.

“Morning,” I offer in greeting.

They turn toward me, their eyes questioning. They won’t ask how my night of horrors went. Not verbally, anyway. But I see the need for answers in their matching expressions of concern.

“Did you know Lilly is still in bed?” I ask.

Abi lowers her gaze to the floor.

“She didn’t want to join us.” Chloe slumps into her chair. “She’s given up.”

“And I don’t know what else to do.” Nina pushes to her feet and comes to my side, lightly wrapping an arm around my waist to snuggle into me. “Nothing I say seems to sink in.”

“We’re all wasting our breath.” Abi continues to stare at the carpet. “She’ll be gone soon. We’re better off getting used to—”

“Stop.” I warn. “Don’t talk like that.Ever. Do you hear me?”

They all react in their own defensive ways.

Nina nestles closer into me. Chloe weaves her arms around her waist, self-soothing. And Abi scowls, strengthening her resolve to distance herself from the emotional loss.

“We stick together. Always.” I stare at Abi until she meets my gaze. “Always.”

She winces as Nina nods against my shoulder, the room filling with silence for a few beats before Abi sighs. “Did you hear about Luther’s son?”

“Yes. And I think Luther left a few minutes ago to retrieve him, so we need to prepare.”

“For what?” Chloe asks.

“Anything.” I inch away from Nina so I can look her in the eye. “We all have to expect the unexpected. Sometimes visitors come and go without drama. But other times…” I let the sentence hang. They’ve already lived through enough torment to come to their own conclusions.

“What should we do?”

“Start tidying up. Make sure the house is clean. At least that way Luther won’t have an excuse for additional punishment.” It will also give my sisters something to occupy their minds.

“Fine.” Abi huffs. “I’ll vacuum.”

“I’ll dust.” Chloe pushes from the sofa.

Nina’s tired eyes turn my way. “I guess I’ll clean the bathrooms.”

“And once I get ready, I’ll tidy the kitchen.” I attempt to smile and hope I’m exuding calm instead of the nauseating anticipation twisting my stomach. “Don’t worry. We’ll be okay.”

They don’t respond to the placation as they leave the room. We all know a threat looms close. It’s only a matter of the severity.

I try to follow my own strategy to keep myself occupied as the sand in my mental hourglass dwindles.

I grab a pair of shoes. I do my hair, finger-combing the long strands into a messy plait. The make-up I put on is understated and simple. I don’t want to accentuate my features any more than necessary. Only enough for Luther to think I’ve made an effort.

I’m in the kitchen, wiping down the counter when the faintest sound of an approaching car brushes my ears.

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