Page 47 of Whispers of the Lake

“Amor,” Ma called, staring at him with pleading eyes. I hated that she referred to him as love. He was filled with nothing but hatred.

He ignored her and continued staring at me, all vicious and angry. I was glad Zoey was still asleep. I didn’t want him hurting her too.

“You’re going to wash that bowl as many times as I tell you to until you get it through your thick fucking skull that you don’t leave dirty dishes in my sink.” I’m paraphrasing here, but that’s how I remember it. Then he said something like, “You’re the oldest. We work too hard for this shit. Take care of your fucking house.”

I was only nine at the time. I was just starting to learn how to take care of myself. He made me wash the bowl five more times. Ma stood and watched the entire exchange. I hated that she didn’t stop him, that she didn’t at least try to intervene. When Pa grew bored, he stepped away from me and took her by the arm, heading to their bedroom.

My hands shook as I wiped the counters. I checked to make sure no other dishes were around, then went back to my room. Along the way, I heard my parents in their bedroom making noises. They were having sex. I knew what that was, even at the age of nine. I knew a lot of things I shouldn’t have. I guess that’s what happens when you’re forced to mature ahead of time.

I lay in bed and cried for hours. When I think about it now, I assumed he probably got off on that—being in control. Abusing others and shouting at them. It made him feel bigger than he was and that’s why he’d dragged my mother with him to their room and had his way with her. He had a sick, twisted mind.

You’d think as I grew older, I would’ve done the opposite of my mother. Instead of giving myself to a man who’d hurt me constantly, I would run. However, as you get older, you realize that you aren’t too far off from being your parents. There’s always some part of them inside of you. You can’t fully escape what you were once surrounded by. That noise that took up a large portion of your life will always linger in the back of your mind. That’s why I hate my brain sometimes. It feels like a prison.

When I was nine, Ma started hitting me too, just to see Pa nod and praise her for disciplining their kids. They found a thrill in hurting me. I told them I’d tell someone what they were doing but they constantly told me that if I said anything, Zoey and I would be separated from each other, and we’d never see one another again. I didn’t want that. I love Zoey so, so much.

Soon after, they were going after Zoey too. I couldn’t stand to see her get hurt, so I bit the bullet. At that point, I didn’t care if we wound up separated. It was better than seeing her cry with welts on her legs. At eleven, I had the courage to tell Abuela. I showed her the marks from the spatula and the bruises on my arms. I begged her to make sure me and Zoey stayed together, and she promised me we would. That same day, Abuela called the police and our parents were investigated. She couldn’t believe her own daughter could hurt us that way.

Ben was assigned to our case and I remember thinking he was a really nice person. And it turned out he lived only a block away from Abuela. He invited us to his place often for dinner. That’s how I met Rose. Ben made sure he had enough evidence to have them arrested.

When I think about that short era when Ma smiled, hugged us, kissed our foreheads, and shared cinnamon rolls with us, I couldn’t believe it either. It’s astounding how much a good woman’s whole life can change because of one bad man.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“Just one night?” The hotel clerk smiled wide with lips covered in burgundy lipstick. A tiny smudge of color was on the corner of one of her front teeth.

I looked away, digging through my purse for my wallet. “Yes. Just tonight.”

I’d found the best hotel closest to Sage Hill in another small town called Green Pines. It was sixteen minutes away. And the perk? There was great cell service and Wi-Fi here. After the clerk handed me my key card, I boarded the elevator and watched the digital floor numbers climb. As soon as I’d made it to my room, I sighed with relief.

I changed into pajamas, washed my face, tied my braids into a bun, then sat on the bed with my purse. I dug through it until I found my phone and Eve’s camera. I wanted to contact the police of Green Pines, but if they were this close to Sage Hill, they probably knew James Reed personally.

I didn’t trust James.

I didn’t trust anyone in that damn town.

Instead, I sent a text to Nico:Anything?

Not yet

I typed up another text, this time to Zoey.Have you gone back to school?

No. Took the day off. I can’t concentrate knowing Eve is gone.

Eve is gone.

Something about those words haunted me. I didn’t want to believe she was gone either. She could still be out there somewhere, waiting for someone to rescue her. I chewed on my lip, debating on what to tell her next. If I told Zoey what I’d discovered so far, she’d panic. Zoey hadreallybad panic attacks. If she was alone, no one would be able to console her. I had to let her know the truth though.

Do me a favor and go to my dad’s house. There’s something I need to tell you, and I want to make sure you’re not alone.

Zoey replied almost instantly.WHAT? ROSE! WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT. SERIOUSLY I NEED TO KNOW. NOW

She didn’t even give me the chance to reply. Her name appeared on the screen. It wasn’t a text, but a call this time.

I answered. “Zoey, I’m not telling you anything until I know you’re safe.”

“Why do I need to besafe?” she asked, her voice laced with apprehension.

“Because I don’t want you to freak out too much and have another panic attack. You need someone to keep an eye on you.”

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