Page 79 of Trophy
He leaned into her hand for a moment before he gently removed it, kissing her palm softly. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I want to kill that boy. You have to stop me from going to find him.”
Allison sucked in a quick breath. She understood the sentiment, and she hoped Rob wasn’t being literal, but she didn’t really know what to say. She just reached over to take his hand in hers and held it as she opened the freezer to get an ice pack from where she knew Rob kept them.
They returned to the living room, and Allison positioned the ice pack on Cali’s eye, and after a few minutes she asked the girl what had happened.
It was a simple story. Cali had gone over to her boyfriend’s house to hang out, and they’d gotten into a fight about him taking money from her, after which Cali had told him they were broken up.
The boy wasn’t all right with her breaking up with him, and he’d taken his anger out on her.
“Have you called the sheriff’s office?” Allison asked, looking between Cali and Rob.
When Cali didn’t answer, Rob murmured, “I wanted to, but she said no.”
“They won’t do anything to him. He’s only sixteen, and he just hit me a few times.”
“It’s against the law to do that. They may not do much this time, but if you don’t report it, then it won’t be on his record if he does it again.” Allison was hard-pressed to keep her voice calm, but she managed to do it. “Promise me that at the emergency room you’ll ask them to call the sheriff. They’ll want to talk to you about it and see what he did to you.”
“He’ll be so mad.” Cali’s voice was very small.
“So he’s mad,” Allison said.
“I’m not going to let him touch you again,” Rob said, an edge of warning in his tone that she knew he was trying to stifle.
Cali looked from one to the other and finally nodded.
Allison was relieved—partly because Cali wasn’t acting like a long-term battered woman. She didn’t think the girl had been hit by this guy before today. Hopefully she could get over it without lasting emotional damage.
Before she could reply, there was a loud, insistent knocking on the door, and Rob went to open it to Dee, who came in wetfrom the rain and in a state of dramatics about her baby getting hurt.
The woman would always annoy Allison. She was never going to like her. But Dee seemed focused and sober tonight, and she was at least acting like she was concerned about Cali, so Allison didn’t feel like they were sending the girl off to her doom.
Dee didn’t stay long. Rob helped Cali into the passenger seat of Dee’s car, and if Dee said anything to him, Allison didn’t hear what it was. Then Dee and Cali were driving off, and Allison and Rob were left alone in his house, both of them still wet from the rain.
“I told Cali to text me when she’s all done and they’ve gotten home,” he said.
“Good. Poor thing. The whole thing is awful. Do you think she’s actually going to report it?”
“I don’t know. I hope so. I’m going to talk to the sheriff tomorrow either way.” He was rubbing his wet hair. “I didn’t tell Cali, but I’ve already called Mitch. Someone will be paying that boy a visit.”
“Good.” Allison let out a breath. “That sounds like all you can do, then.” She looked up at him, her heart so full she could barely swallow over the pressure. “So you didn’t really need me, then.”
“Yes, I did,” he rasped, reaching out and pulling her into his arms. “I needed you. I need you, Allison. So much.”
She squeezed him with both arms, believing him since his whole body was confirming his words.
“Please don’t leave me,” he mumbled against her hair.
“I won’t.” She felt like she might say more—like she might try to explain some of the revelations she’d had this evening, but the only sound she could make was a sudden loud shiver.
Rob released her and looked down at her, his eyes full of emotion she couldn’t possibly mistake. “You’re freezing. Let me find you something to wear.”
“You need to change too. You’re just as wet as I am—plus you don’t have a shirt on.”
They both went into his bedroom and found clean shirts and sweatpants to wear. Even with a drawstring, they would barely stay up on Allison, but they were better than her soaked leggings.
She was towel-drying her hair as best she could when Rob sat down on the side of the bed. He didn’t speak. Just watched her.
She put down the towel. “Are you okay, Rob?”
