Page 78 of Scarred Sins
She’s here.
Relief floods over me as I take my mask off and step fully into the room, closing the door behind me. I take a quick glance around, being lucky as fuck that she’s alone. It’s a plain bedroom, with a bed, two nightstand tables, and a dresser. Not even a chair, a vanity – nothing.
My eyes flicker to Zoe, and I’m momentarily shocked.
It hasn’t been that long since I’ve last seen her, but she looks even worse. Her hair’s chopped – not cut –chopped. It looks like she’s done it on her own. Her eyes are dull, and I think she’s lost even more weight since I’ve last seen her.
This time, there’s no trace of alcohol or pill bottles, but the stench of vodka fills my nose when I take another step into the room. It’s almost overwhelming. Her pupils are dilated, and she seems to be in a frenzy. Unlike last time, she’s more calm, even in her delirious state, as if she’s been expecting me.
“It’s me,’’ I lower my voice, trying not to spook her.
She hugs the silk robe closer to her body, eyes narrowing at me. She glances around, quiet for a couple of minutes before stepping closer to me. There’s something in her deep brown eyes that just makes my heart ache. This girl desperately needs to be out of this place.
“So you came,’’ her voice is cracked and husky, and she definitely has a sore throat. “Why did you come?”
I take a step forward. “You know why I came.’’
“Let me guess, to persuade me to betray my husband?”
I swallow thickly, trying to rationalize my thoughts before voicing them out. Then I decide that I’m not really a rational person, so fuck it.
“How long have you two been married?” I ask, careful not to piss her off. Her calling her lapdogs is the last thing I need.
“Not that long,’’ she admits.
“How long have you two been an item?”
Zoe halts briefly. “Since I was fifteen.’’
“Fifteen–’’ I hissed out and stepped back to recollect myself. “Fifteen, Zoe? He’s in his forties, for crying out loud.’’
“If you’re here to judge my personal choices, I’d suggest you leave before I scream.’’
I’m no fool. This poor woman has been brainwashed into believing her situation is normal. The more I look at her, the more issues I see. Her arms are bruised, her lip has a small cut, and the dark circles under her eyes are massive. None of this is normal, but I can’t tell her that because she won’t listen.
“Look, Zoe,’’ I take a small inhale of breath. “I need you to know that… you’re not alone. I’ve helped plenty of people in a similar situation to yours. It’s scary to leave behind everything you thought was right, especially since you were groomed into thinking your husband is a good person. But, I promise you, there are far better things for you out there. A chance to live your life the way you want it.’’
Something shifts in her gaze, but it’s gone just as quickly as it came, replaced by the stoic look. Zoe lifts her chin up slightly, looking up at me.
“You don’t know anything about me; you don’t know what I want from life. I love being here.’’
“Do you?” I push a little, trying to see how much she’ll let me, and take a step forward. “Because when I visited last time, you were crying about Nelson killing your loved ones. You’re scared, and I understand that, Zoe, but I’m offering help.’’
“And I don’t trust you.’’
Right.
Of course she doesn’t.
“I know,’’ I sigh. “And I know it will be hard to make a decision. But I’m running out of time here. You know better than anyone else – hell, better than me – just what your husband is up to. You know that there are women suffering at his hand, and somewhere, deep down, you know that you can help them and help yourself by taking the hand I’m extending.’’
Zoe takes a step back, swallowing. Her eyes fall to the floor, her shoulders slumping. I don’t dare push my luck anymore and patiently wait for her response. With a quick glance at my wristwatch, I see that I have a little over three minutes before the cameras start working again, and I need to be out before the timer runs out.
“I can’t help them,’’ she whispers, head hanging low. “Nobody can.’’
“I can.’’
Her eyes snap to mine, swelled with tears that she’s trying her best to hold back. Her body trembles, and with a shaky breath, she shakes her head, a lone tear sliding down her cheeks.
