Page 162 of The Secret We Keep
“Morgan, you’re scaring me. Are you okay? I thought you were away with Paddy?”
“I am. We’re on our way home.”
“Already?” Holly asks, shocked. “What happened? Did he hurt you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.” I don’t think.
I don’t know.
You need help.
“Can you just meet me at mine in an hour?”
“I’m already leaving.” She hangs up, and I keep my eyes on Paddy.
He looks to the road before looking back at me. “I’ll explain everything when we’re home.”
Nodding feebly, we don’t talk or even put on the music, the car deathly quiet until we’re pulling up outside my house.
Paddy’s out of the car and rushing round to me as soon as it comes to a stop, engine still running.
Mum and Dad are at the door with faces that could make me crumble. They look so sad. So broken. So unbelievably destroyed.
You’re sick.
“Where is she?” I’m paralysed as my dad forces Paddy to one side. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Paddy stands back in horror, looking at me through the open car door. “She knows she’s ill.”
Dad drops his head, voice cracking as he says, “We need to get her inside.”
“She’s having an episode,” Paddy tells him, but my dad cuts him off, scooping me out of the car like I’m an invalid.
“I warned you, Paddy,” Dad says sternly.
“I…” Paddy’s voice swells with raw emotion. I’ve never seen him cry. Never heard him sound so broken.
Over me?
You’re sick.
“Get her inside,” Mum instructs, and there’s a hustle of feet as I’m taken into the house. “Up to her room,” she further adds, the front door remaining open as we climb the stairs, me still in my dad’s arms.
“Bill, I’m… I’m so fucking sorry.”
My dad lays me on my bed on my side, switching places with my mother.
She fusses over me, but I look through her, watching Paddy.
Dad holds his shoulders, forcing him to look at him. “What happened, son?”
“She… we were…”
You need help.
“Focus. We need to know so that we can help her.”
Paddy draws in air, eyes locking with mine. “We were in the hotel room. She wanted to know why I wouldn’t… why Iwouldn’ttake things further.”
