Page 94 of A Lesson in Obedience
A loud pounding noise sounded at the door. I heard the door open and multiple voices.
“Where is she?” My heart stumbled within its tense rhythm when I heard River’s voice. Beau’s head cocked to the side and his tail thumped.
The bathroom door flew open and my boyfriend looked down at me, his green eyes exploding with this kind of wild protectiveness. “How did you find me? I hung up so quickly and didn’t give you…”
“Corrin texted me your hotel when you checked in.” He was down on the floor with me in seconds, scooping me up into his arms and cradling me in his lap.
I let crying screams rip from my throat the minute the heat from his body took over. I tugged on his shirt and threw my head against his chest. He kissed my forehead over and over again. “Hey baby, I’m here. I’m right here.”
I didn’t realize Grayson was there as well until I felt anotherbody. He sat on his knees, rubbing my arms and back, his shadows coming out to almost lull and calm me. I peeked out from River’s chest, receiving a comforting smile from my shadow wielder. Corrin and Jade stood in the doorway, letting me take my time before I spoke.
“I’m s-sorry.”
They both shook their heads.
“Absolutely not. That lady was crazy and I should have never thought this was a good idea, but—” she slipped her fingers into her back pocket, pulling out my necklace. “I thought you might want this back.”
Grayson took it from her and he placed it in my open hand, letting his fingers wrap around my own.
“What the hell happened?” River asked, cradling me closer.
Jade and Corrin looked at each other and then back at me. I cleared my throat. “Can we have a minute?” My friends hesitated for a moment. I appreciated them, I really did. “I’ll be okay.”
They closed the door behind them, leaving me alone with Grayson and River, along with a watchful Beau. I licked my lips pulling away from River and sitting up so I could easily see both of them. “Asher didn’t want to come along?”
River kicked Grayson’s leg when he snorted. “We told him where we were here and he sent back a very loud and angry voice message.” He tucked one of my braids behind my ear. “He’s at the house making sure you have whatever you might need when we bring you home and likely awaiting our message that you are in one piece.”
“Now tell us what happened,” Grayson coaxed, softly.
I wiped under my eyes, tears still threatening to fall. “Umm, we were just talking to her and then it got weird. She started saying all these things about my mom and Chancellor Fowler…I just wanted to leave. I didn’t want a p-problem.” I was starting to stutter when I felt the tightness in my chest return.
“You are here now, you’re out of there. Why are you crying?”River asked, curiosity in his voice. “Are you afraid she’ll come looking for you? Tell Chancellor Fowler?”
I ran a shaky hand along the back of my neck. I shook my head, reaching out for the top of Beau’s head, which he presented to me instantly. “That won’t happen.”
Both men glanced at each other and then back at me but remained quiet.
“I, umm, she tried to k-kill me.”
“WHAT?!” they shouted and I flinched.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “She t-tried to kill a-all of us. I didn’t have a choice, right? I couldn’t l-let her do that. She never wanted to h-help my mom. She wanted me to disappear and k-keep her s-son focused and powerful. I had to do s-something. I d-didn’t know what was happening. M-maybe I did. M-maybe I’m a bad person…”
“Slow down, Riley. You aren’t a bad person. She tried to hurt you,” Grayson said, rubbing my arm.
I vigorously shook my head, rocking myself against River’s lap. “That doesn’t mean I hurt her back. That doesn’t mean I become a murderer.” The word fell from my lips so smoothly that I almost didn’t realize I’d said it. Once it was out a sense of dread washed over me.
“Murderer? Riley…you killed her?” River whispered, turning my head so he could look directly at me.
I sniffed, my lip quivering. The visuals of me choking her, breaking her fingers, boiling her blood….I didn’t want to do something like that. I never thought I could. “Y-yes.”
“Baby…” He moved his thumbs over my cheeks to clear my tears, but they just kept falling. He brought my face towards his lips, kissing my cheek. “I’m so sorry you went through that.”
“Defending yourself does not make you a bad person.” Grayson turned my face so he could speak his words directly at me.
“This will only make things worse with him. He might not have liked her, but that was still his mother,” I explained, placing a handon my chest and clutching my necklace in my palm. I opened my hand, letting the chain dangle between my fingers before I secured it around my neck again.
River hummed. “Chancellor Fowler knows you’re here. He’s probably waiting to see how it plays out, or maybe he already knows. Did you take Corrin’s potion to attempt to protect your mind?”
