Ava
I could hear Valerie speaking to Caleb in the hallway. I didn't know he meant she was moving in right away. I thought I had at least the rest of the day to prepare myself for another bout of chaotic life.
Stand up for myself? When I heard Caleb say that, I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. If I could stand up for myself, I should have ran away from Bryce's control as soon as I turned eighteen. But no, I stayed with him like a loyal servant even until the age of twenty-five.
I was pathetic, I knew that. But it was my life and the only way I knew how to survive; keep my head down. And that was exactly how I planned to survive living with Valerie.
I sat on the edge of the bed and waited. I could no longer hear Valerie's voice and it was quiet out there. I thought Caleb left a
