Twenty Six
Bella stirs; I’m at her side before the duvet fully shifts. “I’m here,” I whisper, anxiety for this poor, innocent child sparking in my chest. “You’re okay.”
She blinks up at me, lashes clumped from tears. “Did I do something bad?”
“No,” I say, fierce enough that it startles her. Softer, “No, baby. He did.”
She swallows. “Are we leaving?”
My heart hitches. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you look like you did the day you packed boxes after Mom and Dad... you know” Her voice wobbles. “Only now you're more… sharp.”
I smooth her hair, smiling because she needs it. “If we leave, we’ll go somewhere safer. Somewhere with someone who loves us. But if I say yes, you can’t tell anyone. Not the nice staff. Not the man in the hall with the white gloves. Not even your pillow.”
Her mouth
