Don't Forget Me

Chapter 34

By the time we get to Oliver's house, it's almost 10:45, which means that I only have about half an hour before I have to leave for home if I'm going to make curfew. Lisa changes into some of Oliver's clean clothes since even her duffel bag is completely soaked through, and I towel off my spaghetti dinner uniform as best I can.

She climbs onto the queen-sized bed in the guest room and I kneel on the area rug right next to her.

"You could've told me," I whisper as I rub my thumb gently over her forehead, where the skin is beginning to turn shades of blue and purple.

"I never wanted you to know," she replies, looking away from me.

"You mean, you never told me? Even before?"

She shakes her head and closes her eyes, tears rolling sideways across the bridge of her nose.

Even though I'm still a little damp, I climb up onto the bed behind her and wrap all my limbs around her, my entire body engulfing her as she sinks back into me.

Sobs begin to rack her body and I hold her tighter, burying my face in her neck. My chest is aching for some sort of release, but I don't let myself cry.

"It's going to be okay. I've got you. You're okay. I love you. I love you. I love you..." I whisper it over and over into her ear. I don't know how long we lie there for, but I hold her until she stops crying, until her breathing deepens and I'm sure she's asleep.

These last few weeks she's felt so strong to me, like my safe place, but right now it feels like without me, she might just crumble away into nothing. So even though my curfew must be approaching or even past, I stay awhile longer.

Eventually I carefully slip my arm out from under her and manage to climb back onto the floor without stirring her awake. I pull the quilt up over her shoulders and give her one last gentle kiss on her forehead before heading out into the hall.

Oliver is sitting at the kitchen counter when I get downstairs, like he's just been waiting to make sure everything is all right.

"Thanks for letting her crash here," I tell him, leaning my elbows on the granite.

"Roseanne, what happened?" he asks, concern painted across his face.

I let out a sigh.

"Is it okay if I let her tell you herself tomorrow?" I ask, unsure of what exactly she'd want me to tell or keep under wraps.

"Sure, but..." He walks around the counter to stand beside me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply quickly, but the second I look over at him, tears that I've been holding back all evening finally spill over. He pulls me into a hug as I cry into his shirt.

How many times has her mom hurt her?

I think back to my first time meeting Lisa at the farm, the bruises on her arm that she brushed off as if they were nothing.

She wasn't just getting out of Wyatt to be with me. She was getting away from her mom at the same time... and I kept her here.

"Just take care of her, okay?" I ask as I finally pull away, my voice still throaty with tears.

"I will. I promise." Oliver steps back too, his shirt damp now. "But I have to be at work tomorrow at eleven."

"Okay. I'll be here by then," I tell him.

He opens the front door for me, but it's still raining cats and dogs.

"Hang on." He quickly slips on a pair of slides and grabs an umbrella from a tall vase on the floor. "Okay, come on," he says, putting his arm around me and walking me all the way out to my car.