Silent Solitude

Chapter 9 - R

Under normal circumstances, driving somebody home from a party wouldn't have bothered me. But, I couldn't stop thinking about when I'd dropped Josephine off last night.

Yesterday morning I'd seen the unease when Aiden came up to her. He had been trying to cozy up to her all night, flirting and offering her drinks like he had at the party. Magnus had told me during the movie and it pissed me off.

Not the flirting, I didn't particularly care whether or not Josephine flirted with anyone, but it was the fact that she had looked ready to bolt when Aiden walked over to her this morning. I knew skittish when I saw it, and Josephine was a cry for help, so I'd done my best to get her out of a situation that could end badly.

I didn't like it one bit.

It was painstakingly clear that there was much more to her situation, whether past or present. And I wasn't sure if she had anyone to confide it. And I knew how hard it was to have demons you couldn't talk about.

I tried to shake it off, not wanting to come to any conclusions, but I was still deep in thought even as I entered my living room.

Austin was napping on the couch when I walked in, jolting awake when I slammed the door shut. I winced in apology.

"Sorry Cons, I didn't know you were home."

I swallowed the guilt. I knew Austin didn't get any more sleep than I did, and if he was taking naps during the day, he must not have gotten any last night.

Still, selfless as always, he waved off my apology with a yawn. "All good, I just wanted a thirty-minute rest. I was up all night helping Leslie, some douchebag ditched her at a party."

I narrowed my gaze.

"I took care of it, it's fine. She's fine."

Before I could ask more questions, he switched the topic. "Did Magnus tell you what he and Indigo walked into at Josephine's house when they went to visit before the party?"

This caught my interest.

"No? Why, what happened?"

Austin clears his throat, angry. "Magnus told me they opened the door to her on the floor, bleeding."

I stared at him with an open mouth. "What?"

"There was a cut on her face and a couple on her arms. Magnus said there was glass on the floor," he paused. "Magnus didn't ask for details, Indigo doesn't think her parents would do anything to hurt her, but nobody is sure."

I sighed, sinking deeper into the couch.

Well, shit. That wasn't good.

"Do you think she cuts herself?" Austin was asking with genuine curiosity despite the words coming out flat.

I tried to remain unbothered by the thought, but it pained me to think that she was hurting. She had so much pain already, and now I was sure she couldn't talk about it with anyone.

"I don't know Austin. I'm going to assume she got hurt and that she didn't do it to herself, I don't want to think anything that might not be true," I'd learned the hard way not to assume, especially with delicate situations like this.

Austin accepted my answer with a nod, shoulders going limp with a rare vulnerability that was unlike him. The anger on his face was replaced with irritation.

"I talked to her on the beach," he said suddenly, eyes closing. "After you took her home. She's been going to the beach often."

I shrugged. "It's Outer Banks, not much to do besides drink, fish, shop, and go to the beach."