Recovery

Chapter 8

I emerge from the walk in closet with an elegant black dress on, it shows a little bit of cleavage, it goes just above my knees, and shows off all of my curves.

"I think I like this one." I tell his mother, who told me her name was Kim.

"That one is beautiful. You can have it." She laughs. "It's too small on me."

"Thank you." I tell her. "I own two dresses," I think back to the dress Josh bought me yesterday.

"What lady owns only two dresses!" She giggles.

"Poor ones." I whisper, she hands me a pair of black heels and a necklace, then fixes my hair, the curler burning my wounds.

We leave the room and return to the living room with Josh and his father. 

"We're ready!" Kim announces.

Josh turns to me, and his jaw drops. His mother fixed my hair and make up, and I've poured into this dress with black heels that I hope I don't break an ankle in. 

"You look beautiful." Josh kisses the top of my head, and his parents stare at our affection.

"Are we going to ride together, or separate?" His father asks us.

"I'm driving my car." He grabs my hand. 

"Okay, follow us there." Kim rubs his shoulder as we go out to the garage and get into his shiny black BMW.

-

We walk into a nice restaurant, it's dimly lit, and a few younger guys look over at me while we are being seated. Josh notices and wraps his arm around my waist. 

A young guy takes our order, and can't seem to stop staring at me, making me uncomfortable. I order the same thing Josh did, because I don't know what half of the things are on the menu, but they are way out of my price range. 

"So, Haley." Kim puts her hands on the table. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen." I tell her, and take a drink of my water. 

"Do you live on your own?"

"No, I live with my dad, " I gulp.

"Oh. I thought a working lady would live on her own." She laughs.

Josh tenses beside me, and his grip on my hand hardens. His father in front of him looks uncomfortable. 

"Nope. I wish though." I shrug. "I'm going to go to the restroom."

I loosen my grip from Josh's hand and walk to the back of the restaurant and wait in the long line of women.

Josh's POV

"Mom, please don't mention her father." I beg, taking a drink of my water.

"Why?" She asks. "Another question, I covered her face with make up because she has bruises all over it, and it looked like she picked glass out of her scalp." She looks at me and then my father.

"She's had a rough enough life." I sigh, not wanting to go into detail.

"What happened?"

"Her father is abusive, She's going to move in eventually." My father butts in.

"Her father is what?" She gapes, her eyes wide.

"Abusive, he has been for a long time now, and more stuff has happened, and the recent bruised are from her uncle." I put my face in my hands, my heart breaking for the girl I fell for in such a few short days.