Fears To Face

∞ Chapter 65 ∞

Kayley

Staring at the television, I exhaled loud. The day in the hospital had been tough and so had been yesterday and today. My parents had sent me to school since I bruised ribs and wrist weren't exactly life threatening and I had missed several days already. Gwyn and Mallory had come running to me, throwing their arms around my neck and squeezing me between them. The comfort of the hug had been nice, but my chest protested fast and when I winced, they pulled back. Gwyn had wiped a tear from her cheek as she stood back. Mallory's eyes had been moist as well.

"We were so worried about you," Gwyn had said. "Suddenly you just disappeared. But we're so glad you're back." She had reached for me again, but let go quite soon. Having them on my side had felt good, but I couldn't help glancing over my shoulder every now and then. I knew Rayne had made sure David couldn't come out of the cellar, but I still felt watched.

My mother came into the living room after she made tea and sat down on the couch. Since I had come home, I'd dropped on the couch, drained from energy from the feeling of watching my back all the time and only wanting to have Rayne with me so I could crawl against his warm chest and just feel safe for a little while.

"Mom, can I please go to Rayne?" I had told my mom several times by now that Rayne did not kidnap me and that he was just as horrified by what happened as them. That he had searched the area day and night looking for me while they'd been waiting on news from the police. I also told her he was the one who got me out of there and if he had listened to the police and had stayed out of the search, they probably hadn't found me soon, if ever. Hoping she would realize I really wanted to go to Rayne, I had even told her the whole story about David. What he wanted and why and how far I knew he was willing to go if it gave him what he wished for. I even told her about the fight with Rayne, weeks ago. I never thought I would tell her that, but all I wanted was for her to understand. Nothing had helped.

Mom looked at me with disapproval, holding her cup tight between her hands. "Kayley, I almost lost my only daughter. Is it so strange that I don't want you out of my sight for a couple of days? Do you realize how scared I was?"

I did realise that, but she didn't see that all I wanted was to just feel safe. "You know I'll be safe with Rayne."

She exhaled, then put the cup on the table, came over to me and took my hand in hers as she sat down. Her hands were warm from the hot water. "Yes, but I need you around me for a while. Please baby. It's just for a couple of days."

"Can I just call him? I don't get why I can't have any contact with him when you know this wasn't his fault. He could come here. Would that be okay?" The sudden hope made my chest swell. I only had to shoot one look at my mom to know the answer. Her eyes filled with guilt.

"Baby, is it so hard to be apart for a couple of days? You send us away in the hospital just because we didn't want him close to you in that moment. Didn't you see you were exaggerating a bit? And by the way, your father is still convinced this is Rayne's fault. I talked to him, but I can't change his mind." She had let go of my hand by now.

"I don't care what he thinks." Was she serious right now? Since when did she do anything he said? It made me furious that she accused me of being childish. "And I was not exaggerating anything. I needed him, mom. I just needed him so bad and you refused to let him near me. I had been alone for days, not knowing if anyone would find me, convinced that I really lost Rayne this time the last day. I had given up, mom. And then I realized he had saved me from that monster and I wasn't even allowed to see him if it hadn't been for Sam. How do you think that made me feel? I never needed to just see him so much and you and dad didn't grant me that much of reassurance. And if that wasn't awful enough, the two of you decided to keep us apart another couple of days. Why don't you tell me immediately that you like to torture me?" My chest throbbed with pain, due to my worked-up breath and a few tears had slipped down my cheek.