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“So, go ahead.”
“Well, two weeks before my birthday, she dropped by the store with a few of her little friends to spy on me and, unfortunately, found what she was looking for. Peter justhappened to be in my section, talking to me, and Rachel soon figured out at least one of the reasons why I was so happy.”
“What did she say?”
“I remember dread washing completely over me, and I froze in place as Rachel introduced herself to Peter as my sister. Remember, I never talked about my family, so I could tell he was shocked, but he did what any normal guy would do and was polite about it. He introduced himself as my boyfriend, but that was his biggest mistake, and of course, it was mine for not warning him.”
Megan’s hands clutch the duvet as she takes a second to breathe and finish her story.
“We don’t have to talk about this now,” I tell her.
“No, it’s fine. I just haven’t talked about it in a long time. A few of the memories leave me with feelings that are a bit raw.”
“Understood. Take your time.”
“Peter was not like the boys in my neighborhood or at my high school. While he wasn’t the most attractive guy I ever met, he was sweet, and he was kind, which is why I liked him. He gave me the space I needed and did not pressure me to talk about my family. But after that meeting, my two worlds collided, and I was helpless to stop it.
“What happened?”
“Rachel happened. She decided to make it her life’s mission to discover the source of my happiness and then declare war on it. First, she went home and told them I had a boyfriend, and I was punished. My parents were always creative when it came to punishments because after child protective services were called, they were careful not to hit me in places where I would be inspected. So they found other ways to hurt me.”
“Did anyone ever realize how you were being treated at home?”
“Everyone knew.”
Her voice is flat as she speaks, almost empty as if she’s trying to disassociate from the memories of her past.
“I thought Samuel would tell me to stop working there, but they needed the money I was bringing in.”
“So you didn’t give your entire check to your…your boyfriend?”
“No, that would have obviously raised suspicions. I had to give them some money and prayed that they wouldn’t ask to see a check stub.”
“And what was your punishment for having a boyfriend?” I’m almost afraid to ask.
“I had to sleep on the kitchen floor for a week, but worse than that, I was told to break things off with Peter. At the time, that seemed like a death sentence. Peter was the only person I had in my life who seemed to care about me.”
“So what did you do?”
“I didn’t do it, of course. Instead, I told him that we should hide our relationship because my parents were strict and didn’t approve of me having a boyfriend at my age.”
“He agreed?”
“He agreed, but he was also determined to prove to my parents that he was worthy of me. He thought a good way to show that was to get an “in” with my little sister.”
“Uh oh.”
“Exactly.” She nods her head. “I told him not to talk to Rachel, but he didn’t listen. It was hard for him to understand why when I wasn’t telling him the entire truth. But Rachel continued coming to the mall on the days I worked and would drop by the store to chat with him. I didn’t know this at the time. But Peter confided in her that the two of us were still seeing each other, and as my birthday drew nearer, he started discussing my birthday plans with her.”
Megan pauses and then pushes up against me as if seeking the comfort of my body heat and I hold her tighter, wondering why this story is so hard for her to share.Was she in love with this kid?
“You don’t have to share the rest if it’s too hard,” I tell her, although I’m hoping that she does. However this story ends, it is big enough that those asshats held it over her head for years, even to the extent of extorting money from her. It’s probably best if I know everything because it’s the only way I can protect her moving forward.
So I wait with bated breath for her response.
“No, it’s time I tell you, Hunter.”
Chapter 27