Page 92 of Rise After Fall

“Unlike what you had,” Mom chimes in, and I swing my gaze to her.

She knows something.

I decide not to hide any longer.

“Yes, unlike me,” I force the words out.

“What does that mean?” Dad asks.

“I think it means that you and I delivered our daughter into the hands of a monster,” Mom says.

I drop my head into my hands.

“Zoey, what is she talking about?”

“I don’t want you to think less of me,” I whisper.

Dad scoots his chair closer to mine and takes my face in his hands. “The most important things in your mother’s and my life are you and your brother. You, baby girl—who you were, who you are now, and who you are going to be. Nothing you ever tell me could change that. Nothing.”

So, I take a deep breath, and I tell them every dirty detail.

Morris

Ihear footsteps out on the porch, so I open the door, expecting to find Zoey, but instead, I come face-to-face with Tobias Taut.

He’s looking through the front window of Zoey’s cabana.

I step outside. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

He grins. “Morris, hello. I came to see if Zoey was back from dinner with PJ and Christine.”

“And you thought you’d just peek in her window like a fucking stalker?”

“You can go back inside now. Zoey doesn’t need your protection. I’m here now, and I’ll take care of her,” he sneers.

I laugh in his face. “Zoey doesn’t want you anywhere near her.”

“Let me tell you something about Zoey Phillips. She’s confused. She had a serious injury a few years ago, and ever since then, she’s not been herself. I’m sure she’s enjoyed playing school here with you and this Appalachian bunch, but she’s meant for greater things, and her parents and I are here to take her home.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you,” I tell him.

“We’ll see,” he says, and his grimy smile sets me off.

I throw a punch that knocks him to his ass. I follow him down and land two more strikes before the door flies open and Joanna comes rushing outside.

“Call 911,” Tobias screams as blood comes gushing from his nose.

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” Joanna mutters sarcastically.

“Morris!”

I look up to see Zoey, her parents, and Langford sprinting toward us, and he takes advantage of my distraction and tries to kick his way out from beneath me.

My attention snaps back to him, and I rear back to hit him again.

PJ grabs me from behind and pulls my shoulders back. “That’s enough, son,” he utters.

I let him lift me to my feet, and Zoey is at my side in a flash. She wraps her arms around my middle and clings to me.