Page 113 of The One

I took two stairs at a time, and at the landing, I rushed down the hallway until I reached her room, opening the door without knocking. I scanned the inside until I found her. I didn’t expect for her to be on the floor, tucked in the corner between the window and her dresser, the shades drawn and the light off.

She didn’t look up at me.

She made no reaction as I stood there, her pale face a combination of appearing like she wanted to throw up and on the verge of crying and so empty that there was nothing left inside her.

“Lainey …”

My heart had shattered at the funeral.

But here, right now, was a sight I could barely handle.

I locked the door behind me, knowing it would only be a few seconds until Mr. Taylor would try to tear me out of this room.

“Lainey …”

Still no response.

I crossed the carpet and knelt in front of her. She was in the black dress she’d worn to the funeral. The mud was still caked to her knees. It was on her fingers. And there was a smear of it across her cheek.

“Lainey—”

“Stop.” Her voice was just above a whisper as she finally glanced up, pushing my hands away as I set them on the sides of her knees. “Don’t touch me.”

“But I want to hold you?—”

“No.” Her head shook so violently that hair moved into her face.

No?

Oh my God, this was worse than I could have even imagined.

“Lainey, I love you.”

Her head continued to shake. “No.”

“I’ve been calling you. Your cell, the house. I just want to talk to you about what happened.”

She pulled her bent knees against her chest. “No.”

Mr. Taylor’s fist pounded on the door. “Get out of my house right fucking now!”

“Lainey, I just want you to hear me out. Please.”

The look in her eyes scared me. It sent a shiver through my whole body. What I’d thought was emptiness was not that at all. Emotions were in there; they just weren’t directed at me. And at me, she was cold, turned off.

Finished.

“Rhett, I trusted you.”

“You can trust me, baby.” I put a hand beside each of her bare feet. “I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t know she was going to jump off the boat. We were going back and forth in conversation, and she told me she was out of there. I had no idea that meant out of the boat and then …” I couldn’t say what happened next. That would be too much for her ears.

She folded like a smashed Oreo. “You had one job. To take care of her like I would have if I’d been there. And look what you let happen—” Her hand slapped over her mouth right after a sob escaped her lips.

“I did, Lainey. I took perfect care of her?—”

“You can’t say that.” A single tear rolled down her face. “Because she’s not here with me right now. She’s not in her room. She’s”—another cry came out of her, but this time, she didn’t try and cover it with her palm—“dead.”

“Get out of my daughter’s room right now before I rip off this goddamn door!” Mr. Taylor shouted.