Page 49 of Traces Of You

“Home,” he said. “My brother is getting annoyed with me, but I didn’t stay on Saturday or Sunday either.”

She hadn’t known that, but she had seen him on Sunday. She’d been invited for Sunday dinner and Ford and Clay were there.

“I’m completely fine here,” she said. Even if she did jump at noises more than she used to.

She told herself that was to be expected.

“You decided to not go to town?” he asked.

“I didn’t go. I wanted to get an update on things first.”

“What kind of update?” he asked.

She couldn’t withhold this from him. “I was in contact with someone in Gainesville tonight.”

“Reenie! Why the hell would you do that?”

“I’m sorry. I want to live life and want to go out and do things and not always be so afraid. I only wanted to know if I was reported missing. There has been nothing in the news. Not even the break-in at Oliver’s. I only talked to the person who helped me leave. They won’t say anything.”

“You don’t know that,” he argued.

“I do. Can you trust me a little? I know I’m not supposed to call them, but I wanted them to know that I’m not in Canada. I asked what happened there. Don’t you want to know that without looking yourself? You said you can’t or it’d get back to them.”

“Give me something. Anything on these people to know they won’t give up your location.”

She needed him to trust her and that meant she had to trust him.

“They run a not for profit domestic violence shelter. It’s a husband and wife. It’s all legal and on the books, but on the side, they might skirt the way they help some. No laws were broken, but naming them would deny help to numerous other women. I can’t risk that.”

He sighed. “What did you find out?”

“That my old job called Oliver looking for me. He said I left town, that’s it. They only think I quit. Then the person I spoke to said the same thing. But that person talked to another friend and was told Oliver stopped over asking about me yesterday.”

She heard him sigh. “Are you going to tell me their name?”

“No. I can’t and I won’t. I don’t want to jeopardize them helping anyone else in the future. They reported me missing and then have followed up with the officer. They were told that the investigation shows that I just left on my own.”

“With your purse, wallet, and car left behind?” he asked.

“I said that too. But they said they drove by before I was reported missing and that my car wasn’t there. Oliver would have plenty of time to move it or get rid of it. I could have overreacted. Just staying in town, he felt he could get me. I doubt he’d put much effort into coming after me states away.”

He’d had other girlfriends and she was positive now that they were abused also, so why did she think she was so special that he’d go after her again and again and not them?

She might have put more thought into this than needed.

So much of her life, she’d been treated like shit, physically and mentally abused, that she believed the worst would happen when she was told.

“You don’t know any of that,” he said. “Nothing. And you could have put yourself at more risk by making that call.”

“Or realized that I’m free to come and go as I like.” There was silence on the other end. “Ford?”

“I’m here. Do you want to leave? You said you didn’t.”

“I don’t,” she mumbled. “I just want to be normal. Live a normal life. Have things I never had and always wanted.”

“What’s that, Reenie?”

His voice sounded almost as hopeful as her.