Page 83 of Velvet Betrayal

She twisted the hem of her pajama top, thinking. “Did he deserve it?”

My hands shook. I tucked them under my thighs. “Yes, baby. He really did. But it’s okay if you feel weird, or sad, or mad about it. There’s no wrong way to feel.”

She looked down, and for a second I was back in the hospital, her tiny body curled against my collarbone, swearing she’d never grow up haunted. I’d meant it. God, I’d meant it.

“Will you get fired?” she asked. “Like Ms. Gray did when she yelled at the principal?”

I almost laughed. “No, it’s not like that. I’m not going to get fired. I might get in trouble for a while, but I want you to know—nothing in the world is more important to me than keeping you safe. That’s what I did.”

“Was I here when you shot him? I don’t remember that.”

I shook my head. “You were at your dad’s.”

Rosie’s brow furrowed. “But he got inside our house.” Not a question—a memory. She hugged her knees tighter, eyes narrowing. “You told me guns are dangerous. Do you have one?”

“I did then, yes,” I said. “Alek gave it to me. He said I had to be able to defend myself. He was right.”

She thought about it. “So do you still have a gun?”

I hesitated. “Not right now. But if things get scary again, I will. That’s my job.”

Rosie exhaled, thinking hard, her stare so much like mine it made me look away. “Okay. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“He did, a little. But that’s why I defended myself.”

She threw her arms around me. “No,” she said fiercely. “I don’t like it when you’re hurt.”

I hugged her tight, breathing in her shampoo. “I know, peanut. But he won’t hurt me again.”

She pulled back, studying me like she could read every bad decision on my face. “Are you scared?”

Rosie thought for a second, then asked, “Are they going to put you on TV?”

“Yes.”

She made a face, pure emoji. “I hate when you’re on TV. People say mean things in the comments.”

A laugh slipped out, bitter and bright. “I know. Promise me something? Don’t ever read the comments.”

Rosie nodded. Then she took my hand and didn’t let go.

“In school, Ms. Cormier says that when you’re scared you should tell someone.”

“Ms. Cormier is very smart,” I said.

She was quiet, plaiting my fingers with hers. Then, softly: “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

My throat closed. “Of course you can. Forever and ever if you want.”

She grinned, then just…went back to her show, like we hadn’t just dug up every bone in our future. She rested her head in my lap while I scrolled through tomorrow’s talking points, checked my phone for press leaks, anything to keep my hands busy.

I stroked her hair. “I’m also going to tell everyone your dad and I are getting divorced.”

She yawned. “I thought everyone knew that.”

I laughed. “Yeah, they don’t.”

“Okay. Can I keep watching my show now?”