Fractured ( Fractured #1) (19 page)

Chapter Thirty-Two

The next morning
, the sun shone through the opening in my curtains. I smiled as I remembered my telephone conversation with Rob. Stretching my arms past the edge of the blanket, I recalled the pleasant dream I just had. Of course it had Rob in it. Even Dillon didn’t give me a hard time when the slices of his gluten-free toast touched each other. As I washed the dishes, I hummed my favorite song.

“Mandy, I need your help,” Mom said from the doorway.
I was surprised to see her awake so early. Her eyes were puffy from the previous night’s crying jag, and her nose was red, but I wasn’t sure if it was from crying, or drinking. She looked ragged and worn out.

“Sure, what’s wrong, Mom?”

“Mandy, I… I have to get help. I can’t go on like this.” Her voice trembled as she wrung a tissue in her hands. “Dillon could have gotten hurt.” Sh
e
walked over to Dillon and hung onto the back of his chair as if it were a lifeline. Taking a deep breath, she said,
“I’ve been selfish and wrong.” She sat down in the chair next to me. “Your father hasn’t been home, and when he is, I neglect him.”

I wrestled with the idea of telling her what I knew, but I didn’t want to give her a reason to crawl back into a bottle. She was trying hard.

“Will you… help me… find… a rehab center?” Her head hung in shame.

I walked over and hugged her so hard I thought I’d crack her ribs. “Of course, Mom. We can look up some numbers on the
Internet and call.”

Her hazel eyes were no longer distant. Her gaze pierced me. “Oh, Mandy. I’ve forced you to grow up so fast. Too many responsibilities have been dropped in your lap
—cooking, cleaning, and taking care of your brothers and your father.”

I cringed at the mention of him. “Don’t forget paying the bills and balancing the checkbook.” I thought it would make her laugh.

“You do that, too?”

I nodded. ”Someone has to make sure the mortgage
is paid on time.”

“You’ve handled it all so well, and without complaining. I’ve robbed you of your childhood. Can you ever forgive me?” She pulled back
, and tears rolled down her cheeks in rapid succession.

“Just get sober, Mom, and stay that way.” I poured her a cup of coffee
, and buttered a couple of slices of toast for her.

After calling two of the three rehab centers in our vicinity, I was able to book
an appointment with one of the counselors at the hospital.

“Will you go with me, Mandy?” Mom asked.

“I’ll go with you,” Dad said, before I could utter a word. He was in the kitchen doorway, dressed in his coveralls for work.

Mom lowered her face in shame. She didn’t look at my father. Neither did I, but for a very different reason. He walked over and put his arms around her. “I’ll call Al
. He’ll run the shop today with Bryan. I want to help you through this. I need the woman I fell in love with back in my life.” She lifted her gaze and matched his smile. Then he kissed her on the forehead. I wasn’t convinced.

Mom’s face filled with hope. “I’ll get dressed.”

Without looking at him, I handed Dad the slip of paper with the information he needed, and the message from Al the night before.

“Mandy, she was just someone to talk to. Her brother is an alcoholic.” I knew he was referring to Mrs. Sutton. “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“It may have started out innocently, but you didn’t just talk with her, Dad.” I shook my head. “I told you, I don’t want to know.”

Mom returned wearing a pink summer dress
, and her purse hung from the strap over her shoulder. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Aside from her puffy face, she almost looked like she used to. They left for their appointment.

I handed Dillon his lunch box and watched as he got on the school bus.
Finally, I was in the house all by myself. I wished Rob was with me, holding me until the world stopped spinning. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. It was only nine-thirty and I figured he’d still be sleeping, so I went upstairs and laid the outfit I was going to wear to the creek out on my bed. I matched the socks to the light blue t-shirt. I decided to take a shower and wash my hair so that I could wear it down, the way Rob liked. I went into the bathroom. The water ran for several minutes. I stuck my hand in to make sure it was the right temperature.

It felt good rolling down my back. Each droplet that beat against my skin reminded me of the electricity I felt when Rob touched me. I sang an assortment of love songs as I rinsed the shampoo from my hair. It was a good thing that no one was home to hear my horrible voice.

I wrapped a towel around my body and twisted another over my hair, before heading to my room. Instead of the outfit I had laid on my bed, the long, mauve, taffeta bridesmaid’s dress I wore when I was in my cousin’s wedding was spread across my comforter. I reached down to touch it. What? How’d this get here?

That’s when he stepped out from behind my
bedroom door. I turned quickly and gasped.

“You looked very pretty in that dress last July.”
His voice was monotone, lacking feeling. Blonde, stringy hair hung over his sharp green eyes.

“Jimmy, you scared the crap out of me. I didn’t hear you come in. Where’s Bryan?”

“He’s at your dad’s shop.”

Then
I remembered Dad saying Bryan would be at the garage. Jimmy stared at me. His glare made me uncomfortable.

“Oh,
right,” my voice cracked. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but my mouth was dry. “If you want to, go downstairs and let me get dressed. I can make you some breakfast before you go.” He stepped forward, closing the gap between us. I took a few steps backward towards my bed to widen the uncomfortable space. I didn’t like being this close to him with only a towel around me. “Um, Jimmy. I need some privacy to get dressed.”

He didn’t mov
e as his eyes scanned me. Warning bells went off in my head. Assessing the distance between him and the door, I wondered if I could make it past him.

He moved closer. “You take such good care of everyone, Mandy. Always putting
the rest of us before yourself. Now, I’m gonna take care of you.” He reached a hand up and stroked my cheek. “Let me take care of you, Mandy. Let me show you how special you are.”

Wait! Di
dn’t he say something about someone special yesterday? “Jimmy?” Fear swelled up inside of me as I looked at him. He was determined. My heart pounded against my chest. A bead of sweat slid down the side of my face.

“
You’ve always been special, Mandy. I’ve known since we were little.”

Instantly, I recalled the topic of conversation from the day before. We were talking about having sex for the first time with someone special.
Panic escalated inside me.

He kept talking. “I’ve dreamt of what it would be like when we were together. I knew you’d always be there, waiting for me. Whenever I’m here, you
take care of me. You make sure I have something to eat, a place to sleep, you listen when I need to talk. You’re so good to me, Mandy. I know you care about me.”

A nervous laugh escaped my mouth. “
We’ve known each other a long time. You’re my friend, Jimmy.”

“
We’re more than friends, Mandy.”

I flipped through my memory.
Had I ever led him on over the years I’d known him? I didn’t think so, even though I knew he had a small crush me. I had always been careful. I treated him as if he were my brother, nothing more. When had I sent a different signal?

“It didn’t matter how many girls your brother fixed me up with. I knew one day we’d be together
, and everything would be perfect. I was just waiting for you to be ready.”

He stepped closer.
Rapid breaths caused my lungs to burn. Think. Think. “I… I didn’t know you… felt that way… about me, Jimmy.” How can I get past him? Nervous sweat formed on my palms.

“I was going to tell you, Mandy. I just couldn’t think of the right words. But then
, you met
him
.” The poisonous way he referred to Rob made me realize his desperation. His fists were clenched at his sides. “When I followedyou that day in the woods, I knew it was time to make you mine.” He moved a step closer now. The space between us was narrow. The heat of his breath was on my face.
“
He's not good enough for you, Mandy. He doesn't love you like I do. I ca
n
give you what you need, Mandy.”

I backed up
, but the bed against my calves stopped me. Can I climb over it and run around it to the door? If I could make it downstairs and out the door to the Hanleys’ house, I could call Rob. Of course, they’d want to know why I was only wearing a towel. I could tell them that I thought I heard something in the house and ran out. Oh, worry
about that later, Mandy.

Jimmy moved closer
. There was barely enough room between us for a pillow. I could smell the mint of a Tic Tac on his breath. He lunged for me. I jerked my body back. My balance shifted, and the towel fell from my wet hair onto the bed. My dark, reddish-blonde curls slapped against my back. A million thoughts raced through my head. They all told me that I had to get past him.

“I’m going to take care of you now, Mandy. Let me show you how special you are.”

I opened my mouth,but nothing came out. I was paralyzed
.
Before I could even blink, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close to him.

“
Stop! Jimmy, you’re hurting me. Let go!”
He was quick when he moved next. He stroked my wet hair. With my free hand, I grasped the towel so it wouldn’t fall off my body. “You’re so beautiful, Mandy.” He stuck his nose in my dripping locks and inhaled. I tried to loosen my wrist, but it was tight in his grip.

Letting go of the towel,
and praying it wouldn’t fall off, I pushed him to break free.

“I’m going to show you how much I love you.” He grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked it back.
I pushed at him harder. He used this moment of surprise to push me onto the bed. Before I could recover and run, he was on top of me. I tried to scream, but his mouth was over mine. Sloppy kisses forced me to gasp for air.

I reached up to push his face away. My legs scissor
-kicked, trying to break free. His body was heavy on mine. Was I going to be raped by my brother’s best friend? A guy I had known since I was six?I retreated emotionally, but my body kept fighting
.
I hit him on the shoulders and clawed at his face, but it only seemed to fuel him. He was no longer Jimmy, my childhood friend; he was a monster. When I tried to rake his face again, he backhanded me and wrenched my arm behind my back. Squirming, I continued to fight.

This was not how I thought my first experience would be. I wanted it to be with someone
I
considered special. Images of Rob flashed through my head.
He
was the one I wanted.

Jimmy’s face registered confidence when he realized he had me
pinned and couldn’t move.

His hand slithered over the towel, pushing
the bottom hem up to my waist. I gasped. He shifted his weight so I could feel his intentions. A sneer spread across his face. His mouth moved closer to mine.

“I’ll make you forget him. I promise.”

I turned my head so he couldn’t kiss me again. There was no escape. A tear slid down the side of my face. I held my breath. He was so heavy. I couldn’t get him off me. My arm was tired from fighting.

My voice cracked through my sobs.
“No, Jimmy, don’t!” I closed my eyes tight.

In the next second, the pressure was gone. I opened my eyes. Jimmy’s body was
across the room, crumpled at the bottom of my closet door. I sat up, grasping my towel, holding it in place. Rob was at the foot of the bed, shielding me from Jimmy.

Jimmy stood up, shook himself off, and charged for Rob. He was stifled by a punch to the stomach. Jimmy doubled over
, but it didn’t stop him. He regained himself and came at Rob again.

“She’s mine
!” Jimmy shouted
.
His face contorted as his eyes blazed hatred at Rob.

R
ob’s fist connected with Jimmy again. This time, it was his face. Blood poured from his nose. It stopped him, but only for a moment.

“You son-of-a-bitch!” Jimmy growled. He charged one more time, but never made it to Rob because I hit him over the head with my
alarm clock. His body fell to the floor with a thud.

I looked at Rob. A stream of blood trickled from his lower lip. I grabbed the towel that had been around my hair and lifted it to his mouth. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding.” I moved closer to him.