Vindicated (20 page)

I didn’t know if I could keep hiding everything from him.

In an attempt to avoid the conversation I knew would be coming with Alex, I insisted on spending every moment of the rest of the day with my parents.
 
I may have wanted to avoid my mother, but I wanted to avoid having to explain everything to Alex even more.

That evening, my parents being entertained by Alex, Amber, and Rod, I excused myself to go and check on Sal.
 

The house was quiet when I first walked in, though every single light was left on.
 
Checking the first floor, I found no signs of Sal.
 

Keeping my feet quiet on the stairs to not wake her should she be asleep, I descended.
 
And froze on the bottom step.

I could hear Sal talking, her voice low and hurried.
 
She made no pauses, didn’t wait for a response, just continued her rushed speech.

For a few moments my heart leapt into my throat.
 
There shouldn’t have been anyone in the house.
 
Who was she talking to?
 
Silently, I followed the sound of her voice, into her bedroom, and peeked around her bathroom door, which was just barely cracked.

Sal stood in front of the mirror, hurriedly speaking to her reflection, her eyes wide and blood-shot looking.
 
Her hands twisted around each other, occasionally flitting to her mouth, covering her lips, though she never ceased her mumbled conversation.

“You… you…” she stuttered, looking at herself in the mirror.
 
“Never should have talked to you at the beach that day.
 
Never should have said hello.
 
Hitting, hitting.
 
So much hitting.
 
I said stop, I said stop, but you, you couldn’t listen.”

I swallowed hard, remaining silent just outside the door.
 
She was talking about her husband.

Or maybe talking
to
him.

“I…” she took a gasping, rattling breath, squeezing her eyes closed for a moment.
 
“I can’t remember what it felt like.
 
I felt it moving.
 
I know I did.
 
But I can’t remember…”

I thought back through what I knew about Sal’s past, trying to recall what she might be talking about.

“You…” tears started streaking down her cheeks.
 
“You took him away!
 
The blood…
 
Mine… his.
 
You killed him!
 
You killed our baby boy!”

Goosebumps flashed across my skin and my blood chilled as I finally understood what Sal was ranting about.

Sal had been pregnant when Roger had nearly beaten her to death.
 
She’d lost the baby because of him.
 
That explained why he’d been sentenced to jail for the rest of his life.

He’d nearly ended two lives that day.

I never knew about that part.

“Sal?” I called, my throat tight.
 
The word cracked as it came out.

She jumped violently, her hands finally falling still at her sides.
 
She whipped around to face me, her eyes wide, and almost guilty looking.

“Are you okay?” I asked as I pushed the door open.

She pressed her lips tightly together and gave a small nod.

“Are you sure?”
 
I saw her hands start to tremble.

“Uh huh,” she said with a shaky breath, wiping away one of the tears that rolled down her face.

“Why don’t you come lay down?” I asked, stepping into the bathroom and placing a hand on her back.
 
Gently, I started guiding her back toward her bed.
 
“It’s getting really late.”

“Yes,” she said, a small, very fake looking smile spreading on her face.
 
“It’s very late.
 
Very late.”

Sal crawled into her bed and I pulled the covers up to her chin.
 
Sitting on the edge of her bed, I brushed the hair away from her face without thinking about it.
 
She twitched away, her eyes squinting closed, her face cringing.

“I’m sorry, Sal!” I said, horrified, regret instantly filling me.
 
I should have known better.
 
She didn’t like to be touched in general and considering the state I had just found her in, this was the worst time I could have touched her.

“It’s okay,” she said, squeezing her eyes closed again for a moment, taking a deep breath.
 
“You won’t hurt me.”

“No,” I shook my head.
 
“I would never hurt you.”

“Never,” Sal said, shaking her head with her eyes closed.

“You know if something is going on that you can talk to me, right?” I asked.

She pressed her lips tight together again and nodded her head.
 
A moment later she opened her eyes.
 
As she looked up at me I saw fear hidden somewhere in them.

“Will you be okay tonight?” I asked, feeling my heart sink.
 
It was so unfair, everything she had to go through.
 
“I could stay tonight if you wanted.”

She shook her head once.
 
“I’ll be okay, Jessica,” she said, a small smile spreading on her face.
 
“You’re a good girl.”

“So are you,” I smiled back and stood.
 
“Good-night, Sal.”

“Night.”

I glanced back at her just once more as I walked out her door.
 
She was staring wide-eyed at the ceiling above her, the faintest movement forming on her lips.

She was getting worse.

As I got to the top of the stairs, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Alex.
 
He picked up on the second ring.

“Hey,” he answered.
 
I could hear everyone laughing in the background.

“Hi,” I said quietly.
 
I didn’t want Sal to hear me.
 
“Um, I think I’d better stay over here for the night.
 
Sal’s not doing too good.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice concerned.

I sighed, pacing the floor.
 
“Sal’s been acting strange lately.
 
She keeps seeing her husband who’s in jail.
 
She hasn’t been sleeping well.
 
Just now I found her in her bathroom having a full-fledged conversation with herself in the mirror.
 
She was really upset.”

“Do you want me to come over there with you?” he asked, I could hear him shutting a door behind him, like he had walked into the bedroom for privacy.

“No,” I breathed.
 
“I’ll be okay.
 
I’m just going to try and get some sleep on her couch.
 
You keeping the troops entertained?”

“Yeah, everyone’s just playing a game right now,” Alex answered on the other line.

“Will you tell them that I’m sorry to cut the night short?”

“Sure.”

“Alex,” I said, pausing for just a moment.
 
“I love you.”

My heart sank into my stomach for just a second when Alex paused for an instant too long.
 
“I love you too.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Sal had muttered for an hour straight before she finally quieted.
 
My eyes looked up at the ceiling, wide with the horror of hearing the frightening, nonsensical things Sal repeated over and over again.
 
I breathed a sigh of relief when she finally fell asleep.

I didn’t sleep more than two or three hours myself.
 
As the sun made its way to the tops of the trees I slipped out Sal’s front door.
 
I didn’t want to upset her further by being caught on her couch unexpectedly.
 

The house was quiet as I walked in the door.
 
I chuckled as I found Amber and Rod asleep on the couch in the living room, the two of them tangled in each other in an uncomfortable looking way.
 
Amber snored softly.
 
I assumed my parents had made their way to their hotel room late last night.

I found Alex out on the back deck, standing at the railing, leaning with his forearms rested on it.
 
His scars were in plain view on his bare back, his legs crossed at the ankle, covered in a breezy pair of sweats.

As I walked toward the door, he turned to look at me.
 
The light danced in his grey eyes, the sun making his flawless skin glow.
 
His face lightened in a quick smile as he saw me.
 
I couldn’t help but return it as I crossed the room and walked out onto the deck.

He wrapped his arms around me as I stepped into him, his breath tickling the skin on my neck.

“How’s Sal?” he asked quietly.

“Alright, I guess,” I replied.
 
“She had a rough night.”

“Did you get any sleep?”

“Maybe three hours,” I answered honestly.

Alex shook his head.
 
“You’d better watch out, I may just slip some sleeping pills into your dinner tonight so you get rested up before the big day.”

My heart jumped into my throat.
 
“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” Alex said with a smile as he looked into my eyes.

“I…” I struggled with words.
 
“I didn’t really ever think this day would come.
 
It still doesn’t really feel real.”

“This is real,” he said as he smiled, and then pressed his lips to mine.
 
“This is real,” he moved them to my neck.
 
“You’re real.
 
My beautiful, strong Jessica.”

His lips met mine again, moving with well-practiced movements.
 
But the kiss deepened for only moments.

“Can’t you guys wait until you’re alone tomorrow night?” Amber said groggily, squinting through the bright light.

“Hey, this is our house,” Alex teased as we stepped away from each other.
 
I just chuckled and glared at her.

She grunted something incomprehensible and shuffled toward the bathroom.
 
Rod gave a loud snorting snore on the couch, rolling over, and falling to the floor.
 
He continued to snooze away.
 
Alex and I broke out into muffled laughter.

“It’s going to be a busy day today,” Alex said quietly as he stepped back into the house, me following him.
 

I nodded, sitting at the bar.
 
Alex opened the fridge and poured a glass of orange juice.
 
He looked at it for a moment, longing in his eyes.

“It couldn’t be too bad if I just took one sip, right?” he said, his eyes never leaving the orange surface.

“Yeah, ‘cause it’s so fun trying to hack it back up,” I said as I shook my head and held my hand out for the glass.

“Fine,” he said with a sigh, handing it over, a hint of a smile threatening to take over his face.

“So,” I said after a long draw.
 
“I’m going with my mom to pick up the flowers this afternoon.
 
You’ve got the cake about done?”

Alex nodded.
 
“You going to be okay with her on your own this afternoon?”

I shrugged, keeping my eyes glued to the countertop.
 
“I’ll have to be I guess.
 
We’ll see how things go.”

“I’m really proud of you, you know that?” he said as he took one of my hands in his.
 
“You’ve taken ‘moving on’ to a whole new level, way more than I expected you too.”

“Tomorrow proves you have too,” I said cautiously.
 
Bringing up the last few months was a delicate subject.