Cam blanched as sucked in a deep breath. I did not attempt to lie. Cam knew well what my father was capable of. She had seen the bruises on my body for years.
“Is that why you don’t like to wear revealing clothes? Are you scarred?” I nodded again.
Tears were pouring from my eyes, but I couldn’t make a sound. I knew what her next question would be.
“Lee can I see?” Cam asked.
I rolled over, lying onto my stomach. Cam pulled up my nightshirt and gasped. She started to cry and pulled me into a hug. “You’re not going back there. I don’t care what happens between you and Kyle. I’m gonna take of you. Promise me Lee. Promise me you’ll never go back there.”
I nodded, as I leaned against her. “I promise.”
I was still awake when Cam slipped out of my room an hour later. I’d expected her to leave. She had Derek and needed to be with him, but when she came back into my room a few minutes later with some ice for my hand, I felt a silent tear fall from my eyes.
Chapter Twenty
Lee
I woke with another pounding headache. This was becoming the norm I thought drowsily, as sunlight beamed through my curtains. Stretching out I flexed my arms and yelped in surprise as a sharp pain shot up my wrist.
I pulled my hand out from under the covers for closer inspection. I groaned as last night’s debacle flooded my mind. I’d hoped that maybe I had dreamt the whole thing up, but no Kyle’s fingerprints were bruised into my skin; skin that was now purple and swollen. I tried to move it, but a much sharper pain jolted through me so I stopped.
Oh, crap, how was I going to work with one hand, waitressing required the use of both hands. I moaned loudly and dragged my tired body up. I didn’t want to be in this room anymore; Rachel had tainted it with her poison. I didn’t have a cell phone and I needed to contact Linda and let her know I wouldn’t be in work today.
I went downstairs to the kitchen, grabbed the landline and dialed Linda’s number. She answered on the first ring and had already heard about my injured hand; Mr. Carter had signed me off work for the rest of the week.
When I hung up, I headed straight over to turn on the percolator. Coffee, I definitely needed to make some. I was surprised to see it was already made for me. I was usually the first up in the morning.
“Lee.” Cam’s voice sounded from behind me and I jumped with surprise. I hadn’t seen her there at all.
“God you scared me Cam.” I walked over to the table and sat beside her.
She pushed a cup towards me. “How are you feeling? You want to talk about things?” I could hear the sympathy rolling from her question and I cringed. I neither needed, nor wanted sympathy from anyone ever again. I left that behind me.
“I’m fine Cam; last night just brought back some ugly memories for me.” I lifted my cup with my sore wrist and whimpered, quickly changing hands.
“Hmm, I figured that out Lee, but last night was about more than your father. Wasn’t it?” I noticed the sadness laced in her tone of voice, it wasn’t hard to miss. She looked at me when I didn’t answer and nodded. “Fair enough, you’ll talk when you’re ready.”
I felt awful. Cam had taken me in with no explanation and the girl was a good friend to me; my only friend. Cam deserved to know why I had ended up on her doorstep. I took a deep breath. “Two months before I came here, I was attacked.” There I had said it.
I heard Cam gasp. “You were robbed?” she asked.
I wished it had been so uncomplicated. I would have happily handed over my purse if it meant my life stayed on course. “Uh, no, it was a different kind of attack.” I ducked my head in shame.
“Oh fuck no,” she shouted. I cringed from the tone of her voice. I glanced at her face; she looked murderous.
“You don’t believe me.” Of course she didn’t. No one had believed me when I went to the police, not even my father.
“Believe you? Of course I believe you Lee.” She grabbed me and pulled me towards her. I tensed, but relaxed into her embrace. “When you say you were attacked,” she paused, clearly struggling with how to sentence the next question.
“He didn’t,” I said quickly. “I mean he nearly did, but I got away.” Barely, I wanted to add, but I didn’t think Cam needed to hear the gory details.
“Oh thank god,” she said relieved. “Who was he? Did you see his face? He was charged wasn’t he? Tell me you nailed the bastard to the cross Lee.”
I sucked in a shuddering breath, holding back the tears. “Yes I knew him, his name is Perry Franklin; he was in my English class at school. It happened after prom. I wasn’t supposed to go, but Perry asked me and Cam I really wanted to go. Daddy was gone out of town on work and I had just wanted to be normal for one night, to experience one normal teenage moment. Anyway, prom was a complete disaster, but he didn’t touch me until he dropped me home.” I cringed thinking back.