MOVING ON(25)

“How is Kelly?” Rose asked, stopping the other man with a hand to his chest.

“She’s hurting. There are no words to describe what she’s been through.”

“How are her parents handling it?” Rose asked, not letting the other man move.

“Her mother had to be sedated, and her father is being watched. He knows what’s happening, and he wants to be at the town hall when I show them what’s happened. Things are going to change in Cape Falls. It has to.” Gabriel nodded at them before leaving. Edward and William left.

So much had changed, and Peter didn’t know what the hell was going on. A few years ago, the Steer brothers had gotten permission to exhume their three fathers to find out which brother was Daisy’s father. Peter recalled the hurt in both Paul and David when they discovered their youngest father had been the one to stray from their mother. Daisy, at least, had gotten some closure from the pain. Her mother and the youngest Steer brother were her parents. Paul, David, and Daisy’s relationship was always strained.

The door closing pulled him out of his thoughts.

“I feel like I’ve woken up in the Twilight Zone,” Rose said.

He stroked her hair wishing he could take everything away that she’d just heard.

“Do you know Kelly well?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No. I’ve seen her around town, but I don’t really know her. It seems so cruel. I feel like I should know her.”

“Don’t worry about it, baby. There’s nothing we can do other than be there for her.”

He tightened his grip around her, not wanting to let her go.

“I feel so awful.”

“Why?” Peter asked.

He was doing a lot of asking just recently.

“Last night was the best night of my life, and I’m so happy. I don’t think I should be happy.”

Taking hold of her chin, Peter forced her to meet his gaze. “You should be happy. You’ve got nothing to be guilty about.”

“How can you not think I’m partly to blame?” she asked.

He didn’t understand the sudden change in her mood. “Where are all these thoughts coming from?” he asked.

“If you hadn’t taken me yesterday Brad might not have gone searching for another person,” Rose said.

His anger was instant as he looked at her.

“No, you’re not to blame. John finally came forward, and from what I heard this was not the first time.” He stroked her cheek trying his best to reassure her. “There’s no guilt here for you.”

She smiled. Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. “I don’t think my thoughts are ever going to change.”

“They will. Come on, go and get dressed. We’ll take a trip to the hospital and then on to the town hall. This is going to be a long day.”

Peter watched her leave as he went to the laundry room, grabbing out some laundered clothes. He paused in getting dressed. If this didn’t wake up the sleeping town of Cape Falls, he really didn’t know what would.

****

Rose rubbed her hands together as the nurse led her down to Kelly’s room. Peter stayed behind along with a few of the other visitors. Kelly didn’t want anyone to visit without her permission. Rose was surprised by the turn-out in the hospital. There were plenty of locals from Cape Falls present.

Her palms were sweaty, and she wished there was something more she could be doing.

“She’s right through there,” the nurse said.

There was a sense of doom around everyone. Rose sensed the pain in the hospital staff. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Rose rounded the door. She saw Kelly’s mother first. The older woman was reading to her daughter. Tears were evident on the woman’s face as she looked at the woman on the bed.

Rose cleared her throat looking toward the bed. Kelly’s face was bruised from fighting. Her body was covered with a hospital gown, covering most of the damage.

“Rose is here, honey. I’m going to check on your father and give him an update.”

Rose watched the older woman kiss Kelly before leaving her alone. There was only a year between the two. They weren’t strangers, but they weren’t close to each other. Rose felt like she had to be here for the other woman.

Kelly stared at her, not saying a word.

“How are you feeling?” Rose asked, then cursed. “I’m so sorry. That was insensitive.”

“You could start by coming inside and sitting down. I’d feel less contagious if you were to do that,” Kelly said, her voice sounding hard.

Rose moved into the room, taking a seat that Kelly’s mother had been sat in a moment ago.

Kelly let out a breath.

Rose saw the tears in the other woman’s face. Kelly was older than she was by a couple of years. Having only left school last year, Rose didn’t know if she could handle what Kelly was going through.