"Will you be okay in here?" he asked her.
"I'm fine, Ryan. I'm sorry about that. I think I'm just tired. I know you'd never hit me," she said, trying to sound casual but not pulling it off. He bent down and gently took her lips with his, needing to reassure them both that everything was going to be okay.
"I'll be back soon," he told her and walked from the room. He left the door open a crack and told the housekeeper to keep an eye on her. He also had the cook send up something for her to snack on, while in the tub. He knew she'd be back to normal soon.
Ryan walked down the hall and knocked on Patsy's door. He was amazed but a smile came to his face because her music was playing so loud she couldn't have heard anything. He hated to open her door and invade her privacy but he needed to talk to her. He cracked the door and peaked inside and she was in the middle of the room, dancing around to some obnoxious song coming from the stereo system he'd bought her. At least she appreciated his gifts, he thought.
He smiled, watching her for a few minutes, loving the happy expression on her face. She was a great kid and he was glad her life was a bit more comfortable. She swung around and spotted him there, a pink flush coming to her cheeks.
"I didn't hear you come in," she said a bit sheepishly.
"I'm sorry about that. I knocked but I don't think you would've heard if the house had come falling down around you," he told her a little too loudly since that was the only way she could hear him.
She walked over to her radio and turned the volume down. There was still a bit of ringing in his ears and he prayed the horrible song she was listening to didn't get stuck in his head. He thought he really must be getting old because there was a time he would've blasted the radio just as loudly and danced along with her.
"What's up Ryan?"
"I was wondering if we could talk for a few minutes. Can you come downstairs, with me?" he asked. He didn't want to get lost in her chaotic room. She was certainly not a clean freak but what teenager was?
"Sure, I was starting to crave some chocolate, anyway," she agreed and followed him to the kitchen. He waited while she grabbed some brownies and milk and sat at the table with him. The cook had long ago discovered her love of brownies and always made sure to have fresh ones ready, daily. The entire staff had fallen in love with both Patsy and Nicole.
"I want to talk to you about Nicole. She won't want to talk to me about it but I need to know, so I can help her," he said to Patsy, making sure she was looking at him and could understand what he was saying.
"You want to know about the beatings, don't you?" she asked him, completely shocking him. She said it in almost a casual tone but he could see the pain behind her eyes.
"Yes," he said to her. He didn't know what else he could say, so he sat back and waited for her to speak. She looked at her plate, then pushed it away as if she'd lost her appetite. He could relate to that. He didn't think he'd be able to ever eat again.
"It started when she was still pretty young," Patsy began and he was shocked. Who the hell would've beaten her when she was young? He simply couldn't comprehend what she was telling him. "When dad lost his job, he sunk to an all-time low. He was always grouchy and kind of cruel with his words but when he lost work, he started taking it out on Nicole. Mom was a drunk and didn't help at home. As I got older, he started noticing me more, but Nicole always got between us. She never once allowed him to hit me but that just meant she took twice as much. I know he cracked a few of her bones and she was always black and blue," she said, as a tear tracked down her cheek.
"He was really careful to never hit her in the face though. He couldn't let anyone see how he was terrorizing her. I begged for her to let me tell someone but she said she'd take it until she turned eighteen. Then she'd be able to look after me. She said if we ever told anyone they'd put us in foster care and we wouldn't be in the same home. She was always so strong too, she never screamed, or even cried out. Her tears would fall which that bastard seemed to really enjoy. It seemed his whole purpose in life was to break her but she was so strong. He never really did break her. I think she hurt far more when you were no longer a part of her life, than when he hit her," Patsy finished. Tears were now soaking her face and he handed her napkins.
"I never knew," he said painfully.
"Nobody knew because that's how she wanted it. When we left, neither of us ever looked back and when they died, neither of us cried. We didn't feel any loss. To tell you the truth, we both felt safer knowing there was no chance he could come after us again. If it wouldn't have been for Nicole he would've broken me. I'm not nearly as strong as her and I couldn't have taken the beatings, like she did. I tried though, Ryan, I really did. I tried to come between them but she'd lock me out of her room and I'd hear him through the doorway, hitting her over and over again," she said, openly sobbing. She couldn't talk any more.