“I just meant that you fit here—with me, in this house, at the firm. You’re perfect.”
Smooth, I thought to myself.
“I don’t feel very perfect right now.” I gently touched my swollen cheek. “I feel pretty broken actually.”
He pulled my hand away from my face and clasped it tightly in both of his. “You’re perfect.”
He didn’t apologize or even glance at the swollen and bruised part of my face. I wanted to smack him. He’d been so sincere about it in his office, but now, it was like he was pretending I wasn’t black-and-blue.
I was so lost in my anger that I didn’t even realize that Robert was moving toward me. By the time I noticed, his lips were crashing against mine. I tensed for a moment before I forced myself to relax. I had known that forgiving him would include kissing him. I wasn’t blind, but I hadn’t expected to feel the nausea rising up in my throat as he continued to kiss me. I forced it away and tried to focus on anything else as I started to kiss him back.
My mind went to Shelly with her beautiful smile and loving nature. I focused on her instead of what was going on now. I thought of all the times we’d spent together over the years. I’d watched her grow up in our foster home and even after. My mind drifted to the day at the zoo when Cooper had accompanied us. Shelly absolutely adored Cooper, something that she’d made quite obvious.
Robert slowly pulled away from me and cupped the good side of my face. “I want you, Claire.”
I shook my head before I could stop myself. “I can’t.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
Anger spiked through my veins. “Because my ribs are black and blue. I can barely walk without wincing.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”
I shrugged. “It’s fine, but I think I want to go to bed. I don’t feel so great all of a sudden.”
He nodded as he flipped the television off. “Bed sounds like a good idea. Do you mind if I join you?”
Cooper seriously owed me for everything I was doing, and I had every intention of letting him know that.
“Not at all.” I took Robert’s hand in mine as we started walking toward the stairs.
When we reached them, we both stopped at a sound that came from behind us. Cooper stood in the doorway. His eyes were glued to our joined hands.
“Cooper,” Robert said, suddenly tense. “I see you finally decided to come home.”
“I’ve been home for over a week, Father. I just didn’t feel like hanging around with the lovebirds.” He smirked at us. “Seeing you two look all lovey-dovey as you head upstairs, I was obviously right to stay away. I wouldn’t want to hear that again.”
“Cooper…” Robert’s voice was full of warning, and his hand tightened around mine.
“What? I’m just stating the obv—holy fuck. What the hell happened to you?” Cooper’s tone turned sharp as his eyes landed on my face.
I gave him a questioning look as Robert’s entire body went rigid.
“Your face looks like it went through a meat grinder!” Cooper said when neither Robert nor I had spoken.
“I, uh…I fell down the stairs a few days ago,” I lied.
Cooper’s eyes swung to Robert. “Like hell you did. My father did this to you, didn’t he, Claire?”
“No! I fell,” I said.
What was Cooper’s end game?
The only thing that would come of this was a fight between him and Robert. My eyes widened. That was what he wanted. He was looking for an excuse to go after Robert.
Cooper swiftly moved across the room. Before either of us could react, he swung back and nailed Robert in the stomach—hard. Robert released my hand and doubled over in pain. He wheezed, causing Cooper to smirk at him for a moment, before he turned his attention to me.
“And you!” Cooper pointed at me. “You’re worse than I thought. I knew you were weak, but to stay with him after he hurt you like that? You’ve sunk to a new low. You two deserve each other.”
He pushed past me and darted up the stairs. All I could do was watch him go.
Cooper was officially the king of manipulation. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was playing me the way he had just played Robert.
Robert left early the next day. Neither of us had spoken about what Cooper had done, but I knew Robert was angry. It practically radiated off of him. I hoped that Cooper knew what he was doing because I’d been on the wrong side of Robert’s wrath, and it wasn’t pretty.
Since it was Saturday, I didn’t have to work, but apparently, Robert had things he needed to take care of at his office. I wondered if he was really going to the office or if he was sneaking off to meet a mistress I didn’t know about. Cooper had shown me photographs before I married Robert, proving that he had cheated on Marie. When everything had fallen apart between Cooper and me, I’d pushed his proof aside, deciding to believe the best of Robert. Now, I knew better. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was cheating, and a part of me didn’t care. The other part simply hated the fact that he was making a fool of me.
I barged into Cooper’s room the minute Robert had left. I was angry with him for what he’d said to me even if I knew he had only been playing a part. Cooper was still fast asleep when I walked in. Too annoyed to wait, I jerked the covers away from him and smacked his arm.
He jerked awake, his eyes flying open. “What the hell?”
“My thoughts exactly. What was last night all about?” I demanded.
He rubbed his eyes like a little boy before sitting up. I hated the fact that I found it cute. I hated that I found almost everything about Cooper cute.
“You seriously woke me up at”—he glanced at the clock on his nightstand—“eight in the morning to discuss this?”
“Yeah, I did, so spill.”
He groaned. “I had to do something, Claire. If I had come in, knowing about your face, he would’ve been suspicious because he knows me. He knows I would’ve gone after him the moment I saw you, so I pretended that I hadn’t. Plus, it gave me a good excuse to punch him, so that was a perk, too.”
I rolled my eyes. “And what would you have done if he’d been so angry that he took it out on me again?”
“He wouldn’t, not while I’m around. He knows I’d kill him for touching you or anyone else.”
“While I’m glad you have confidence in your ability to scare your father, I don’t have the same confidence. After all, it’s my face that would be rearranged, not yours.”
“Claire, my father knows how I work. He knows that when my rage takes over, he’s no match for me. He’s strong, but I’m stronger, and hate is one hell of a fuel to add to my fire.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just don’t pull that shit again, okay?”
“I won’t. I think I made it pretty clear last night that I don’t want anything to do with either of you. I plan to stay far away from you when he’s around.” He must have seen the worry on my face. “But I’ll still be here. Don’t worry. I won’t leave you on your own.”
“This is such a clusterfuck,” I groaned as I sat down on the end of his bed.
“Nah, it just seems that way. You just stick to the plan, and all of this will be over before you know it.”
“Will it really? How long have you been after him, Coop? And look where you’re at—nowhere.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “That’s because I had nowhere to start. Now, I have you. Once you earn his trust fully, we’ll get him to admit it. If not, you can snoop in places I can’t. Either way, we’ll bring him down—together.”
I sighed. “I hope so, Cooper, because I don’t know how long I can do this. I’m not a liar by nature. I don’t deceive or pretend to like people when I don’t. This is hard for me, harder than you realize.”
“I know this is hard, Claire. I realize how fucked up this situation is. I hated asking for your help, but I have no other choice at this point. I’m desperate.”
“It’s all right. I’m the one who agreed. You didn’t force me. I could’
ve walked away, but I didn’t. I want to help. That’s why I’m still here.”
Cooper smiled at me. “Thanks, Claire.”
“So, what happens next?” I asked.
“When will Robert be in court?”
“If I remember right, Tuesday morning.”
“Double-check his schedule, and then ask Becky on Monday if it’s still scheduled. If so, plan to head into his office on Tuesday morning.”
“What am I supposed to do? Just walk right in?” I asked. “He’s not going to leave the door unlocked so that just anyone can walk in.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment. “No, he wouldn’t leave it unlocked for just anyone, but I bet his secretary has a key.”
“If I ask her to let me in, she’s going to tell him, Coop.”
“She will, which is why you need to have a good excuse for being in there.”
“I’m all ears,” I said sarcastically.
Cooper was silent for a moment, obviously lost in thought. “You want in so that you can surprise him with flowers.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Really. It’ll work, Claire. He’ll think you’re still kissing ass to get you two back on track, and it’ll give you an in with his secretary.”
“Dropping off flowers won’t give me enough time to snoop,” I pointed out.
“Tell her you plan to wait for him, but then say you can’t wait any longer. I’ve met his secretary, Claire. She’s a nice girl, but she’s not the brightest crayon in the box.”
“You’re just making this up as you go, aren’t you?” I asked.
He grinned. “I am, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work. Trust me.”
“Famous last words,” I mumbled.
“Oh, and, Claire?” Cooper asked as he stood.
“What?”
“You might want to think about what you’re doing before you burst into my room and pull the blankets down like you did this morning.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because next time, I might be naked.”
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I walked into the kitchen with my purse slung over my shoulder.
“Hey, Claire. Where are you headed?” Ellie asked.
I smiled at her. “I’m going to pick up Shelly. I called this morning, and Tammy said I could have her for a few hours. I thought it might do me some good to get away from everything for a while.”
She nodded as her eyes flashed to my cheek. Thankfully, the swelling was going down, and the bruise was starting to fade. I could hide it a lot better now than before, but if people looked close enough, they could tell that I had a nice shiner.
Ellie knew what was underneath the makeup. She’d seen me the day after it had happened. She’d gasped and moved toward me, but I’d simply shaken my head and walked away. Ellie was Robert’s housekeeper. She had been for years. There was no way I could tell her what had happened. I feared she might confront him—or worse, she might quit. I couldn’t imagine this house without Ellie in it.
“You have fun. If you want, bring her back here, and I’ll make something nice for dinner.”
I shook my head. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I want to spend the day just with her. If I bring her back here, she’ll hunt for Coop. I think she has a crush on him.”
Ellie chuckled. “What female between the ages of ten and forty doesn’t?”
I chose to stay silent, only giving her a small smile. Talking to Ellie about my slight attraction to Cooper sounded about as fun as getting punched in the face. She didn’t need to know how twisted my mind was.
“I’ll see you later, Ellie!” I called over my shoulder as I walked to the door leading to the garage.
I climbed into my car and backed out of the garage. I didn’t look back at the house of horrors I was living in. I pulled out onto the main road. The drive to pick up Shelly gave me time to think. I wished it hadn’t. My mind spun in a million different directions as I tried to look past all the bad things that could happen. If Robert found out that I was using him to help Cooper, I had no doubt that the beatdown I’d receive from him would be brutal, even compared to what he had done already. That made me realize one thing for sure. Robert could not find out.
My thoughts drifted to Cooper. Sadly, I wasn’t even thinking about our plan. Instead, I was just thinking about him. That was dangerous. Images of him standing shirtless in front of me flashed before my eyes. I was obviously attracted to him. I’d lied to myself for so long, and I was tired of pushing those thoughts away. I could at least admit them to myself even if I would never dare say them out loud to him or anyone else. In my defense, Cooper was only a few years older than me. It was natural for me to find him attractive. It was the simple fact that he was my stepson that turned my stomach, and that made the way I felt about him oh-so very wrong.
I shook my head to clear it as I pulled up to Shelly’s house.
It didn’t matter how I felt about Cooper. Once this was all over, I would leave him, Robert, and the rest of Morgantown behind. I planned to divorce Robert and take what money I’d made at the firm with me so that I could start over again. I had no idea what I would do or where I would go, but I wanted to be far away from this place. Morgantown had brought me nothing but hardship, and I knew it would only get worse before it got better. I wanted out. It hurt to think about leaving Shelly, Cooper, and Ellie behind, but I knew it would be for the best. I could never escape my past if I tried to cling to those around me.
The front door of the house swung open, and Shelly came barreling down the steps to my car. Seeing the smiling face of my favorite foster sibling put a smile on my face despite all the tension and fear I felt. That was just how Shelly was. She made everyone around her happy. Most kids would give up not long after they hit the system but not her. She wasn’t jaded or angry. I prayed that she never would be.
“Claire!” she cried as she scrambled into the passenger seat. She threw her tiny arms around me. “I missed you so much!”
I tightly hugged her back. “I missed you, too.”
“I was starting to wonder if you had forgotten all about me,” she said as she pulled away.
I watched as she fastened her seat belt. “I could never forget about you. This week was a long one, and I was busy. I started a new job.”
“Oh, where?” she asked.
I pulled away from the curb. “At the law firm that my husband owns. It’s boring, but it gets me out of the house. I mainly file paperwork and run errands.”
“That’s cool. I bet you’re glad to work with Robert. You get to see him more now.”
My smile was forced. “Yeah, it’s great.”
“So, where are we going today? Can we go back to your house? Is Cooper there? I want to see him again.”
Her voice was hopeful, and I couldn’t help but grin at her. She absolutely loved Cooper.
“You really like Cooper, don’t you?”
“Yeah, he’s nice to me. Plus, he’s cute,” she said.
“He’s too old for you to think he’s cute.”
“Psh.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m almost eleven, Claire, not five. I know a cute boy when I see one.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“So, are we going back to your house to see him today?”
“No, I don’t think he’s even home,” I fibbed. “I thought we could spend the day together—just you and me. We can grab some lunch and go to the park. Maybe rent a couple of bikes and ride for a little while.”
“That sounds fun. But next time, you should bring Cooper.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said as I pulled into the drive-through at a fast-food restaurant.
“I’m serious. You always smile more when he’s around. It’s like he makes you perpetually happy.”
“Perpetually? Your vocabulary is growing, I see,” I teased.
“I’m growing up, Claire.”
“Th
at you are,” I said, suddenly sad to realize that was the truth.
Shelly was on that precipice between child and preteen, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to let her grow up. I pushed that thought aside. I couldn’t control time, and even though I wanted her to forever remain an innocent child, I knew that was impossible.
Shelly stayed silent as I ordered our food and then paid. I found that strange since I could barely get a word in usually. Once they handed the food out to me, I continued through Morgantown, heading for the park.
“You okay?” I asked when Shelly still hadn’t spoken.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“You sure? You’re usually more chatty than this.”
I sighed when she didn’t say anything. The next ten minutes crept by as the car was suffocated by our silence. When I pulled into a parking spot and shut off the car, Shelly grabbed the food and climbed out. I followed her over to the picnic tables and sat down across from her. She dug into the bag and pulled out her food before tossing the bag to me.
“Shelly, what’s wrong? You know you can talk to me about anything.”
She finally looked at me. “You can tell me anything, too.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay…”
“I can see your face, Claire.”
My stomach dropped. I thought I’d covered my fading bruise with enough makeup to hide it from her but apparently not.
“Shelly, I…”
“Don’t,” she said, cutting me off. “You’re the strongest person I know, Claire. Why would you let someone do that to you? I was in a foster home before I came to Rick and Tammy’s. I saw the bruises that the man had left on his wife’s face. Yours are the same.”
“I don’t know what to say, Shell.” I hated how choked up my voice sounded.
“Tell me that you ran away from whoever did that to you.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“But it is. You just have to walk away. You always told me to stand up for myself. Why aren’t you standing up for yourself?”
Being chastised by a ten-year-old made me hate myself even more for falling for Robert’s tricks. Even though she was young, Shelly was wise beyond her years. It seemed that she was far wiser than I was at the moment.
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