“I’ll come with ya,” Grampa says as Mom heads for the door. “I need somethin’. What are we havin’ for supper, Violet?”
“Chinese food, I think. Is that okay?” I ask this knowing it will be more than okay with Grampa. I decide I should put out the pizza Killian brought home last night, too. I don’t want to take a chance eating any and getting sick. I can’t chance ruining my love for pizza.
Grampa smiles and wrings his hands. “Sure is. Make sure you get me lots of those egg rolls. And deep-fried chicken wings. Deep fried. Not air-fried.”
“Just one, Dad. They’re not good for you. You’re not just coming with me to buy a chocolate bar, are you?”
“Three,” Grampa corrects. “And I need my lottery tickets.”
My brother chuckles.
“And a chocolate bar and some pork rinds,” Grampa adds under his breath.
“We already have chocolate cake,” Mom says as she opens the front door.
The alarm starts blaring and scares us all. I rush over and disarm it.
“Sorry. Should’ve said. Killian likes me to keep that on when he’s not home and I put it on when Will was leaving.”
“I like this guy more ‘n more,” Grampa remarks. “And can never have too much chocolate, Daph.”
“Back in a jiffy,” Mom says, looping her handbag over her shoulder.
I nab my phone and tap out a text to Killian.
I told my family about the baby. It’s a helpful distraction.
I lift the lobby phone and tell the desk guard that my mom and grandfather are going out and to let them back in when they get back.
As I’m saying goodbye to the guard, my cell phone rings so I rush to the kitchen counter to grab it. It’s a blocked number.
I answer it.
“Hello?”
“Collect call from… Ray. Do you accept the charges?” It’s an automated greeting with Ray’s voice saying his name.
My stomach flip-flops. A text alert comes in. I pull the phone away from my ear to glance at the screen.
Killian: Great news.
“Yes,” I say into the phone and quickly leave the room. “Back in a minute guys,” I call over my shoulder to Dad and Cody.
There’s a brief moment of silence, and then, “Violet?” Ray’s voice.
“Why are you calling me?” I demand, my heart galloping hard.
“I got out of that place,” he says. “But then I turned myself in. Got one call.”
“Well, it shouldn’t have been to me. We broke up. Remember? I’m married, and-”
“Listen – I called you ‘cuz I need you to pass on a message. I’m not sayin’ a word. Not a single word. I just need to be left alone. Tell him to leave me be. I’ll be in here, doin’ whatever time I get and then that’s it. When I get out, I’ll leave town, go as far away as I can go. I say nothin’ about nothin’ and he just lets me be. Get me? I also have a thing in place so if anything happens to me, he’ll get found out. I sent something somewhere before I turned myself in.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say.
“But pass that message on,” he says. “Okay?”
I hold the phone. “Is that it?” I finally snap.
“Vi?” he calls out.
“What?”
“If you can, leave. Get away. Evil, babe. Pure fuckin’ evil. Not just a criminal, he’s a psycho who likes to play with his prey before he finishes things. I think you know that. I know what I saw in your eyes the day you found out what was bein’ skirted and I can only hope you’re not stuck in a place you don’t wanna be.”
“That’s rich coming from you,” I mutter.
“I know I fucked up with you ‘n me. I know it was all on me. From my heart, Vi, I know it was my fault and I regret a lot. For what that’s worth. You deserved better. Wish I had it in me to give to you. And… I know my opinion means nothin’ to you no more. But that guy?” His voice drops an octave. “Get as far away from him as you can as soon as you can. Please. You deserve better than that, too. Abort that baby and fucking run.”
I shakily hit end without saying goodbye.
It takes a second for my lungs to work. When they do, I blow out a breath, a long one.
And my mind is assaulted with images of Ray. Images of Ray before things went to shit. That enigmatic smile. Moments together that were romantic. Our trip to Vegas. Our first Christmas. Him giving me a piggyback through the zoo on our third date because I had a raging and bleeding blister on my foot and didn’t want to leave before I got to see the polar bears. Him skipping with me on his back, making me giggle.
And then it shatters in my mind and I get a faster-paced montage of things smashing, my little doll in the purple dress, of him shouting at me, of me cowering and feeling despair. Loneliness. Palpable sadness. An empty wallet. Emptiness inside me as I lost myself and pushed everyone else away.