“Is the whole lot okay?”

“Are you able to get Nancy to make her a sizzling drink? She’s freezing and never responding to me.”

“Positive. I’ll make her a drink myself. Do you need to lay her in mattress? It would heat her up quicker.”

I nod. I carry Kally into my arms and stroll her over to the mattress. I lay her down, propped up on her pillows. She doesn’t say something, however tears roll down her cheeks. I rub them away with my thumb, lean in, and barely kiss her lips. The movement makes my very own eyes fill with tears.

This second makes me notice I can’t attain Kally with out assist. She’s caught too far in an abyss for me to do something with out making issues worse. The considered shedding her breaks my coronary heart. I carry her chilly hand to my lips and place a kiss on her knuckles. I cry for me. For her. For the whole lot she confronted with out me. I cry as a result of I really feel like a fucking failure. I couldn’t even save the one particular person I really like.

The clunk of a cup on the nightstand makes me lookup. Caleb sits on the alternative aspect of the mattress, reaches over, and pats my shoulder. He watches Kally carefully and growls out his displeasure.

“I must get her assist. I’m thus far out of my depth I don’t even know what to do,” I admit.

“We’re advocates for a charity known as Girl Issues in Chicago. I’ll give them a name and see in the event that they can provide us the title of a great clinic or psychologist right here in New Orleans. Give me a couple of minutes.”

“Caleb.” He pauses and turns again to me. “Why are you serving to us?”

Caleb sits again down. “I’ve been the place you’re. I do know what it looks like when you possibly can’t assist the one one that means extra to you than the air you breathe. I additionally such as you and Kally. And we owe Jared for giving us the knowledge he did to seek out Shay. Clay was taking place a darkish gap till Jared reached out to us with data. Belief me, I do know what you’re going by means of.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say something. Let’s simply assist your woman.”

“Thanks.”

Caleb leaves the room. I climb on the mattress beside Kally and tuck her head below my chin. She convulses beside me, and I let my tears fall freely. We’re a damaged mess.

Proper now, I discover it onerous to imagine we’ll ever discover our manner again from this. Seeing Kally so helpless, defeated… it’s what I knew Colton would do to her. I simply hoped and prayed that he would fall in love together with her and spare her this heartache and ache. I feel that was what stored me going over the past three years, hoping for one of the best end result. However Colton is evil. The truth that he comes from the identical gene pool as I do makes me bodily sick. How somebody I do know might end up so bitter and twisted is past me.

He should pay for what he’s performed. He should see what destruction he brought about to an harmless woman. I’ll by no means settle till he will get his day.

***

I sit on my sofa and faucet my knee. I hold wanting on the clock, hoping that point accelerates, simply so I can get some solutions. It’s been two hours since I discovered Kally sitting on the chair at midnight. Caleb has discovered a physician who has scheduled us in for one p.m. She’s coming right here since Kally hasn’t left her mattress. She fell asleep in my arms, and I left her comfy and heat. I hold checking on her to verify she’s nonetheless secure. I’ve this deep want to guard her. I do know she isn’t a toddler, however seeing her so distraught and sad is unsettling.

“Clark.” Nancy walks in the direction of me with Caleb. “That is Dr. Bellingham. She’s right here to see Kally.”

I nod. I get up and maintain my hand out to the physician. “Thanks for coming over so promptly. I don’t know what else to do for Kally.”

“It’s good to satisfy you, Clark. Please, name me Gail. We could sit?” She factors to the seat I simply acquired out of.

I really feel like a misplaced pet, and I hate being so uncontrolled.

I lookup as Caleb and Nancy stroll away to the kitchen. Little doubt Nancy has already acquired Dr. Bellingham’s drink order to handle.

“I’ve heard Kally has been by means of a horrific couple of years.”

I nod. “Horrible time.”

“I may also help her. I’m glad you discovered me. I cope with sufferers who’ve been raped, abused, crushed… issues that may take quite a bit out of an individual. However you will need to imagine that the Kally you understand continues to be in there. She’s simply being shadowed by grief and ache. The physique works in mysterious methods to guard us once we most want it. That is Kally’s physique’s manner of claiming she wants assist. And we will do this. We can provide her all the assistance she wants.”

“I’ve by no means seen her like this earlier than. She’s normally so vibrant and bubbly. My brother has dimmed the life in her eyes.”

Nancy locations a tray of espresso down on the desk with biscuits and muffins. She’s the right hostess. I’ve clearly forgotten the manners she instilled in me.

“What introduced you so far at present? What made you notice you wanted assist?”

“She’s been off for a few days. Nicely, because the funeral of her little woman, actually. She’s simply…” I pause and check out to consider the appropriate phrases. “She’s like a ghost of herself. She hardly speaks, her consuming has turn into minimal, she spends most of her time in her room, and this morning, I discovered her at midnight, sitting like a block of ice within the nook of her room. I put her into mattress to get her heat and he or she fell asleep in my arms, however that’s when Caleb, our safety man, stated he works with an organization in Chicago that may be capable to put us in contact with somebody right here.”

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