Hide (Mommy's House 3)

16

"I don't understand it," Cole's voice sounded. It was soft, raspy - he was trying to be quiet. "That guy hurts her. Why does she go back to him so much?"

"I don't know," James said. "For months, he was feeding her alcohol like it was water. She'd call us sometimes and she'd sound like she was on another planet almost every single time. I think she knows he'll give her what she wants."

There was a long pause filled with silence.

"Trust me, we all wish she never met that guy," James grumbled.

Cole drew a deep breath. "I don't even know how she can stomach alcohol after what happened to us."

"She's desperate to get rid of her pain," James answered. "Daniel saw a sad, traumatized young girl and he took advantage of her. And the way she is... she thinks she deserves to be treated badly."

Bella had woken up as the two of them were speaking beside her bed. Her head ached and her stomach turned, threatening to bring up last night's mistake, but she was used to that feeling. She kept her eyes closed so James and Cole would think she was still sleeping - she wanted to know what they were saying.

"I just wish she knew that she deserves better," Cole said softly, and Bella's chest filled with warmth instantly.

"Me too, Cole," James said. "Me too."

They were quiet again.

"Did you see or hear her leave last night?" James questioned suddenly.

"No, I was asleep. My medicine completely knocks me out. I shouldn't have taken it," he confessed, regret in his tone. "I should've... I should've stayed up to make sure she didn't do anything."

"No, you need sleep. I know you struggle with nightmares, so you need anything you can get. And it's not your responsibility to watch her, or it shouldn't be, anyway."

Bella's heart panged with a gut-wrenching, incredibly sharp pain. The guilt she felt was an indescribable.

"That officer was supposed to be watching the complex," James groaned. "I don't know how he didn't see her."

"She's smart, I wouldn't blame him too much," said Cole.

"Doesn't matter. You guys need to be protected at all times, there's no room for mistakes like this," James said, his voice low. "He should have been more alert. You're a hundred percent sure she was drunk, right?"

"Yeah, very sure," Cole said through a deep breath. "She was really upset about what happened to her dad. I don't really blame her."

There were another few beats of silence.

Bella kept her eyes closed, but she could picture Cole leaning against the wall, his head back as he closed his eyes and spoke through frustration. She could picture James pacing around the room, his eyebrows lifted in worry as he battled with a mixture of anxiety and continuous disappointment.

Her mental image of James was proven accurate as she listened to his footsteps creak against the floorboard as he walked back and forth.

"What do you think we should do now?" Cole asked.

James sighed heavily, his footsteps halting. "To be honest, we're at a loss at this point. These guys are stalking the three of you, but we don't know how they're doing it. We have no idea who these people are, we don't know anything. We suspect that they have some sort of connection to Rose and Steven, but that's all we have - suspicion."

"Were the kids ever found?" Cole wondered.

Bella's eyes were closed, so she wasn't sure if James nodded or shook his head in response.