Page 81 of Speechless
Connor spotted Jenna arm-in-arm with another blonde woman, too similar for her to be anything other than her sister. In fact, they were a very easy family to recognize.
“Your parents are still alive, Jenna, and anxious to see you. You have two brothers and two sisters, of which you are the youngest. Between your siblings, you have several nieces and nephews.”
Jenna tucked her head down, digging her nails into Connor’s chest through his shirt.
“They’ve been notified of your reappearance and are eager to come to the Creek. I haven’t given them many details,” Hadley assured her. “They’re flying out this morning. They should be here sometime this afternoon or late evening. You’re under no pressure to meet with them, Jenna, but I think they feel better doing something proactive, being near you in case you need them.”
She shook her head. “Connor’s the only one I need.”
“Baby, you can’t think that way.” Connor held the photo where she could see it. “Do you recognize anyone?”
Jenna glanced at it, panic flashing in her eyes before she slapped it away. “No.”
Little liar, he thought, and showed it to her again. “Who are they, baby?”
“I can’t. I’m sorry, I can’t do this.”
“You can. You know these people, Jenna. They raised you. They loved you. Who are they?” he repeated, hating himself when she began to cry thick, fast tears.
“Mamma,” she wailed and touched her fingers to her lookalike. “Papa. Jacob, Isaac. Isabella. Rosemary.” She skimmed her fingertips over each face on the photo as she spoke their names. “Me. Oh God, that’s me.”
Connor looked to Hadley for confirmation, and the agent nodded silently. Her memories were on their way back, and it was time to ride the onslaught of emotion coming with them like a tsunami. “Good girl. That’s your family, baby. That’s who you’ve been protecting for so long.”
“I loved them. I missed them.”
“Jenna,” Hadley leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and spoke softly. “I can arrange for your family to meet you whenever you feel ready. Like I said, they’ll be in town as of this afternoon. If you’re only up to seeing your parents, I can see to that. Just say the word.”
Jenna stared at the photo, her hands shaking as she stroked the moment captured in time. When she met Connor’s eyes, hers were bleaker than the winter settling into town. “No. I’m Jenna, not…not Penelope. I can’t ever be Penelope again, and that’s who’ll they expect me to be. I know you said they wouldn’t,” she told Connor wearily, “but I can’t ask them to accept me as I am now. This girl here,” she pointed to herself in the picture. “She’s happy, and pretty. She wasn’t kidnapped and tortured, branded a whore. There’s no shadows under her eyes or scars on her body. This girl died a long time ago.”
“Jenna,” Connor murmured.
“Yes,Jenna. Not Penelope. These people I loved need to move on. They should remember Penelope as who she was, grieve for her, and move on with their lives.” Her voice ebbed and flowed with emotion. “I’m Jenna. I’m broken, I’m damaged in ways I don’t even understand, but I’m loved by a man who accepts me for whoIam and doesn’t compare me to who I used to be and find me lacking.”
“Nobody wants to do that, baby.”
“Maybe, but they will.” Jenna wriggled off his lap, dropping the photo in her place. “Would you mind excusing me? I…I need…”
Connor let her go, a concerned frown creasing his brow. “Go on, baby. I’ll come find you in a bit.”
Jenna hurried out, Luna grumbling as she rolled to her feet and trotted after her mistress. He could hear Jenna sniffling, dreaded going upstairs to find her when Hadley was gone. Her tears were like glass shards in his chest and those sad little noises she made were akin to a kick in the balls.
All he could do was rock and soothe, comfort and just be there for her.
“Will she be okay?” Hadley asked.
Scrubbing his hands over his face, Connor lifted his shoulders helplessly. Predicting the news would devastate her proved completely different to the reality. “All she knows is her time here, and the shitty existence she lived with Sire. Anything before Sire, she forced herself to forget. Knowing they still care, still love her…it’s unnerved her. Everything she said, she believes to be true.”
Hadley nodded. “Understandable. Look, her parents don’t have your name or address, but no doubt people in town will be their usual friendly selves. I’ll advise—strongly advise—they don’t approach the house uninvited, but these are exceptional circumstances, Connor. They’re going to push the boundaries to see their daughter.”
“Well unless youadviseme that they can barge in here against Jenna’s wishes, they will be firmly, politely declined. This is Jenna’s home. Family or not, nobody gets to push in and upset her.” Connor dropped his head in his hands. “I think if they called her Penelope, she would revert back to little mode permanently. We’ve made some damn good progress and now…fuck.”
Hadley gathered his files together. “I’ll leave you alone. I think you need to be with her more than you need to sit here talking with me. I’ll keep you updated. Get in contact straight away if the family gives you any trouble—you have my number, use it. And if Jenna changes her mind about meeting them…”
“I’ll work on it,” he told the agent wearily, already sick of the damn day. “Not today, she needs time, but I’ll talk to her. I’ll be in touch if she decides it’s what she wants.”
“Thanks. Even a brief communication would set their minds at ease.”
Brief communication. Connor snorted at the idea. After this, he’d be lucky if she communicated with him. Her world was spinning wildly on its axis with no way to stop it. “Would you mind seeing yourself out, Hadley?”