Page 42 of Fight or Flight
“Yeah, okay.”
I’m scared of revealing just how bad things got after she had to run away from the little town we lived in. I'm scared to face all the things that I’ve done that led me toward this moment.
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“YOU ACTUALLY SHOT HIM?” Jenny whispers from the driver’s seat as she stops the car in a parking lot in front of the motel I left Nora at. Then she glances in the mirror to check if her son is still busy with the little device she handed him before to keep him occupied.
“I shot at him, and the bullet happened to find his thigh,” I state confidently, and Jenny chuckles.
“Damn, I missed you, Claire.” She shakes her head, and then her smile disappears when she remembers why we’re here.
In silence, we exit the car, and I wait on the side while Jenny unstraps Henry from the car seat.
Each step on the stairway brings me more fear, and I want to turn around.
What if Sergio already knows we’re here, and I am leading my best friend into a trap? What if Nora didn’t listen to me and escaped and is now wandering around the unfamiliar streets of Madison on her own?
A hand touches my shoulder, and I glance behind me at Jenny. She gives me a gentle smile, but her eyes are determined. I give her a nod and then walk toward the door to the room I rented.
“Nora?” I call out to the half-dark room before I step in. As soon as my eyes adjust, I notice her, and all the air leaves my lungs in a loud whoosh.
Everything in the room looks just as I left it.
“Okay, I gotta ask. What exactly was your plan? Just take her and keep her in a motel room?”
“I have no idea. Everything happened so fast, Jenny. It was an impulse. I didn’t think it through, obviously, but I know they’re searching for us. The only thing on my mind was getting her out of there.”
Jenny stares at the little girl who’s sitting curled up in the armchair in front of the outdated TV box. Nora’s posture is stiff, and I can see that she’s only pretending to watch the show that’s on as she monitors everything we say and do.
“Shit. What about the police?” She bites her lip and lets go of her son’s hand when he tugs on it to get away. He casually strolls to the other armchair next to Nora and sits down. The girl flinches slightly and eyes him with silent interest before her eyes go back to the screen.
I sent Jenny an “Are you fucking for real” look before quietly saying, “I thought you would be the last person in the world to ever trust the police.”
“My father was a dirty cop, and there are plenty of those fuckers, but Brody knows a few decent ones here in Madison. I’m sure he could contact someone...” she shrugs casually, but her face doesn’t look as certain.
“I'm not sure, Jenny,” I mumble and then lean to her ear so that the kids won’t hear. “I’m not exactly an angel. I was on drugs, and... what if they charged me with like child endangerment or something? That’s a thing, right?”
“Oh shit. I never even thought of that,” she grabs the bridge of her nose and rubs it as if to get rid of a headache, then she straightens and puts her hands on her hips with a resigned sigh. “If Damon finds out, he’s going to fucking flip.”
“So... let’s not tell him, yeah?” I say with a smile and flutter my eyelashes.
She rolls her eyes but smiles, too, despite the situation. “Shit, I never could say no to your cuteness. I’ll tell you what. I will tell him, but he won’t get the whole gruesome version, okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” I nod, and then my eyes travel back to Nora.
“I think I may have an idea how to help her. But we will need to call for backup,” Jenny says and fishes out her phone from a purse.
––––––––
“WELL? WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Jenny asks the older woman named Ruth.
She glances at Nora and sighs. “Well, I can’t accept a child into the shelter. It’s against the rules...” She lifts a finger when my friend tries to interject. “However, I’m friendly with a few people from CPS. I’ll call a woman named Dahlia, who helped me once with a somewhat similar case. Until then, the girl is welcome to stay with me and Frank.”
“That would be great,” Jenny breathes and then lowers her gaze to meet mine. “Right, Claire?”
I hug my middle and grimace. “I dunno. Shouldn’t I be the one taking care of her? It’s my mess.”
“Excuse us, Aunt Ruth,” she addresses the woman standing on her right and then nods to the one called Amelia, who came with the older woman. They both look nice, and I trust Jenny, but I don’t exactly feel right about pushing Nora into someone else’s arms.