Two Weeks (The Baxter Family #5)(22)

She shook her head and closed her eyes. As if the last thing she wanted was to tell him. After another long minute she opened her eyes. “I don’t live with my parents.”

Cole steadied himself. “You . . . said your family was here.”

“I know.” She exhaled. “That’s what I mean. You don’t know everything about me.” She looked at the stream. “When I said family, I meant my aunt and uncle. That’s who I live with.”

“But . . . your mom? You’ve talked about her, about how she goes to church and how you—”

“I never said I went to church.” Her words were sharp this time. “I used to.” The fight left her again. “A year ago.” She pulled her knees to her chest and stared at the water again. “I’ve never met my dad. He left when my mom told him she was pregnant with me. We’ve lived alone, just the two of us, all my life. Until last month . . . when my mom sent me here.”

The pieces were coming together. Cole’s heart pounded, but he wasn’t leaving her. She was still talking to him. Whatever this was they could get through it. Cole took a slow breath. “My mom had me before she met my dad, the one who raised me. So it was just the two of us for a long time.”

Elise looked at him, like that surprised her. “When you talk about them . . . I thought you had the perfect family.”

“Every family has broken parts. Sad chapters.” He smiled at her, even as his heart kept racing. Something told him there was more to her story than a single mom who moved her to Bloomington to live with her aunt and uncle. “Did you think that would make me run away?”

“No.” She turned to him, her eyes filled with hurt. “But you might when you hear the next part.”

He reached for her hand. At first she pulled back, the way she’d done at the hospital. But then he felt her relax. Like a lost little girl who desperately needed someone to care. Just like the dying lady at the hospital. “I’m listening, Elise.”

She nodded this time and lifted her eyes to the barren trees overhead. Elise started to shiver. “A year ago I started dating this guy, Randy. He was . . . nothing like you, Cole.” She gave him a brief look and then turned her attention back to the sky. “He was bad. A trouble maker. I was with him until Thanksgiving and all that time I was . . . I was terrible.”

Cole’s heart was pounding again. “You’re not terrible. You couldn’t be terrible.”

“I was. I stayed out super late and drank with him. I smoked pot and lied to my mama.” She was still shivering, and she looked sicker, like just talking about her past might make her throw up again. “I slept with him, Cole. More times than I can count. And he never even loved me.”

Cole’s mind raced. She’d slept with some guy? And done drugs?

Before he could begin to process any of this, Elise shook her head. “No. That’s not the truth. I didn’t sleep with him.” Tears filled her eyes. “Not willingly.”

“Not willingly?” Cole’s heart pounded hard in his chest.

“He . . .” Her voice cracked. “He forced me, Cole. All the time.”

Anger became rage inside Cole, and then a desperation for revenge. All in a few seconds. The winter trees, the stream and the rock, all of it was spinning around him. “Is he . . . He’s in jail, right?”

Elise shook her head. “I didn’t press charges.” She sniffed and closed her eyes. “I didn’t really understand what he was doing. That I had a choice. I figured since I knew him, since we were dating, I couldn’t go to the police. I wasn’t sure they’d even believe me.” She blinked and looked at him. “I couldn’t tell my mom.”

Cole’s mouth was dry. “But . . . she must’ve known something.”

“Enough to send me here.” Elise folded her arms and pressed them against her stomach. “I don’t feel good.”

Two tears made their way down her face.

With everything in him, Cole felt for her, ached for her. His heart settled into a regular rhythm. He couldn’t do anything about the guy or what had happened. All he had was the here and now. “Elise.” He reached out and used his fingertips to wipe away her tears. “You thought telling me that would make me run?”

“Did you hear what I said, Cole?” She was crying harder now. Her eyes locked with his. “The last time I was with him was just before Thanksgiving.” She stared at the rock beneath them, as if the burden of the situation was more than she could carry. “That’s ten weeks ago.”

Ten weeks? Cole felt like he’d known Elise all his life. Yet they’d only been friends since the semester started. He tried to imagine how she must feel. A little more than two months ago she was dating some creep? It was the most horrible story Cole had ever heard. “I’m sorry.”

“Cole.” Her frustration was back. “I’m not telling you so you’ll feel sorry for me.” She dried her cheeks with the palms of her hands. “I’m telling you because I feel sick. Every day. So nauseous I’ve been throwing up.”

Cole wasn’t sure what she was saying. Or he didn’t want to know. “You . . . said it was the salad dressing.”

“What if it’s not?” She searched his eyes. “Cole . . . what if I’m pregnant?”