June
“There!” Hattie pats the bandage she stuck to Rafe’s cheek. “All better!”
“Thank you, darling.” He says it reverently. “You’re a fantastic doctor.”
“Easy-peasy.” She starts to dig for another Band-Aid. “More?”
“No, no, we have to let Rafe get back to work.” I tug my daughter by the hand. She
doesn’t resist, but she does pout.
“He doesn’t look busy.”
“Hattie!”
“He doesn’t!”
Rafe’s laugh is a low rumble. It startles us both. “I’ll come find you later, pony
queen, how does that sound?”
“Fine.” She’s still pouting, but at least she lets me take her outside.
It’s been a day since Rafe came home bruised and bloodied. His injuries are
thankfully mild. A doctor came by to check him, a white-haired man that apparently
does house calls for the Corvinos. He acted like it was the most normal thing in the
world, finding Rafe beaten to shit.
But it’s been bothering me ever since it happened. The way Rafe was fine one hour
and almost broken the next. How the gore and the cuts are proof that there’s trouble
outside these walls.
I spend the morning out back at the pool with Hattie. She splashes in the shallow
end, wearing her puddle jumper and a pair of goggles while I sit on the edge with my
phone. Music plays from speakers hidden in the rocks.
Marnie: Guess who sat up and ate all by herself today?! Give me a few days and I’ll
be using the bathroom like a big girl.
June: I’m so, so proud of you, Marn.
Marnie: Gosh golly it feels good to get praise for stuffing my face.
June: Have you thought about going somewhere else? How long are you stuck
there?
Marnie: Honestly I don’t know where I’d go.
Marnie: It’s not like I have anyone at home waiting for me.
Marnie: HA WOW that’s d epressing!!!
Marnie: But seriously, I’m fine!
I blink back tears. An overwhelming sense of responsibility hangs over my head.
Marnie’s in this state because of me. Maybe not directly my fault, but still. She’s
lying in a hospital bed right now and I feel horrible about it.
June: What if you came here?
I send the text without thinking through the issues.
The biggest being: what if Rafe says no?
Marnie: Seriously? To your husband-slash-kidnapper’s house?
I grimace and quickly r eply.
June: It’s not like that. I mean it’s a little like that.
Marnie: Relax, I’m not calling the cops. Unless you want me to?
June: Stop, Marn.
Marnie: Okay, okay, whatever, but I don’t know. Is he going to lock me in a
dungeon?
June: This place is huge. There’s plenty of space for you, and he can afford
round-the-clock medical staff. And Hattie’s been asking about Auntie Marnie.
Marnie: I don’t know...
June: Think about it. Seriously, it might be good for you.
Hattie shrieks, pulling my attention away. I’m halfway in the water before I realize
she’s only chasing after a beetle. I set my phone aside and join her, but the idea of
bringing Marnie here ke eps bothering me.
It would be good, right? If Rafe agreed, I think Marnie would be more comfortable
and get better care here.
And yeah, it would alleviate some of my guilt, there’s that.
By the time the day rolls over and Hattie’s down for bed, I’ve already convinced
myself about a dozen times.
But Rafe’s late. I sit in bed waiting for him, stifling yawns. He doesn’t appear until
it’s nearly midnight and I’m already tossing and turning with the lights out. I wait for
him to climb in beside me, amazed at how quiet he can be when he wants to, and roll
onto my side to face him.
“Rafe, I want to ask you to do me a favor, and please consider it before you say
no.”
He glances at me in the darkness. “What do you need, wife of mine?”
“You know Marnie—“
“I’m aware of her, yes.”
“Well, she’s doing better, but she doesn’t have anywhere to go when she gets out
of the hospital. I’m sure Beth will help, but she’s got the business to manage now that
I’m here, and I was thinking—“
Rafe puts his hands behind his head. I glance at his bic eps and try to concentrate.
“You want Marnie to come here.”
“Yes, exactly—“ I stop myself and narrow my eyes. “You knew already, didn’t you?”
“I monitor your phone.”
I grit my teeth. “You asshole.”
“What did you expect?” He’s got a smug smile on his face. “I practically told you
already.”
“I didn’t think you’d be reading my message in real time.”
“You should have.”
“Alright, let’s set that aside. It makes sense bringing Marnie here, doesn’t it?
There’s plenty of space and she’d be safe, right?”
Rafe lets out a low rumble. “You have no idea what you’re asking.”
“She’s in this position because of us. I owe her so much more than this. Please, let
me help her.”
“If she comes, there’s no leaving. Not for a while, at least.”
“She’ll need a while to heal.”
“And if she’s better before I can guarantee her safety? What if she leaves and gets
attacked again? Or worse, what if she leaves and has some stupid ideas about trying
to get you help? To save you from your big, bad husband?”
“I’ll tell her not to,” I say quickly, heart racing into my throat. “I mean, you saw the
texts earlier, didn’t you?”
He turns to look into my face. His expression is hard. “I did see.”
“She offered to do something like that already and I turned her down.”
“Who’s to say she’ll listen? Who’s to say bringing her here won’t cause problems?”
“Rafe—“ I feel desperate and angry. “I’m not going to turn my back on my friend
just like you didn’t turn your back on me and Hattie.”
“That’s different. Hattie is my daughter.”
“But I’m not your blood.”
“You’re the mother of my child. You know it’s not the same.”
“We have to do this.” I cling to his arm. “Please, Rafe. I’m begging you. Do this for
me. Let Marnie come here. I’ll set up space. I’ll organize nurses—“
He shakes his head. “June—“
“Please.”
He blows out a long breath. It’s obvious he doesn’t want this. He’d rather let her
stay where she is and not have to deal with the complication.
At some level I understand. His priority is me and Hattie.
“I will pick the nurses,” he says at last. “I will help with the space. And she can
only come if she understands that she cannot leave for an unspecified amount of
time, and when she does go back home, she can never speak of this place to anyone.
And you will convince her that you’re happy to be my wife.”
“You’re serious?” My heart stutters. “I mean, absolutely to all of that!”
“I mean it, June. You’re going to make her understand. You’re madly in love with
me. You’ve always wanted this relationship. Finally, your daughter has her father. Do
you understand?”
“I understand.” On impulse, I lean across the invisible barrier to ke ep the monster
at bay and I kiss him. I kiss him hard, hungry, joyous that he’s doing this for me. I
didn’t think he would, and now—
I pull back in surprise. He stares at me darkly, eyes hooded, lips slightly swollen
from mine.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“You never have to apologize for kissing me.”
“I know, but—“ My cheeks flush pink as I retreat to my side of the bed. “I’m happy.
This is going to be good for her.”
“And maybe for you and Hattie, too. I know you’re lonely. There’s only so much I
can do right now. Only so much company I can give. Having Marnie here, even in her
current state, will help.”
I cover my face with my hands. I don’t want him to see me crying. Because he
caught me, struck right at my heart.
I have been lonely. Or at least I’ve been desperately missing my friends. Beth’s
been easy to forget about—she’s safe and healthy—but Marnie’s been like a barnacle
on the back of my mind.
And it’s such a relief knowing she’s coming here.
Assuming she agrees to the rules, but I’m confident she’ll come around.
“Thank you,” I whisper into the night. “I promise I won’t let you down.”
He’s quiet. I start to think he’s falling asle ep. But as I’m drifting off too, I hear him
murmur, “No, June, you never could...”