Chapter 5 - Leaving
Renee spoke again after a moment. "Until we understand the situation better, it might be best if you and Paige stay somewhere else tonight."
"Why?" I asked weakly.
"Just as a precaution."
Precaution. The word made my skin crawl.
"Do you have somewhere safe to go?" she asked.
I nodded slowly. "My sister. Diane."
"Good." She handed me a small card with contact numbers. "The police will need to speak with both of you tomorrow. Tonight, just focus on taking care of Paige."
I wiped my face and stood, my legs still unsteady. Back in the waiting area, Paige sat staring at the floor. Her eyes lifted when she saw me, and she burst into tears all over again. I pulled her into my arms.
"You're safe," I whispered. "I promise."
She clung to me tightly, and for the first time in weeks, she didn't try to hide the pain anymore.
The drive to my sister's house felt longer than the drive to the hospital had. Neither of us said much. Streetlights flashed across the windshield as dusk settled over the streets. Paige rested her head against the window, her reflection faint in the glass. She looked exhausted. Broken. My heart ached watching her.
Halfway there, she spoke quietly. "Mom?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
Her voice trembled. "Are you mad at me?"
The question shattered something in me. I pulled the car over immediately, turned to her, and cupped her face in both hands.
"Paige. Listen to me. You did nothing wrong."
Her lip quivered. "But—"
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"No," I said, gentle but firm. "What happened to you was not your fault."
She started crying again, and I held her until it passed. But inside, something else was building alongside the grief. Anger, toward whoever had done this to my daughter. And fear — because some part of me had already begun to suspect the truth, even before I was ready to say it out loud.
