Annie made a face. “Are you kidding? Of course he did. You don’t think Jay is going to miss a chance to humiliate the ‘rook’, do you?”
“True.” David took another drink, imagining what was going on between Laura and Kate.
He looked out the kitchen window and saw lights in the driveway. He put down his glass and walked to the side door in time to see Jack and Jay get out of the Jag. Jay looked like a man who had an attack of conscience and Jack looked like he’d had the shit kicked out of him.
Nelly walked into the house and saw all the pictures on the fridge, a recent report card, information about college visits—proof that he’d been dating a high school girl. Jay got him to take off his coat and their young teammate took the drink David offered him, downing it in one gulp.
“That’s not going to solve anything,” Annie said.
“It’ll make me forget. Fill it up, Padre.”
David poured two fingers of scotch in the glass and watched his Jack drown his pain.
“She lied to me. Everything she said was a lie.”
Jay swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “Get used to it, buddy.” He downed his own drink and motioned for David to fill it up. “Happy Fucking New Year.”
Jack had wandered into the den and examined the shelves of pictures. It was Laura’s life story, and he was finally seeing the truth of who she was. All David could think was that it was lucky they decided to go the party or right now Jack would probably have her in bed. If that had happened, he didn’t know if his friend could have lived with himself.
David watched him sit in one of the big club chairs and drop his head in his hands. Taking a seat adjacent to him on the couch, David handed him another scotch and turned on Sports Center.
“Drink that one slowly.”
Jack nodded. “You must think I’m a total shit.”
David looked at him. “No. I think you were a stupid ass. You can’t tell your shit to just anyone.”
Jay came and sat with them. “But, it’s kind of a tradition, your rookie year isn’t officially over until some chick fucks with your head. You’re lucky she didn’t take a picture and send your junk all over social media.”
“I thought I was in love with her.”
David downed the rest of his drink. “You are in love with her, but you’ve got to get over it.”
*
Kate poked her head in Laura’s room and saw her daughter curled up on the bed. Her hair was damp at the ends from the long hot shower Kate had insisted she take, and her body still shuddered now and again from the leftover tears. Her poor little girl, so misguided, but so very much in love. What the hell had happened?
Nudging the door open with her elbow, she entered, setting the small tray on the desk. Laura turned at the sound, wiping her eyes, and sitting up when she saw Kate.
“Hi,” Kate said. “Annie made you a snack since you didn’t get to eat.”
“Thanks,” Laura said, sniffing and rubbing her hand under her nose. She wore an oversized nightshirt and a pair of soft, worn-in white socks. “What’s on the tray?”
“Juice and an English muffin.”
“Sounds good.” Laura took the glass Kate offered and the plate with the muffin. Kate sat on the edge of the bed and gently rubbed Laura’s back.
“Are you feeling better?” Kate was talking about her breathing, but got a totally different answer.
“I didn’t mean to lie. It just kind of happened. And now…” Laura’s breath hitched and she leaned in. “Now he hates me.”
“I don’t think he hates you.” Based on what she saw, Jack’s feelings were pretty clear. When Laura collapsed at the party, he was frantic. The boy was madly in love with her, and that was going to make this all the harder. “And believe me; this will be tough on him, too.”
“I know. I know.” Tears filled Laura’s eyes and she rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes. Her voice was small, hoarse from the attack and the tears, but what she said next rocked Kate to the core. “I just wanted someone to love me.”
The truth of the matter finally surfaced, and Kate’s heart wilted under the realization. Her eyes burned. Laura believed no one loved her. The twisted attention Richard paid to her, the affectionate distance Kate bestowed, were not what she wanted or needed. Her daughter needed love, and when she didn’t get it at home, she found it someplace else. It was the most heart wrenching and sobering thing she’d ever felt. No more, never again would her daughter feel unwanted or question Kate’s devotion. It was time to tell her the truth. Taking Laura’s face in her hands, Kate leveled a watery gaze in her direction.
“I love you. I love you more than anything in this world. And I am so…” Tears spilled and Kate sucked in a breath. “I am so sorry.” The great sob escaped when she faced how she failed her daughter. “I love you. I have always loved you.”
Laura had started crying again, overcome by Kate’s words. “Where were you? When I was growing up? Why did you always stay away?”
Closing her eyes, she tried to verbalize the years of abuse. It was hard, but what was harder was that Kate had to face her own cowardice. “Your father threatened… he said he would…” Drawing a deep breath, she finally said it. “He wanted you all to himself, and he would threaten to take you away if I tried to be part of your life. When I disagreed with him, or tried to do more than he considered acceptable, he’d… he’d hit me.”
Laura sat back and stared at her.
Kate had just burst her image of the man who raised her, and looking away, she wondered if she made a mistake. “I didn’t want to lose you and I had no doubt he’d keep his word, but it killed me watching you grow up without me. I tried to stay involved in some way, but it was hard.” She drew a shaky breath and continued. “When you got older, he’d set the tone—you and him on one side and me on the other. I know I was weak and I should have fought against him, but I was scared.” She gulped hard. “I was so scared he would take you away and I would never see you again.”
“Oh, God,” she whispered. “Daddy hit you? Hit you?”
Kate nodded, ashamed that she’d never stood up for herself. Laura took her hand and Kate collapsed, and the two of them held each other like never before.
When they moved apart, Laura said, “I didn’t even see what he was doing to you. I didn’t know.”
Kate nodded and touched her face. “This whole thing with Jack could have been tragic. You’re lucky he was the man you met that day, but all of us have to take some blame. We didn’t pay enough attention to what was going on with you. God, if anything had happened to you…” She stopped, choking back tears when she thought of all the possibilities.
Laura took a sip of the juice, dropped her head, and told Kate a secret that would blow Richard’s life apart. “Marie was paying attention. She knew. Not everything. But she knew he was older, and she covered for me with Dad.”
The blinding light that flashed behind Kate’s eyes must have been anger, because no other emotion would fit the bill. Covered for her? What did that mean? Lied for her was a better description. That crazy lunatic had messed with her daughter for the last time.
“I am going to get her, I swear to God,” she mumbled.
Laura didn’t respond, taking a bite of her muffin instead.
There was quiet while the room settled and the two of them adjusted to the new stage they were entering. When Laura spoke again, she didn’t waste words.
“I was going to spend the night with him,” she whispered.
Kate swallowed and made herself stay calm. It was one landmine after another. “I figured. You’re ready to give yourself like that?”
“Only to him.” Her voice was hoarse, scratchy.
Great. Kate had to be careful here, especially considering her own situation. “That’s a big decision, and I’m sure you didn’t make it without a lot of thought.”
“Yes, I… I wanted to be with him. But now…” Laura started to cry again, the tears rolling gently down her cheeks.
She curled against Kate, much the way she did when she was little and had awakened from a bad dream. Unfortunately, Kate had no pearls of wisdom, nothing wise to tell her daughter. The only thing left to do was for Laura to face her mistake and take responsibility.