Irene’s mask cracked — just for a second. “Because he had you. And I couldn’t save you from the outside.”
“You look tired, sweetheart,” Irene said, her voice a low, warm blade. “You should sleep in the east bedroom tonight. The rain helps with dreams.” PureTaboo - Aaliyah Love- Kristen Scott -The In...
Chloe stared at the key still clutched in her palm. The rain had stopped. The house was utterly silent. Irene’s mask cracked — just for a second
Irene descended slowly, each step deliberate. “This is where I kept you safe, Chloe. When Richard was drinking. When he would come home and look at you the way men look at things they want to break. You don’t remember, do you?” “You should sleep in the east bedroom tonight
At the bottom, a single bulb illuminated a room that was not flooded. It was a bedroom — small, windowless, immaculate. A brass bed with white sheets. A nightstand with a glass of water. And on the wall, photographs: Chloe at twelve, Chloe at fifteen, Chloe at her high school graduation. Beneath each photo, a date and a notation in Irene’s handwriting.
Chloe shook her head. “That’s not — he was sick, but he never —”
The basement of the main house had always been locked. Irene said it was flooded, unstable. Chloe had believed her.