The Truth About Love by Emma Nichols Read Free Book Online Page B

spoke.  “Otherwise, my best friends are in Raleigh and Atlanta.”
    He studied my face.  For the first time since his arrival, I was at risk of bursting into tears.  It was too much, to finally have the guts to make this drastic change, to seek out the help we so desperately needed, only to have my hopes dashed before I even managed to get out of the driveway.
    “Where’s your family?”
    While I had my younger sister, Brynn, living an hour away, because she was ten years younger, she was more like my child.  She didn’t have room for us, not in her living situation and therefore wasn’t an option.
    “New York and Florida.  Any chance you will let me go stay with one of them?”
    His brow furrowed. “There’s nowhere to stay here?  There must be someone.”
    Thinking, I knew I really had one option.  We had one couple we still hung out with who lived outside of Charlotte in Mint Hill. Naturally, there was a down side.  “The only local friends I have left are his.  He’ll be furious.”   
    “Listen, just call.  If they don’t answer, you can go stay in a hotel instead.”  He shrugged like it was so simple.
    “Did you miss the part about the $18,000 lien?  We’re pretty much broke at the moment.  I get paid once a month and it’s two weeks away.”  My eyes filled with tears.
    Still, I called Lily under duress. The minute she answered, the officer reached for the phone.  This wouldn’t be too awkward.
    Though he took the phone and moved away from me to talk, I could still hear what he was saying.  Even though it wasn’t his intention, I felt unwanted, unloved, and completely pathetic.  It took everything in me to keep my head held high, to retain any pride, any sense of dignity.  This wasn’t my life.   Finally , he passed the phone back.
    Lily sounded breathless on the other end.  “I’m down the road at my mom’s house picking up Isaac.  Do you need me to come over and take anything back to the house with me?”
    Relief filled me.  “Thank you for doing this.  I’m so sorry for hauling you into the middle.  It wasn’t my idea.”   I stared at the officer with a scowl.  At least now I had a plan, a place to go.  We ended the call with the promise Lily would be here in a few minutes to help me move what I needed.  I would load my vehicle and meet her at the house after.  With that settled, I decided to go back inside to pack.
    By the time I returned, both officers were inside.  I placed Kylie in her bouncer so I would have two hands as I packed all the medical supplies from the cart we kept in beside the fireplace and the medical equipment stored in the great room.  I had to gather syringes and medicine.  Kylie needed cases of formula.  As I worked, I could hear Shane complaining.
    “Does this look like she’s only packing for one night?”
    He was right.  I had no plans to come back.  Knowing how he thought, I believed I should take as much as I could haul.  I might never get back in the house to get anything else.
    Officer Kim tried to calm him down.  “Now, we have agreed that she will stay in town.  She will take the baby and the vehicle.  Give it 24 hours to cool down.”
    Kylie began fussing some.  Every time I walked by her, she wanted me to stop what I was doing to hold her.  One officer stood guard over her while I worked.  Still, her father walked over to pick her up.   The idea of him touching her in this state had me terrified.  As he reached for her, I panicked.  “ Shane, leave her there.  She’s fine.”
    It was all I could do to keep calm, to not rush to her, to not snatch her up or shield her from him with my body.  My trust at the moment was non-existent.  Life had taught me a man with nothing to lose was the most dangerous beast of all.  Shane was losing his wife and daughter.  There was nothing left he cared about.
    In an instant, he was in my face, sneering at me as he spoke.   “ You think you can keep me from my