Chapter 40

Callie's POV

"Callie, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lena asks just as I'm about to head upstairs to go to bed.

"Yeah," I answer skeptically as I follow her into the kitchen with a glass of water in my hands. And I know that I shouldn't feel nervous every time one of them decides that they need to talk to me, but I couldn't help it.

Something always goes wrong just as things start to calm down.

Lena takes a seat on one of the stools and I sit directly across from her, placing my glass on the table. "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. You're not in trouble. I just wanted to ask you about something and I didn't want to do it in front of everyone else."

I just stare at her.

She smiles, "Nothing is wrong. I promise."

"Okay…" I start.

"Something came up at the session today. And well…your mom and I wanted to ask you about the Gilberts."

"Trey and Valerie?" I ask in confusion. "Why… why are you asking about them?"

I start to realize that maybe Lux might've said something.

"Well because… We know that you and Lux lived with them at one point…"

"Uhuh?"

"And um, now Lux… Well, she's been staying with them again. And it may be nothing but your mom thinks," Lena stops to take a deep breath before she continues, "Did Valerie ever hurt you, either of you, while you were in their house? I know this is a strange question to be asking but we think it's important."

I don't respond.

I don't want to.

Why are they asking all of these questions?

And why is Lux staying with them?

This has to be a joke.

"Why is she staying there again?" I ask and I can tell that I just gave something away by deflecting the question.

"Callie, did something go on in that house that we don't know about?"

I look away. I can't lie to her face and look her in the eye.

"Callie?"

"Not to me," I answer honestly.

I glance up and I can tell by her expression that she's both confused yet frightened.

"To Lux?" she finally questions in a calmer tone, but I already knew that she's uncomfortable.

"I don't know," I answer truthfully.

"What do you mean you don't know? Callie, this is really important," she tries to assure me. "If Valerie hurt her then—"

"It wasn't Valerie. And I don't even know what really happened," I answer loudly but nervously as well.

"It's okay," she says as she reaches for my hand. "It's okay if you're not sure. But we need to know whatever it is that you think you know… If Lux is in danger then—"

"Um," I interrupt and shake my head. "I didn't think she would go back there, so maybe… maybe it's nothing."

"Go on…"

"She said something to me. The other day when she left I was telling her to leave Mariana alone. I didn't want Lux to get either of us in trouble or to influence Mariana because… I didn't want to get kicked out again—"

"Callie," Lena tries to soothe me.

"No," I shake my head. "That's not the point… After that happened, she told me that I didn't know what I was talking about. That she did me a favor and that she got herself kicked out on purpose."

Lena stared at me for a while, and I could tell that she was confused. "What do you mean she did it on purpose? Why would she—"

"She said it was the only way that Valerie would let her go," I pause as I try to recollect all that Lux said. "That she was there for longer than I was so I never got to see what really happened in that house. That I wasn't there for long enough to see the type of person Trey was, and that she wasn't sorry for getting me kicked out. She said he wasn't a good guy…"

"What else did she—"

"I don't know," I answer truthfully. "I didn't want to know and she didn't want to talk about it… Anyways, she left right afterward so I never got the chance to ask her. I just assumed that…" I stop myself, not wanting to go any further. "I could be wrong about all of this," I shake my head.

Lena stands up and walks over towards the other side of the table, pulling me in closer towards her, "No honey. I don't think you're wrong."

"But I want to be," I admit in a shakier voice than I intended. I couldn't help the tears that started flowing out of me afterwards. She heard the sounds of my sobs and held me tighter.

"Shhh," she tried to coo. "Don't cry, Callie."

"All of this was my fault," I answer.

She releases my body and looks me in the eye. "No, none of this is your fault."

I shake my head, "I let her go back there, and I blamed her for getting Jude and I kicked out. I told you what happened and then she wanted to leave because of it. I should've known."

"No, baby. None of this was your fault," Lena tells me in a firmer yet still gentle tone. "You didn't know she would go back there and you didn't know what was going on—"

"But I should have…after Liam."

Lena shakes her own head this time and wipes a few tears from my face. "That was something you had no control over. Don't beat yourself up over something someone else did. Remember what you said about what happening you not being your fault?"

I don't answer. Not because I don't remember but because I already know what she's going to say.

"Same rules apply here. You didn't make Trey hurt Lux and you didn't know enough to stop it. Okay?" she eyes me carefully and I can tell she's searching for a response from me.

I nod and watch as Lena hugs me again. She gives me one last kiss on my head and backs away. "You should go to bed, bug."

"What about Lux?" I question.

"Well, I'm not sure yet. I have to call your mom and see what she can do…"

I nod again before getting up from the table.

"But thank you for telling us. Trey isn't going to hurt her anymore. I can promise you that," she tries to smile.

I smile too before I walk out of the kitchen. I guess there was a way I could pay Lux back for what she did that night for Jude and I.

Lux's POV

I can feel Trey reach for a strand of my hair but I instinctively flinch away. I didn't want him to touch me. Was that so wrong?

"We used to be so close, Lux? What happened?"

You raped me; that's what happened! I wanted to shout but I didn't need him getting rough with me like the last time. I just shake my head slightly and let in a deep breath through my nose.

"I know what you're thinking," he says but I don't dare look at his face while he talks. I'm too busy trying to remember how to breathe. "You're thinking that I hurt you. But you and I both know that what we had was special."

I try to keep myself from throwing up.

"I didn't want to hurt you, Lux. But I wanted you to see the truth. I only hurt you because you hit me that day, remember? …I lost it and for that I am sorry. I shouldn't have taken it that far… But you're not going to make the same mistake twice, right?"

I turn my head away and glance at my pillow. I can feel his body turning even more on the bed as his hand reaches for the collar of my robe. He tries to move it off of me and I can't stay still anymore.

I knew that the smart decision, after the last time, was to stay still.

But I couldn't.

I instantly grab hold of the cellphone from under the pillow and try my best to run out of there. I can feel his hand reaching for me and the strap around my robe being quickly yanked from it. I keep running and can almost feel his hands on my body. He chases after me and just like the last time he makes it to the staircase before I do.

"You stupid bitch," he smiles. "Are we really going to do this all over again?"

I glare at him for a split second before I turn around and run towards the bathroom, feeling immediate relief when I'm able to close the door and get it locked. The window in there is too small but I figure that it would hold him off.

Trey couldn't break the bathroom door down without Valerie questioning the reason. But I still can't help but be petrified as I watch the doorknob shake vigorously.

"Lux, open this damn door now." His voice is angry but I don't do it. "Now!" he shouts louder.

And before I know it, I'm calling Stef's phone from the cell. I hold it up to my ear and listen to it ring. He bangs his fist on the door so hard that it almost causes my heart to pop out of my chest. I immediately notice an obvious crack in it, which means it wouldn't be long for him to get through.

For a second I think about opening it and apologizing for locking myself in here in the first place. But then I hear him again.

"OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR LUX BEFORE I KICK IT DOWN! YOU THINK YOU CAN LOCK DOORS IN MY OWN HOUSE!"

This was worst than the last time. He wasn't this angry even when I hit him.

Come on, Stef. Pick up. Pick up, I think to myself.

"Hello?" I hear her answer but I can't bring myself to say anything.

He bangs on the door. This time it was harder, and I drop the phone.