“Did he hurt you? Did Mr. Connelly hurt you? Are you afraid of him, and you don’t know what to do?”
Cadence looked at him in disbelief. It was all she could take. Pointing fingers. Kneejerk reactions. It must be Mark. He must be the bad guy. Naturally. She knew her eyes turned black as she lunged at Jacob, wrapping her hands around his throat. Just like that her alter ego appeared out of nowhere. And she was angrier this time. Not like with Gracie. This version would snap Jacob’s head right off his body.
“No,” she hissed. “He would never hurt me. Now get the fuck out of the car.”
She released him and put the key in the ignition.
Jacob scrambled out, barely shutting the door before she tore out of the parking lot.
“Mark!” she screamed, ripping open the door and running to the bedroom. “Mark! MARK!!”
“Cadence?” she heard from the bathroom. She burst through the door and found Mark standing at the sink, brushing his teeth. She flung herself on him, squeezing his waist from behind, burying her face in his back.
“I thought they took you!” she cried.
She clung to him desperately, sobbing into his back while he watched toothpaste ooze from the corner of his mouth. He thought spitting in the sink would turn the whole scene comical, but he had no choice.
He spit. She cried harder. He rinsed and gargled. She shook uncontrollably.
“It’s okay,” he said, gently peeling her arms from his waist. He turned around and hugged her. “It’s okay.”
“Mrs. Jackson said you were going to jail!”
“I’m not.”
“But that’s what she said!”
“Cadence, it’s all right. I’m not going to jail. I spoke with my attorney today. It’s fine.”
“What?”
“Everything’s okay. They can’t charge me with anything. Losing my job is the extent of it.”
“Oh, God!” Cadence wailed. “Oh God!” She clutched him greedily. “I’ll kill them! I’ll kill anyone who takes you away from me!”
Mark trapped her face in his hands and looked at her, concern poking at his heart for the first time since she flew through the door. It wasn’t comical after all. Her eyes were wild with fear—like those of a hunted animal—and he tried to think of how to take it out of her. The fear. She’d been living in fear since her father hit her.
“I’ll kill them!” she screamed at him.
“Shh, it’s all right,” he said soothingly.
“I don’t care what happens to me! They won’t take you! They won’t!”
“No one’s taking me, Cadence. It’s okay,” he said.
The panic pervaded her limbs and twisted her face. He never saw her so frightened. Not even when she pounded on his door a few days ago, sporting a black eye. Homeless. Helpless.
“I can’t take it anymore!” she screamed.
He knew what she meant. Her parents: Gone. Avery: Gone. Security: Gone. It was the meltdown he’d been anticipating.
He took her hand and led her to the kitchen.
“I’m here. Cadence? Look at me,” Mark demanded.
She turned her face to him. He could tell her mind was far away.
“I’m. Here. This is our apartment. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you.”
He pulled a glass from the cupboard as he spoke. Calm. Reassuring. But her anxiety triggered his own, though he’d never reveal it. Jobless. Limited funds in his bank account. They would be fine for a while if he couldn’t find a job right away, but he really didn’t want to touch that money.
He filled the glass with water. “Drink,” he said.
She took a few sips, then wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
“Better?”
She nodded. He didn’t believe her. It was one of those absent nods—the ones people give when they don’t believe what they’re agreeing to. They just agree because they think it’ll make the other person feel better.
She followed him around all morning, watching him go about his business. Collecting paperwork for a few jobs he applied for. Rinsing dishes in the sink. She helped him load the dishwasher, watching him surreptitiously from the corner of her eye. She didn’t want him out of her sight.
She sat in his lap on the floor while he organized a bottom shelf of records. And when that task was complete, she asked him to accompany her to the bathroom.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said to her as he held her hand down the hallway.
She didn’t believe him and made him keep the door open and stand where she could see him while she peed.
“I’m not crazy,” she said after she flushed the toilet.
Mark furrowed his brows.
“But I’m losing it, Mark. If one more person says you’re bad, I’ll fucking kill them.”
“Cadence . . .”
“I’m tired of it! I’m scared. I’m alone—”
“You’re not alone,” he interrupted.
“I am! You can’t be everything to me. Don’t you get it? I miss Avery. I miss my parents. I’m supposed to have other people in my life! I’m supposed to have parents! They’re supposed to do parent stuff with me! You know, be there and help me.”
“I’ll help you.”
“I’m supposed to have parents, Mark!” she yelled. “They’re supposed to love me!”