“No. I don’t know.” I was angry. Mad he wouldn’t come into the police station with me. Mad he’d pushed me like I didn’t matter. I didn’t get him. He was a contradiction, a confused, scared, lonely boy who figured it was better to stay with his monster of a father than try and get help. “You have to come inside with me.”
He rushed toward me, gripping my shoulders and giving me a slight shake. His touch didn’t hurt, and his face in mine didn’t scare me because I could see the fear in his eyes, feel it in his shaking hands as they held me. “Your life is perfect, do you realize that? You have a mom and a dad. A sister. A family who loves you, probably a lot of friends who think you’re nice and teachers who care about you. You don’t know what it’s like to go hungry because your dad spent all the money he had on booze and drugs. You don’t understand when kids make fun of you when your clothes don’t fit and your shoes have holes in them. You have no idea what it’s like to have your dad drag you into his bedroom and make you watch when he . . .”
His words came to a complete stop, his breathing ragged. I stared up at him, horror filling me at those final words he just said. At everything he just said. My life had changed. I knew this without a doubt. But he was right. I had no idea what it was like to be him.
I’d dealt with his dad for only a handful of days. Will had been dealing with him for a lifetime.
“Things will get better,” I told him as I reached up to touch his forearm. He flinched beneath my hand, his fingers loosened their grip on my shoulders, and eventually his hands dropped away from me. I felt oddly cold without his touch. “You’ve suffered for a long time. They’ll help you.”
“No they won’t,” he said bitterly. “They’ll probably think I had something to do with this.”
“You’re just a kid,” I pointed out. A kid like me, but he really wasn’t. His life was nothing like mine. He’d seen and done too much, things that couldn’t be taken back. “They’ll take care of you.”
“I’ll be thrown into the foster system and they’ll forget about me. Or they’ll accuse me of raping you and toss me in jail.”
It was my turn to rush toward him. I clutched at his hands, held them in mine as I stared into his eyes. “I won’t let them. I’ll tell them the truth. They’ll believe me. Just please, Will. Come inside with me.”
He stared at me, hesitancy written all over his face. I had him. I knew I did and I tugged on his hands, turned us so we were walking toward the front door of the police station together. I steered him toward those double glass doors, knowing that men and women who would help me find my parents were just beyond those doors, and I hurried my steps.
Will broke free, his expression full of remorse as he shook his head. “I can’t, Katie. I just . . . I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Hey!”
I turned to see a uniformed officer standing in front of the doors, holding one of them open. He frowned at me as he started walking in my direction. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the way Will was frozen in place, like he wanted to bolt but couldn’t.
The officer jogged toward him, huffing and puffing as he drew near, his gaze hard as he stared at me. “Aren’t you that missing Watts girl?”
“Yes.” Relief flooded me and I nodded, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. “I am. Please, please help me.”
“Who’s that?” The officer flicked his chin toward Will and he ran. Just flat took off without a backward glance and the officer followed after him, telling him to stop or he’d shoot.
Panic rose within me. “Don’t shoot him!” I screamed, my entire body trembling violently. “Please! He brought me here! He saved me! Will, stop running!”
Will was young and fast. He could have easily outrun the older, overweight police officer, but he slowed his pace. Came to a complete stop. Turned around with his hands held high, his T-shirt riding up with the movement and offering a glimpse of his flat, pale stomach.
I didn’t remember much after that. A swarm of officers—both uniformed and plain clothed—came outside to surround me. A woman wrapped her arm around my shoulders and led me inside, her voice calm and soothing as she informed me she was going to contact my parents right away. Saying what a miracle it was that I was there, safe and sound. In one piece.
I couldn’t tell her that I was actually splintered into many pieces and that I doubted I could ever be put back together again.
Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted Will. Saw the way the officer grabbed hold of his arm and escorted him behind us. I saw the sullen expression on Will’s face, how grown-up he looked, with his tall body and long arms and legs. Yet his expression was vulnerable, scared, and my heart cracked when our gazes met.