All Fall Down by Erica Spindler Page A

said—he must have believed she did, too, because the sexual abuse had stopped.
    Melanie tightened her arms around her sister, aching for her. Why Mia? she wondered. The most defenseless, most sensitive of the three of them? And now, why this? Why couldn’t her sister have the love she deserved?
    Why couldn’t any of them?
    Melanie drew away from her twin, holding her at arm’s length, meeting her gaze evenly. “Did he touch you?”
    Mia shook her head, struggling, Melanie saw, to find her voice. “I didn’t give him the chance. He went crazy and I grabbed the portable phone and ran. I locked myself in here…he tried to kick in the door…I thought he would. Then he just…stopped.”
    She drew in a shuddering breath. “I imagined him hiding out there, trying to trick me into coming out. I imagined him getting his gun—”
    â€œHe has a gun?”
    Mia blanched. “He…I…I don’t know…I meant, I imagined him getting a gun. I was so afraid, Mellie!”
    Melanie glanced at the bathroom door. The white paint was marred by ugly, black heel marks. She turned back to her sister. “Have you called the police?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThe police. Have you called them?”
    â€œNo, I—”
    â€œThat’s okay. We can do it now. I’ll get the phone.” She retrieved it from the bathroom floor and brought it to Mia. She held it out.
    Mia shrank back and Melanie frowned. “You have to do this, Mia. You have to protect yourself. You have to stop him.”
    â€œI can’t.”
    â€œMia—”
    â€œI couldn’t bear for everyone to know!” She covered her face with her hands. “I’m so ashamed.”
    Melanie put the phone aside and took her sister’s hands away from her face. They were cold, trembling. “Look at me, Mia. You have nothing to be ashamed of. He’s the one who’ll be embarrassed by this. He’s the one who—”
    â€œHe’ll get off. You know he will. He’ll deny the whole thing, and everyone will believe him. I’ll be labeled the pathetic, attention-starved wife.”
    â€œYou have proof. Look at this place, the heel marks, the—” Even as she said the words, she knewthat her sister had little beside bruises that were nearly two weeks old. Not even a 911 call.
    â€œYou see that I’m right, don’t you?” Mia shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. “It’ll be my word against his. Who do you think everyone will believe?”
    Melanie had faced a similar prejudice when she left Stan, though he had never physically abused her. It had infuriated her then, it did now. She was sick and tired of a system that allowed the rich and powerful to run roughshod over those more vulnerable. They should be held accountable. Someone should make them pay.
    Mia hung her head. “It’s my fault. I questioned him about where he was going. I should have known better. I should have left well enough alone.”
    â€œDon’t do that, Mia. That’s a victim talking. It’s bullshit.” Melanie caught Mia’s shoulders and shook her lightly. “He’s your husband. You had every reason, every right, to question him.”
    â€œBut I—”
    â€œNo! You will not become a victim. I will not allow it, do you hear me? You’ve come too far.” She shook her again, forcing her to meet her eyes. “You have to leave him, Mia. You have to. It’s the only way.”
    Mia started to cry again, nodding her head. “You’re right, Mellie. But I don’t want to. I want my marriage. The one I thought I had. The one I dreamed of.”
    Melanie’s eyes filled with tears of sympathy. And of understanding. She drew her sister back into her arms. “I know, sweetie. I want the same thing. I want what I thought I had. But it’s not going to happen. You have to leave him before