Damaged In-Law by Colleen Masters Page A

trying to put
his hands—”
    “I ’ ve heard just about enough of this,”
my father cuts me off, “These are not accusations you can just throw around,
Calista. There are consequences—”
    “Are there really?” I challenge, stepping up to my dad,
“Because as far as I can tell, he ’ s been getting away with
this scot-free for years—”
    “I think I ’ d better make my exit, here,”
Daryl says crisply, brushing past us toward the door, “Let you deals with these
girls of yours. Come on, Beth.”
    “You ’ re going to let him walk away,
aren ’ t you?” I ask breathlessly, staring around at my
parents and the Coles.
    “Just look at Avery,” Jack snarls to the adults around us,
gesturing to her ripped dress, her streaked makeup. “You think she ’ s making this up? You think we ’ re all —?”
    “That ’ s enough,” my mother shouts, as
the Hellmans beat a quick retreat, “ I don’ t know what kind
of sick joke you three are trying to play, but my patience has officially run
out. All of you either pull yourselves together and get back to the party or
excuse yourselves.”
    “Alright,” I fume, reaching for Avery ’ s
hand, “We ’ ll leave.”
    “That sounds like a fine idea,” my father says, crossing his
arms. “Go cool off, and—”
    “ No Dad, ” I cut in, “We ’ re
leaving for good.”
    “I need a drink,” Anita Cole mutters, walking away, “Come
on, Richard. We ’ ll deal with Jack later.”
    “We ’ ve been talking about this for a while,
Avery and I,” I tell my parents as the Coles depart. “Now that we ’ re
eighteen, we can finally—”
    “Callie, no!” Avery says desperately, “We never agreed to
anything.”
    “Avery,” my mother says, exasperated, “Could you please tell
us what your sister is rambling on about?”
    “Tell them Ave,” I plead with my sister, taking her hands in
mine. “I know it ’ s scary, but you have to sometime. Tell
them what Daryl has been doing to you. Tell them that we ’ re
leaving because they refuse to protect us, or listen, or—”
    “ I...I don’ t...” Avery sputters,
pulling her hands out of my grasp. “I ’ m sorry, Callie. I
can ’t. I don’ t want to go. I wouldn ’ t
know how to make it, on my own.”
    “You won ’ t be on your own,” I plead, my hopes plummeting, “You ’ ll have
me.”
    But I can tell that I ’ ve already lost
this battle. Avery shakes her head, and takes a shaky step back toward our
parents. I stare at my sister, feeling the world fall away beneath my feet. She
looks back at me from behind a mask of composed sorrow. I know, in this
instant, that she ’ ll never tell my parents the whole truth
of what has happened to her. She ’ ll never seek justice.
She ’ ll never face this ugly truth again. From my very
core, I know with absolute certainty that this silence is going to destroy her.
She ’ s not coming with me.
    But that doesn ’ t mean I ’ m
going to stay.
    “Right,” I breathe, looking around at my parents, my sister,
and the pained face of Jackson Cole. “Well. Enjoy the rest of your party,
then.”
    “When will you be home?” my mother asks primly, laying a
hand on Avery ’ s shoulder.
    “Oh, mom,” I murmur, “You wouldn ’ t hear
me if I told you.” 
    I turn on my heel and head for the door. As I turn away from
my family, from the twinkling cocktail party, and even from Jackson Cole, I
know that my stay in this world of their ’ s is over. The
moment I step out that door, I ’ ll be utterly on my own.
Nothing has ever been more freeing, and more terrifying, than this.
    Just as I ’ m about to take that final
step into the fresh spring night, someone catches my hand. I turn to find Jackson
staring down at me, ardent desperation gleaming in his eyes. My family has
already retreated into the great room. He ’ s the only one
holding me here, now.
    “Cal,” Jack rasps, lacing his fingers through mine and
holding tight. “I know this whole thing is