Page 21 of Yours to Keep
That evening, I park my bike outside Ree’s place and stand frozen for a moment. The door opens before I knock, and Ree pulls me inside.
The house feels alive, warm, and entirely foreign. Family photos line the walls, ordinary moments made visible, and lived-in. Before Adrian, normalcy like this was just how life worked. But at Adrian’s, personal belongings had slowly vanished to fit his aesthetic, until my memories were erased from the walls.
When we sit down to eat with the kids moving around us, I wait out of habit. A learned behavior. No one reaches for food. They are waiting for me.
My chest tightens, breathing quickening into a sharp spike of panic. Every muscle locks. Marge notices, quietly taking my plate and serving it herself. “A little of everything,” she says simply.
When she sets it down, it’s too much, too real. I sit frozen for a second before eating quietly, watching the room. For once, the noise doesn’t feel like danger. It just feels like life.
When dinner ends, I stand automatically to clear the dishes. The warm water runs over my hands in the sink, the bubbles blurring as my eyes sting. The confession breaks free before I can stop it.
“I keep thinking it’s my fault,” I say quietly.
Marge’s voice comes first, gentle. “Why?”
“He gets angry.”
Ree exhales slowly, choosing her words with care. “Everyone gets angry, Eli. But what you’re describing… that isn’t anger.”
The truth lands before my mind can block it out. Marge takes one of my hands from the sink; Ree takes the other. They don’t pull or rush. They just hold on.
A call echoes from deeper in the house.“Mum!”breaking the moment. Marge gives me a sideways glance with a faint flicker of humor. “Saved by the children.”
A small, unfamiliar laugh slips out of me.
Then my phone vibrates in my pocket. Once. Twice.
Everything in me stills. I know who it is. I pull it out, the screen illuminating the dark.
Adrian.
My blood runs cold. My breath shortens. “I have to answer,” I whisper, swiping the screen. “Hey, Aidy.”
“Where are you?” His voice is low, controlled, and sharp at the edges.
I glance at Marge, whose eyes steady me. “Remember? I told you I was at Ree’s for dinner.”
My words are met with silence for what feels like an eternity. I am about to ask if he is still there when he speaks. “You need to come home.”
My stomach drops. “I’ll be home soon, Aidy. We’re just having dessert. I’ll head back after that, okay?”
Another pause. Then his tone shifts to something softer, and far worse. “No. I need you home. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
A cold sweat breaks across my skin. My instincts scream at me to run, but my feet stay planted.
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Good.” The line goes dead.
Ree steps close. “You don’t have to. ”
“I do,” I say automatically, because obedience is the only rule that’s ever mattered.
I grab my jacket. Ree catches my hand at the door. “You call me if anything feels wrong.”
Marge presses my hand hard enough to ground me through the numbness. “Don’t you disappear on us.”
I nod, unable to speak, and leave.
