Lighting a Match in the Rain

Chapter Forty-Four

"Do you remember me telling you that I broke up with Sebastian because of his anger issues?" I asked. I was sitting up in the hospital bed with my legs folded underneath me and my mother sitting in a chair beside me.

She was pulling clothes out of a bag that she had brought for me to change into. Her eyes looked up at me, looking a little confused, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yes."

"Well, it was a little deeper than that," I admitted, unfolding my legs and pulling my knees up to my chest. "The last summer I went to the lake with him, he held me under the water. He tried to kill me, Mom."

Her brows scrunched together as her eyes filled with tears and she drew a shaking hand to her lips. "Ella..." She stared in my eyes and after seeing how serious I was, she shook her head. "Honey, why didn't you tell me?"

I took a deep breath. "I didn't realize what had actually happened until earlier today at the lake," I quickly explained. "I knew I'd been stuck under the water that day but I thought it was my own error. Today, I realized it was because of him."

"What happened?"

I shrugged. "I remembered what happened that day. I started pushing and screaming at Sebastian. I attacked him. Then he pushed me back and I went over the cliff."

"Did he..."

"I don't think he meant to," I said honestly. "He was defending himself from me. I think he just wanted me away from him, not for me to go over the edge." This time. I'd give him this time.

"And things happened before?" I nodded, in time for a tear to slide down her cheek. "Oh, Honey. If you would have told me from the very beginning...why didn't you tell me?" I took a shaky breath. "I saw the bruises. You told me you were clumsy and bruised easily...I believed you..."

I reached out and grabbed her hand in my own. "I didn't want you to worry."

"You know you could have told me," she cried. "I could have helped."

I squeezed her hand. "I know. I'm sorry. I wish a had."

"And now? Do you want me to contact someone?" she asked intently. "We can get this sorted out."

I shrugged, opening my mouth but hesitating with the words. "It's been so long. There's no proof."

She fumbled with ideas. "I'm sure Kinsley remembers things. I saw your bruises. Your dad did too. You have witnesses of that." I remembered my friends walking into him strangling me in the cabin. I wonder if they would speak up about it if I asked them to. "Can I? Please?" Taking a deep breath, I nodded, squeezing her hand. "It's worth a try," she said. "In the end, at least you can say you tried."

At least I can say I tried.

#

Reed and I walked hand in hand out of the building, separating from my parents as we walked toward his car and they walked toward there's. Somehow, my mom had talked to my dad and he'd changed his mind about Reed, too. They were giving him a mindful chance.

It was in the middle of the night and we'd just checked out of the hospital. Feeling emotional and physically drained, I was more than ready to go home. I still had the blanket Reed had brought me wrapped around my shoulders, feeling comfort in the warmth even though the air wasn't chilly.

Reed was being unusually quiet but I tried to pretend like I didn't notice. I was giving him space, figuring he was still stressed from today. Not to mention, I knew he was still uncomfortable as he figured out this whole "new start" thing.