CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
AN ENTIRE WEEK passed before I was able to talk to Jackson. I hadn’t been forced to work in that time. There had to be a reason. It wasn’t like Nate had forgotten about me. I was too grateful to question it. Even thinking about it made me fear that I would jinx it somehow and Nate would order me back to the guest room.
Jackson carried a tray with our food allowance for the day down the stairs and set it on the table. Lily and Rochelle were in front of the large mirror, fussing over each other’s hair. I sat on Phoebe’s cot, snapping a rubber hair tie that I had stretched between my thumb and index finger.
Jackson’s eyes swept through the room and immediately found me. It was awful being in the same room with him and not being able to touch him. He pressed his lips together and eyed the girls, then set the tray down on the card table and picked up a very full laundry basket. He looked at Phoebe, then me, his eyes questioning. I shook my head, telling him that she hadn’t gotten any better.
I got up and went to the table, slowly sorting through the food. Jackson walked back and deliberately dropped the basket. I bent down to help him pick up the clothes.
“Are you okay?” he whispered and grabbed a pair of fishnet tights. “I wasn’t expecting to see you at that house.”
“I know,” I told him and reached out for his hand. I laced my fingers through his and squeezed his hand. Our eyes met, and my heart ached, wanting to be closer to Jackson. Even though he was right in front of me, I missed him. “Nate brought you back for more reasons than to do housework.”
“What?”
“It hit me when I saw Zane’s face when you guys picked me up. He knew it would upset you to see me. He knows that you like me, and he likes hurting you so…”
“I did wonder why he came with,” he said and bent forward to scoop up more clothing.
I swallowed hard and shook my head. “He will use me against you.”
“I know,” he admitted. He looked up at me, giving me a small, hopeful smile. I pushed my hair away from my face. “You can’t let them know you have feelings for me. No matter what. You can’t let them have that advantage over you.” We stood, and I noticed Rochelle watching us in the mirror. “I’ll come back when I can,” he whispered and hurried up the stairs.
I opened a container of yogurt and picked up a spoon. I went back to Phoebe’s cot and tried to feed her. She ate about half before she let her eyes close. My lip quivered, and hot tears burned in my eyes. I set the yogurt down and took her hand in mine, pressing it to my forehead.
“You’re gonna be okay,” I soothed. “You have to be.”
“I’m cold,” she said hoarsely.
I got up and took the blue fleece blanket off my cot and tucked it around Phoebe. Something was familiar about her symptoms, but I couldn’t recall what was causing it. The splotchy skin, the constant fatigue … I was sure it was some sort of sexually transmitted infection.
“Is she okay?” Lily asked, her blue eyes wide with fear. She was holding a makeup brush in one hand.
“She won’t be for much longer,” I admitted and felt a lump of vomit rise in my throat. “She needs to see a doctor.”
Lily turned to Rochelle. “I told you. Please, Rochelle. Please,” she begged.
Rochelle finished applying her eyeliner before she even acknowledged Lily. “He will never listen.”
The brush dropped from Lily’s hand. “You have to try again!” She stuck her hand out. “Look at her!”
Rochelle closed her eyes, causing fat tears to roll down her face, streaking the thick makeup she had layered on. “Okay. I’ll ask.”
I had a feeling I knew who she was talking about. “Zane?” I asked.
“Yes,” Lily answered. “If she can just get him to get a prescription like he did for you, she’ll be fine, right Addie?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Prescription?”
“From Dr. Jerry,” Lily said as if I should know. When she saw my blank expression, she went on to explain. “He’s the doc who gives Nate our birth control pills. He’s one of Rochelle’s clients.”
“Oh,” I said, at a loss for words. I let out a breath. “Do you think you can get something, anything, for Phoebe?”
“I’ll try,” Rochelle told us. Her voice was level, but I could see that just the thought of asking Zane something terrified her.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely and turned my attention back to Phoebe. She slept while Lily and Rochelle finished getting ready. Rochelle’s heels clicked on the wooden steps. She paused at the top and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, it opened, and she and Lily were ushered out of the basement to begin the day’s work.
I did my routine of pacing around the basement and straightening my cot. My skin under the ankle bracelet was dry and itchy. I scratched at it until it became red.
I sat at the card table with my head in my hands, staring at the broom closet’s door. It taunted me, reminding me of my first few days as a captive.
“Addie?” Phoebe croaked. I stood up so fast, the metal folding chair fell to the ground.
“Yes,” I answered right away.
“Can you bring water?” she asked.
“Of course.” I hurried to fill up a plastic cup with icy water and bring it to her. She took small sips but finished the entire thing. She ran her hands through her messy hair and sat up.
“Feel better now,” she told me with a smile. “No worry.”
“I do worry. You’re my friend.”
She patted my arm. “Friend.”
“Yes,” I said with a half smile.
She took a deep breath and looked around as if she just realized we were alone. “You like Jackson,” she stated.
I didn’t even try to deny it. “I do.”
“I see how he look at you. He like you too.”
I felt my heart skip a beat. “I think he does.”
“You more than think,” she teased and nudged me with her elbow. She swung her legs over the cot and stood. Her hand flew to her forehead and she moaned in pain. “Head hurt.”
I stood. “This should help,” I told her and hopped over the cot and reached under my pillow, extracting a handful of little white pills. I picked off a few pieces of fuzz and hair and gave her two. She put them in her mouth and swallowed them dry. I closed my eyes in a long blink and refused to think about how unhealthy she was.