“Here we go again,” he says, pulling away.
“Please, don’t be angry.”
“I am angry! What were you thinking? You could have been hurt. You could have lost the baby.”
His words cut like a knife, because he’s right. I should have waited. I should have protected my own child instead of chasing down Zoey. “I only left my vehicle because I wanted to make sure everyone was safe.”
“You were the only person in danger, Della. You’re lucky the police found you.”
“But the party—”
“Nothing happened at the party. They found some underage drinkers and called their parents. The most eventful incident was them finding you bleeding from the head.”
“I don’t think I just fell,” I said. “I think I was hit with something.”
This could be my opportunity to implicate Zoey. I could say I remember her hitting me. Finally, she’d suffer the consequences of something. But I don’t want to provide a statement Zoey can refute.
Danny stands and walks to the front of the bed. He places his palm on my head as I lean forward. I feel his fingers as they stroke my scalp. I wince when he comes close to the bandage. The throbbing in my head is nothing compared to the anxiety building in my chest.
“I know I didn’t just fall, Danny.”
“Do you have any idea how foolish that was? Especially considering your concerns about Zoey. The last thing you need to do is track her down by yourself.”
“Someone has to do something.”
“Just hear me out. Please.” He leans over the bed and looks into my eyes. “I believe you think Zoey is dangerous. Based on everything you told me, I think she’s dangerous. I only want you to consider the other side of things. Just for a second. This other student was attacked, much like the girls Brian hurt. Much like Amber. Maybe all the similarities are pulling you back to that lonely place you were in fourteen years ago. Maybe you’re projecting all of this onto Zoey. Even if you’re right, is it worth the toll it’s taking on you? On us?”
I think back to what Dr. Walters said in our last session. It’s not a far stretch from what Danny is saying now. I haven’t been myself, and maybe that’s what I’ve really been searching for in all of this. Proof I’m still the woman who can trust her gut, hoping it will make a difference this time. I was too late for Amber. We were all too late for Brian. Whether I like it or not, the past is still very much a part of me. It courses through me, bumping and fluttering.
“I was only trying to do what I thought was right.” I lay my head against the pillow, feeling the tears roll down my cheeks. “I didn’t want to lose Darcy the way I lost Amber. I want things to be different this time.”
He sighs and stares out the window. “The last thing I want is an argument, but you have to promise you’ll let the police handle Zoey from here on out. I need you present, okay? I need you here.”
Suddenly I do feel foolish. All I’d found was two teenagers smoking a joint, and I can’t explain much else after that. I look at Danny, who is studying my face. He needs me. I see that now.
“I’ll let it go,” I say, one hand rubbing my blanketed midsection. “I promise.”
Monday marks the first full week of summer break. Somehow, the sun seems brighter and the house is quieter. I need quiet. I need time to think. Danny has returned to his practice. His absence allows me space to process everything that’s happened.
I’m at least trying to take on a different perspective. Zoey pushed my buttons when she mentioned Florida. The knife incident, for obvious reasons, reminded me of Brian again. Maybe she typed the letter, and then again, maybe she didn’t. Maybe her mother really did lash out at her, and Marge really did eat the wrong brownie. All these coincidences, but no evidence. I certainly didn’t find proof of violence at the party.
Maybe the pregnancy is heightening my emotions and causing me to feel more passionately about things than I normally would. I feel the need to protect people and prove I’m right, because those were two things I couldn’t do at a crucial point in my life. Zoey Peterson can no longer be my problem. As callous as it feels, neither can Darcy. I need to focus on myself. Focus on my baby and moving forward.
For the first time in weeks, I feel peace. There’s still a lot to hash out, particularly with Danny and the baby, but I have time for that. Hell, I have all summer. Everything else can wait, even the Europe trip I never got around to planning.
I sit on the couch and prepare to start summer break with a midday nap. My phone rings. I don’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
“Hi. This is Bridgette Cooper from Virginia Valley High School. I’m responding to a message I received about a former student,” she says. “Is this Della Mayfair?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Even when I decide to strip Zoey from my world, she finds a way back in. “I was helping Zoey Peterson with her college admissions essays.”
I decide to stop talking. I’ve already dug a hole with Bowles. If he knew I was still discussing Zoey with former counselors, that hole would plunge deeper.
“Yes, Zoey Peterson. I remember her.” I can hear she’s smiling as she speaks. “How’s she doing at Victory Hills?”
“Fine,” I say, not wanting to say too much. “Summer vacation actually starts today.”
“Oh, I hate to bother you.” I hear movement on the other end of the line. “We’ve still got two weeks left. We were hit with a heavy snow this winter.”
“I appreciate you following up with me, but I won’t
