70

                                    

                                          
Rose breathed a heavy sigh and sunk against me; her head nestled in the crook of my arm. "This is perfect," she said, her breath marginally visible through the cold air. It had been one of those cold, crips spring days, with the sky completely clear of clouds and the sun beating down, warming the air just enough to take the chill off. But now the sun had set, the air was cool again but the sky was still completely clear, offering a perfect view of the stars.
At one time in my life, I could recognise each and every constellation. I'd been a fan of the stars when I was a kid and mom always stood in the freezing cold with me on clear winter's nights to point out the constellations.
I held Rose close to me, feeling the rise and fall of her chest. She had a smile on her face, but her eyes seemed a little glazed over. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked her for what felt like the millionth time. 
She directed her smile at me, and fuck was she stunning. I always forgot just how perfect she was. Bright blue eyes, freckles dotted across her pale skin, pretty pink lips that forged a wide smile. "I'm okay, I promise."
I nodded and trailed my fingers through her hair. I couldn't quite believe her. "Was your dad home today?"
She frowned, most likely at the tone to my voice, but I couldn't hide my disdain for the guy. All I could think about now, day in and day out, was how I should never have let her go back to him. I couldn't stop worrying about her, scared he'd hurt her again. She gave me a slow nod. "Yeah, he was."
"Everything was okay? Nothing happened?"
She shook her head and sunk back down to her previous position, eyes on the stars rather than me. "I went straight into my room when I got home and then he went out."
I nodded slowly, relief seeping into my tensed muscles. "Is he out now?" I asked, although I knew he must've been. She wouldn't be with me if he was home.
"Yeah."
"What time does he usually come home?"
She lifted a shoulder and tilted to look at me again, eyes narrowing. "Not until the bars close, so early hours of the morning, why?"
"Just wondering," I told her, trailing my hand back and forth over her arm. "Maybe you'd be better off sleeping at mine tonight? Staying clear of him after he's been drinking?" I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, even though I couldn't have felt further from it. I didn't want her anywhere near him. I felt like he was a ticking bomb and I was waiting around helplessly, hoping he didn't blow up and hurt Rose in the process.
"I can't do that," she answered. It was the answer I expected, but I was disappointed nonetheless. "What am I supposed to say if he asks where I was?"
I shrugged again, my gut twisting as the next words left my mouth. "Maybe you should tell him the truth, that you were with your boyfriend. At least then he would know someone was looking out for you. Maybe he'll start to back off."
The horror in her expression told me she didn't like that suggestion. "I can't tell him about you," she protested, shaking her head violently, as though she was trying to shake away the memory of what I'd said. "He'd be furious."
My jaw clenched. Of course, he would. He used anything and everything as an excuse to lash out. And he had done a damn good job at keeping Rose completely isolated. I hated him so fucking much for that.
When I'd gotten home Sunday morning, I went straight to my dad. I couldn't tell him about Rose or her dad without losing her, but I could tell him what she had told me about some of the officers. My dad worked closely with the chief of police to help ensure the people in our town stayed safe and neither of them would be happy to know they had officers that allowed abuse to continue. I told him a made-up story that conveyed the information Rose had given me and he assured me he'd pass on the information and the chief of police would keep a closer eye on all his officers.