Chapter 304: Fears

It doesn’t matter how scared you are, never show your fear or your tears. – Leigh Anne

Six-year-old Rye sat on the bathroom counter with tears, snot and blood covering her face. Leigh Anne carefully dabbed at the bloody nose with a damp rag. The door was closed and locked, but they could hear the adults yelling.

Leigh Anne was wearing the black lace dress that the man had brought. Rye had put it on but quickly took it off. The material was itchy and made her uncomfortable. It looked more like what a woman would wear, not a little girl.

“Baby sister, you can’t tell anyone that mom hit you. Bad things will happen to dad.”

“Why does she hate me?” she sobbed in her childlike innocence.

“She doesn’t, baby sister.” Leigh Anne soothed. “It’s like daddy says, she loses herself.”

“She doesn’t hit you.”

“She hurts me in other ways.”

“I don’t like it when daddy goes away.”

“Me either, baby sister.”

A strong arm wrapped around her, and a familiar voice