Chapter
16
Katelyn jumped
when the phone began to ring a few minutes later. Her heart racing, she leaned
over and picked up the phone on the table next to the sofa.
"Hello?"
she said, her voice weak and shaky.
"Uh, hi.
May I please speak to Katelyn?" a soft male voice asked. Katelyn frowned.
The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She was
surprised. Guys didn't call her very often, and when they did, it was certainly
not in the middle of the morning.
"This is
she," Katelyn said into the phone. "Who is this?"
"Oh, hi,
Katelyn," the voice said shyly. Suddenly, Katelyn heard the southern twang
in his voice and immediately recognized it. "This is Brian Littrell,"
he said.
Katelyn could
not believe it. When she had given him her phone number the night before, she
had never in a million years expected him to call. She knew he was a caring
person, but she also knew that he was extremely busy.
"Oh my
gosh, Brian, I can't believe you're actually calling me!" she said, a
smile appearing on her bruised and tear-stained face.
"Well, of
course I am," he said. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I was
really worried about you."
Her first
instinct was to tell him not to worry, that she was perfectly fine, but she
knew she couldn't. She couldn't keep this in anymore. She had to be honest with
someone, and Brian was the one.
"How are
you?" Brian asked.
Katelyn
sighed. "Not good, actually," she said.
"What's
wrong?" Brian asked sympathetically.
"I wish
you were hear so you could take a look at me," Katelyn scoffed.
"What
happened?" asked Brian, his voice serious and full of concern.
"Let's
just say my mom was real pissed when I got home from Lexington last
night," Katelyn said.
"What did
she do to you?" Brian demanded.
"She
slapped me across the face, threw something at my head that knocked me out, and
kicked me or something in my stomach," Katelyn told him.
She heard
Brian gasp on the other end. "Where is she now?" he asked, his voice
rising angrily.
"She's at
work," Katelyn replied. "Why? What are you gonna do?"
"How long
does she work? Will she be gone for awhile?" Brian asked.
"She
won't be home until about six tonight. Maybe later if she goes out and
drinks," Katelyn replied.
"Then I'm
coming to get you," Brian said.
"What?!"
Katelyn cried.
"Seriously.
I know we don't know each other very well, but I can not just stand around and
let her abuse you this way. What's your address?" he asked.
Once again,
Katelyn fought her instinct to not tell him and insist that she would be fine.
"702 White Oak Lane," she said. "But how will you find it?"
"Don't
worry, I'll ask for some directions. You're in Cincinnati, right?" Brian
asked.
"Right,"
she replied.
"Okay,
that's what I thought. I just wanted to make sure," he said. "I'm
still in Lexington right now. I'll be at your house in a few hours. Have your
stuff packed, okay?"
"Okay,"
she said uncertainly.
"I'll see
ya later, Katelyn," he said. "Good bye."
"Bye,"
she said, hanging up the phone in shock. Brian was coming to rescue her! Brian
was driving to her house to take her somewhere safe! She could not believe all
this was happening to her. She had no clue where he was going to take her and
what he was going to do, but she didn't care. She was getting away, and that
was all that mattered to her then.
***
