The Good Daughter (The Good Family Series Book 3) by Jessica Overend

Author:Jessica Overend [Overend, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter sixteen

“Mom, are you okay?” Noah piped up from the backseat as they pulled out of the driveway.

Claire glanced at him in the rearview mirror, a sad expression planted firmly on her face as she realized Noah had seen her. Way to rip the bandaid off… “I’m okay, buddy. I promise you that I’ll explain everything to you after school, okay? But I don’t want you to worry about this while you’re learning.”

Noah gulped visibly. “Did Gabriel hurt you?” His tone conveyed hurt and shock, and Claire's body visibly deflated in shame at his question.

His words were filled with fear, and Claire could see his worried expression. “No, baby. Gabriel would never hurt me, and he would never hurt you, either. Someone else did this. I’ll explain what happened when you get home, okay? There’s no need for you to be afraid, honey,” she placated as best she could, though her voice was shaky with her own anxiety.

“Okay, Mom,” he said, his tone unbelieving. “Are you sure you’re okay, though? Did you go to a doctor?”

Claire knew then that if she left Gabriel like she just had, Noah's little mind would still think that Gabriel had been the one to hurt her. She'd have to find a way to convince him that Gabriel hadn't done anything physically to hurt her. Gabriel had become more than a role model to Noah, and it devastated Claire to have to take that away.

“I checked out my bruises last night and this morning. I don’t need medical care. We’ve got supplies right at home to help me get better,” Claire said, her face throbbing as she spoke.

As she rounded the corner to the school, dizziness and nauseous stopped her conversation in its tracks, and she knew she’d need to find a toilet soon or she’d empty her stomach right there in the car. She watched her bruised face blanch in the mirror as the car rolled to a stop at the curb.

“Do you want me to stay home, Mom?” Noah asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Oh, honey. You’re so sweet. I’ll be alright, though. I want you to have fun at school and don’t worry so much about me. I’ll be sore for a few days, but I’ll be alright, I promise,” Claire patted his cheek and gave him a loving kiss as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Just be careful, Mom,” he warned, and Clarie stifled a laugh as her protective little boy got out of the car and ran toward the school. “I love you!” he called over his shoulder.

“I love you, too,” she responded, and she drove away from the school.

She hastily drove toward her home as her nausea became more prominent. Pressing a hand to her stomach, she willed herself to hold it in until she got there. As her car bumped haphazardly into the driveway, Claire knew that she wouldn’t make it to the toilet.

Throwing the gear shift into park, she opened the door and released the contents of her stomach onto the driveway.

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