Free Overcome by Emily Camp Page B

“You know you can talk to me, right, I won’t judge.”
    This was one of the reasons Carly hated visiting Bree now. She was happy Bree had a good home and that she was loved and not ignored like she was with either of her real parents. But Carly missed just her and Bree hanging out without anybody butting in.
    “Yep,” Carly said before she gulped from her bottled water. “Look, it’s been what eight-nine months, I’m over it.” It’d actually been six months, two weeks, and five days, but she wasn’t going to let anyone know she’d been counting.
    “Sometimes …” Lexi spun her own bottle of water around on the table. “… if we bury something alive it will always come back to haunt us.” The irony in her words were laughable.
    “Well good thing he was buried dead.” Carly quipped causing Lexi to frown.
    She slid the chair out and walked to the bathroom without saying another word.
    It was as if Lexi wanted her to crack. She thrived on broken people so she could do her job of putting them back together by leading them to Jesus. Carly wasn’t going to crack. She’d put so much mortar in between the crevices of her heart with one night stands and short flings, nothing was going to get in and break it again.
     
    *****
     
    The shouting woke Carly from a deep sleep.
    Her gut twisted and she pulled the covers over her head like it was going to go away. She wished the blanket was sound proof then she wouldn’t have to listen. It’d been months since the last incident, and every night her mom was late, only fueled the anger brewing in him. Carly knew he was going to explode soon. After the high she was on from reuniting Parker and Bree, something had to happen to knock her down.
    The whole house shook and something crashed against a wall.
    Cries, more shouts floated through the walls like they were paper.
    Glass shattered.
    The blanket couldn’t make it go away.
    When she was little, she would go to Hudson’s room. He’d turn on his iPod and place his headphones over her ears. The only time he ever let her touch any of his things. 
    When she was with Colten, she’d just sneak out to him.
    Tomorrow her mom would hide out and a bouquet of red roses would magically appear on the kitchen counter, like that would make it disappear.
    Hudson and Carly never mentioned to their parents, that they heard them fighting, and their dad winning with his fists.
    The shouts finally faded into the night after what seemed like it was never going to end.
    And even though Carly knew she had to be in physical pain, she heard her mom cleaning.
    The broken glass echoed into the trash. Carly wished it was that easy to get rid of a broken heart, just toss it away and forget it.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 16
    Parker
     
    Parker blinked and the glowing red numbers came into focus.
    2:25
    He sat up, rubbed his eyes. The carpet was cool under his bare feet. Then there was a knock.
    He paused, standing in nothing but his boxer briefs.
    Maybe he didn’t hear that right. Maybe it was the next door down.
    He shuffled toward the bathroom.
    A knock thumped against the door again.
    Whoever it was had the wrong room.
    He continued to the bathroom.
    When he came out, whoever was out there, was still waiting on him.
    The knocking was louder and more rapid.
    He scratched the top of his head before striding to the door, obviously they weren’t going to get the hint and go away on their own.
    He threw the door open and scowled. “Some people are trying …” he stopped when he saw Carly.
    She stood with her hair all balled up on top her head and a tight tank top that revealed the lines of her swimsuit underneath. A thin purple bow hung from the back of her neck.
    “Snarly, what’re you-”
    She smirked down at his chest. “I think you’re the snarly one tonight.”
    “It’s,” he glanced back at the alarm clock, “two in the morning.”
    “I’m bored. Thought you might wanna swim with me.” She blinked up at him.
    He rubbed his eyes