Chapter 37: Abner’s Comfort

*Esmerelda*

I collided with something hard and looked up to see that it had been Abner’s chest. I stumbled back, but before I could fall, he caught me against his chest.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. It wasn’t easy.

How had he found me? How was he here? Why was he here? Why couldn’t he just let me be?

“Esmerelda!” Abner exclaimed, his arms tightening against me. “Are you all right?”

There was no way for me to answer that in the positive. I was sure I looked like I was in a state, running out of the headmaster’s office the way that I had.

What would I say? I decided on the truth.

“My stepfather,” I said and then paused, taking a deep breath.

A part of me wished that it wouldn’t get to me. A part of me wished I could just let all of it go—that I could just give Dave a snarky comment and pretend like he didn’t matter, that he had no real power and wouldn’t be able to drag me back home.