Come Back To Me Read Free Page A

were beginning to cramp.
    But Cara was scared. If she left the closet and he was waiting in her room, he’d be angry that she’d hidden from him, upset that she didn’t trust him. He was her dad’s law partner and close friend, their next door neighbor and Karen’s father.
    Cara wondered if all he really did want to do was check on her. Maybe she should trust him. He was an adult, and her mother had always told her she was supposed to trust adults to know what was best for her. Her mother told her to be respectful and do as she was told.
    Cara decided she was being silly. She rose to a crouch, climbing back over the bookshelves. Mr. Walker had probably gone home. She peeked through the closet door. Her room was empty. Cara let out a sigh of relief and got to her feet. That’s when she saw him, leaning against the wall. He came towards her, slamming her bedroom door behind him.
    “Why were you hiding from me? What are you afraid of?”
    “I-I wasn’t hiding,” Cara stuttered. “I was . . . I was cleaning my closet and I thought I heard a burglar so I-I kept quiet.”
    “You didn’t hear my voice? I called for you.”
    “Um, no, I, uh, I heard something but I didn’t know it was you. I’m fine, Mr. Walker. You can go home. I’m fine.”
    “You’re afraid of me Cara. Why are you afraid?”
    Cara tried to stop her legs from shaking. “I’m-I’m not afraid. I was just surprised someone was in the house.”
    “I told you I’d never hurt you, Cara. I told you I love you like my own daughter. I’d never, never hurt you.”
    Mr. Walker moved closer. He ran his hand along the side of her face.
    “You are such a beautiful girl. I really want to kiss you. Will you let me kiss you? There’s no reason to be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”
    “No, Mr. Walker, I’d rather not. I don’t want to kiss you.” Cara backed away from him.
    He grabbed for her wrist. Cara jerked her arm out of his reach. She shook her head.
    “No, Mr. Walker, I’m not doing that again.”
    “C’mon, honey, I promise it won’t hurt this time. Remember? I told you it wouldn’t hurt the next time, that maybe you’d like it.”
    “No!” Cara surprised herself by shouting at him. “I’m not doing it again.”
    “Cara, honey, calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.”
    “Then get out of my room.”
    Mr. Walker sat on her bed. He patted the spot next to him. “Sit.”
    Cara shook her head. She backed toward the door.
    “Do you want me to tell your mom and dad that you hid in your closet when I came to check on you today? Do you want them to ask you why? They might think it’s a pretty disrespectful thing to do.”
    “You won’t tell them,” Cara said. “Because they might find out what you did to me. I don’t think you were supposed to do that. My dad doesn’t do that.”
    Mr. Walker laughed. “Sure he does, Cara. He does it all the time. Just not with you. He does it with his secretary, Elaine. She doesn’t seem to mind.”
    “Uh-uh. He does not. I don’t believe you.” Cara felt a cold sensation spread through her chest. Her father and Miss Madsen doing that? It was unthinkable. She pushed the revolting picture out of her mind. Her father wouldn’t do that. Not with Miss Madsen. She wasn’t even very old, maybe twenty-one or twenty-two.
    “Cara, be a big girl and come over here. I won’t hurt you.”
    “No.” She opened her bedroom door and made for the stairs.
    Mr. Walker moved fast. He was on her in two seconds. He wrapped one hand around her waist, pressing the other over her mouth when Cara let out a shriek. He dragged her back into her room. He threw her down on the floor next to her bed and stood over her.
    Her eyes wide, she watched him unbuckle his belt.
    “I don’t want to hurt you, unless you make me hurt you. If you fight me, I promise you it will hurt. If you go along with me, if you do what I tell you, I won’t hurt you. I promise you that. I’m doing this because I love you, Cara. Don’t