Without Saying a Word Read Free

the kitchen, and turned only when the sound of something slapped on her countertop startled her―her magazines.
    “How did you get those?” Laura asked, as she sliced the pizzas and placed them onto plates.
    “Delivered to my house by mistake, again,” Rhean explained. He sat down at the dining table, and watched as she put the plates on the table. He took a slice of the hot pizza and ate with relish.
    “Don’t change the subject, Laura. I asked you why you were having your groceries delivered, and why you didn’t apply for the job at the library. It would have been perfect for you.”
    Rhean took one of her hands and engulfed it with his. The warmth and strength that flowed from him reassured her somehow. At the determined expression on his face, Laura realized that he was not prepared to drop the subject. She pulled her hand away from his, in desperation and put her face into her hands. She couldn’t take any more of his badgering.  She pushed the chair away, and stood up as it fell to the floor.
    “I can’t deal with this anymore Rhean. Go. Just go and leave me alone!” Laura cried, and ran into the bathroom.
                      
    ****            
       When he heard her muffled sobs, Rhean swore vehemently under his breath, left the house and slammed the door in frustration. He was furious, yet confused by Laura’s behavior.
    Rhean strode purposefully toward the school, and saw a group of teenage boys outside the gate, smoking―one of whom was Laura’s eldest son, Theo. For Rhean it was the final straw. He tapped Theo on the shoulder, and pointed to the school doors.
    “My office. Now,” he commanded, not giving Theo a chance to answer back. “And as for you lot, I want you in my office after school’s ended. Understood?”
    With guilty expressions on their faces, the boys nodded and walked back through the gates.
    With the teenager in front of him, Rhean strode through the doors to his office. Once inside, he sat down behind the desk and pointed at the chair in front of it.
    “Sit,” he told Theo, who complied immediately, and shuffled his feet on the floor.
    “Look sir, I’m really sorry” Theo started to apologize, but Rhean cut in.
    “I didn’t bring you in about the smoking. We will talk about that later,” he told the boy firmly. “I brought you in to find out what is wrong with your mother.”  He saw Theo’s eyes look down at the floor.
    “Enough of all this hiding. What on earth is going on?” Rhean asked in a soft, kind voice.
    The teen stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. His copper-colored fringe of hair flopped over his forehead.
    “Preferably before I turn forty,” Rhean muttered under his breath. He was rapidly losing patience with the teen, and counted to ten in his head. He could tell from Theo’s body language that the conversation was uncomfortable.
    “Mum had another phone call this morning,” Theo said in a quiet voice.
    “From who? And what do you mean another?” Icy fear twisted round Rhean’s heart. His eyebrows rose in inquiry. He needed to know more, and leaned forward to give Theo his full attention.
    “I don’t know, sir. Mum hasn’t said anything to us,” Theo told his headmaster.
    “They’ve come off and on for about three months now. Mum answers, and then she goes all quiet and runs upstairs or to the bathroom for a while. She comes out and her face is all red and her eyes are swollen, as though she’s been crying.”
    “Is there anything else bothering her?” Rhean asked as he began to understand why Laura had been so upset.
    “Did Mum ever tell you why we moved here?” Theo asked Rhean, who shook his head.
    “I never asked. I thought she would tell me, but now I think you should tell me exactly what happened,” Rhean replied as Theo rubbed his eyes with his blazer sleeve.
    “James and I caught Dad beating up on Mum two years ago,” he said in a very quiet voice.
    Rhean’s spine stiffened on alert. Fury