It was difficult to sleep during the night due to my throbbing head. Gabe's light snoring just made the pain even worse. I must have fallen asleep though because when I opened my eyes, someone was sitting on the edge of the bed. It was difficult to see them as the sun had yet to rise. I reached out expecting it to be Gabe, but I touched a slender wrist.

"How are you feeling?" Jenny asked.

Jenny was here? She never comes to our place in the morning. We always eat breakfast and then go to Noah's. This was out of routine.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"You need to rest," she said. "I am here to take care of Jared. The boys will come over here for dinner."

"What about Emme?" I asked.

Jenny let out a deep breath.

"She's in the basement," she said.

I bit down on my lip. I knew what they would have done to Emme. They would have her tied up in the basement. She could potentially be there for days. I had blocked the days I was stuck there out of my mind.

"I hope it helps her," Jenny said softly.

I closed my eyes. The pain had dulled, but it still ached.

"I am going to make Jared breakfast," she said. "Stay here and rest."

"Thank you," I said.

Jenny got up off of the bed and quietly closed the door behind her. I rolled over and stretched my arms across the bed. Gabe's side was still warm. It had been years since I was able to sleep in, but I was unable to enjoy it due to the headache.

I sighed before drifting off into sleep.

--

The day was long and boring. I lied in bed, and I thought about Emme. I could picture her hands tied to the post as she cried. I remembered my aching shoulders and bloody wrists. I wondered how long they would keep her down there, especially since she was now pregnant. Would they do something that could hurt the baby?

As each hour ticked by, the pain lessened. It never went away though. It was either focus on the pain or think about Emme. Either thought caused nausea to sit heavy in my stomach. I wanted Jenny to come upstairs with Jared, but I know Jared would be loud and climb over me, which would not help the headache.

I smiled when I heard the door downstairs open and then a series of male voices. The men were here, and I could smell dinner. I knew that they would be eating soon.

I couldn't lie in bed any longer. I needed to get my mind off of thinking about Emme. Picturing her in the basement was now becoming an intrusive thought. I needed a distraction.

When I sat up, pain radiated across my skull. I gritted my teeth and waited for a moment for the nausea to ease. I dragged my feet over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of leggings and one of Gabe's shirts. I combed my fingers through my hair.

I opened the door and made my way downstairs. The family was squished around our small dining room table. They went silent and looked in my direction when they heard the floor creak under my feet.

"Mommy!" Jared squealed from his high chair.

Gabe stood and rushed over to me. He brushed my hair off of my forehead and tucked my hair behind my ears. He cupped my face with his rough hands. His face was covered in worry.

"Linds, what is wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said. "I feel better."

"You should be resting."

"I'm hungry."

"I'll bring you some food."

I wasn't very hungry, but I needed an excuse to be downstairs. I needed to be around people so that I was not thinking about Emme.

"I want to stay down here," I said.

Gabe bit down on his lip. I gave him a smile to try and reassure him. He sighed before lightly pressing his lips against my forehead.

"Fine," he said. "Just for a little bit."

"Thank you," I said.

Gabe laced his fingers through mine and we walked toward the table. Another chair would not fit around the table, so I sat down on Gabe's lap. He kept his one hand open on my belly.

"Don't you think Lindsey should rest?" Noah said.

"I think it'll do her good to be out of bed," Gabe said.

"Remember, she is your responsibility."

"I know."

Each word caused a jolt of pain to run across my skull. It was better than thinking about Emme, so I was not going to complain.

Taylor shoveled the last bit of food off of his plate and into his mouth. He stood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I have to go," he said.

"What's the rush?" Noah asked.

"I want to check on Emme."

"She's fine."

Taylor chewed on his bottom lip. His eyes darted over to the door and then back to Noah.

"What if she needs water or something?" Taylor asked.

"She's down there to learn a lesson," Noah said. "She's going to be okay."

"What about the baby?"

"I told you everything is going to be okay. Emme is going to come out of the basement with a better attitude. It'll make her a great mother."

Taylor sighed and pulled out the chair he was sitting in. He sat back down. He shoved his hands in the pocket of his hoodie and leaned back. I could hear him tap his foot under the table.

"Try not to worry about it," Gabe said.

"I love her though," Taylor said.

"I remember how hard it was to keep Lindsey down there," Gabe said. "I wanted to check on her every hour, but she wouldn't learn if I did."

Gabe patted my stomach and kissed my cheek. I closed my eyes as memories of lying on that mattress in my own filth filled my mind. I swallowed past the lump that was forming in my throat. I opened my eyes to see that most of the family had finished eating. I slid off of Gabe's lap and started to clear the table.

"Linds, sit back down," Gabe said. "You shouldn't be working."

"I'm okay," I said.

"No, you need to sit back down."

"I said I'm okay."

The chair screeched across the floor as Gabe stood. He stormed over to me and grabbed my wrist. He turned me around and pressed me up against the counter. I held onto my breath as I saw his brows furrowed together.

"Why aren't you listening to me?" he asked.

"Gabe, I said I'm fine," I said.

He twisted my arm and I cried out in pain. I yanked my arm away, and he tightened his grip on my wrist. His nostrils were flaring.

"Don't talk back to me," he said.

"I'm sorry," I said.

The tears were building up in my eyes. I was afraid to blink because I knew that they would come rolling down my cheeks.

"You're going back upstairs," he said.

"I'm sorry," I cried.

My body betrayed me and I started crying. I tried to hold back my sobs, but a few still escaped. Gabe let go of my arm and pulled me into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

He bent me down and scooped me up into his arms. He carried me bridal style out of the kitchen and up the stairs. My arm throbbed along with my head. I took in sharp breaths to try and control my crying.

Gabe nudged our bedroom door open with his foot and carried me over to the bed. He set me down and pulled the blankets over my body. I curled into a ball on my side. He sat on the edge of the bed. He brushed his finger through my hair before wiping the tears off my cheek with the back of his knuckles.

"You need to rest, sweetheart," he said.

"I'm sorry," I apologized again.

"Listen to me," he said. "Do as I say and don't have an attitude, and I won't have to punish you."

I nodded my head. He bent down and kissed my cheek. His lips lingered for longer than usual.

"Rest," he said. "I'll be up in a bit."

"Okay," I said.

"I love you."

"I love you too."