Chapter 46

Paige couldn't take it anymore and just blurted out, "They were so happy when you saved me. No one wanted me to end up like her." She covered her face and burst into tears.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jeff had a sinking suspicion, but he couldn't bear the thought.

Steven finally spoke again. "Jeff, when Sarah was in High School, she was raped."

Jeff felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. This had to be some kind of cruel joke. Then he remembered the wall she would put up when discussing the past and everything suddenly made sense.

"What happened?" he mumbled, wishing he didn't want to know.

Paige moved to her father, putting her arm around him for support. Jeff felt twice as bad for snapping at him earlier. A father having to explain something like this must be horrible beyond words.

"She was grabbed off the street on her way home from school. The sick son of a bitch forced her into his van and . . . " he stopped and wiped at his eyes with the back of his ha