Read Set Me Free for Free Online Page A

okay.”
    Please let me leave. Please.
    His expression shifted from one worry to another. “Are you having problems at home, miss?”
    “No. No problems.” I’d say anything if it meant he’d let me leave. I didn’t want to be arrested. I couldn’t stand the thought of him touching me.
    “All right,” the cop said slowly. “Why don’t you head home.”
    “Thank you, Officer.”
    He nodded at my driver’s side window. “Go ahead and leave first. And don’t let me catch you parking here at night again.”
    “Yes, sir.” Still shaking, I slid into the driver’s seat and toed the pedals.
    He was letting me leave, but where was I going to go? Claire’s? I was pretty sure she knew, or at least suspected, no matter how much I’d tried to hide it. But if I showed up at Claire’s, Owen would find out. And Jenny. I couldn’t stand the thought of Jenny knowing this about me.
    I’d have to spend the night at the motel in Bellisle again, even though it would set me back even more. I had no other options.
    But when I reached Main Street, I didn’t turn right towards the bridge to Bellisle. Instead, I turned left and drove to work. I couldn’t be alone in that grimy motel room. Not yet. It was only about nine o’clock; I could go there in a couple of hours.
    The Widow’s Walk was empty apart from Andy, who was unloading the dishwasher under the bar. But a moment later, two of the waitresses walked out of the kitchen, their raised voices carrying across the restaurant to where I stood by the door. The tall one, Kaye, who had always been kind to me, ran a hand through her short white-blonde hair, sticking it straight up like a dandelion puff. “You’re being ridiculous, Margot,” Kaye said, addressing the curly-haired waitress who’d hated me on sight.
    “Fine, take her side. You’re—” Margot saw me and her face twisted into a frown. “Oh, look, it’s the painter.”
    “Hi, Margot,” I said, hunching into my jacket.
    “Miranda,” Kaye said in surprise. “Did you come by to hang out?” She smiled, her fair skin brightening. She’d asked me to hang out a couple times already. Everybody on staff hung around the bar on their days off. There weren’t many other places to go.
    “I had a craving for some whiskey,” I told Kaye. Ignoring Margot’s look of disdain, I crossed the dining room and sat down at one of the barstools, underneath a stuffed raven dangling from an exposed ceiling beam.
    “On the rocks, M.?” Andy asked.
    “Yes, please.”
    Margot stalked back into the kitchen while Kaye came and sat beside me, smoothing her short apron down over her jeans.
    “You know Margot’s a painter, too?” Kaye toyed with a cocktail straw. “I don’t think she likes the competition.”
    Andy slid a tumbler of whiskey across the bar towards me, and I took a grateful swig, willing myself to relax. I could handle the motel tonight. It wasn’t so bad, even if it was dingy. At least I’d be able to shower.
    Still…I had to ask.
    “You guys know anyone who’s looking for a roommate? It’s not working out…er…where I am now.”
    Kaye and Andy exchanged a glance across the bar.
    “Actually,” Kaye said, “we’ll need somebody soon. Our housemate, Rusty, is moving out in a few weeks.”
    “You guys live together?” No wonder everybody thought they were dating.
    “Yeah, with our friend Scott.” Kaye glanced at Andy again, and he nodded briefly, his dark brown eyes serious.
    “You know,” Kaye said carefully, “we have a lot of space. If it’s really bad…where you are now…you can crash on our couch for a couple of weeks.”
    I had a sudden lump in my throat. My eyes stung. They knew, didn’t they? God, how had they figured it out? I’d tried so hard to keep up appearances—to smell clean, to keep my hair looking nice.
    “I would…I would love that,” I said, my voice hoarse.
    Kaye placed her hand on my arm and squeezed. “Great! You can stay tonight! Want to come over after we