Is this the final stop? (Toni Shalifoe)

Chapter 3

Shelby jumps up and takes a step back. Not sure if she heard Toni right. She plays it back in her head, hearing Toni's voice admit that her foster father gave her that bruise, that split lip.

He hit her.

He hit Toni. Toni, the girl she's known for no less than an hour. Toni, the brunette with a tough shell on the outside, but with a soft inside. The Toni who she's starting to learn about. How could he lay a hand on her? Much less a fist? Shelby's brain is wracking for a response.

Toni squints her eyes hard after too much time passes. She puts her hand to the bridge of her nose, regretting immediately that she said anything.

"Don't worry about it, I don't want your pity or sympathy or whatever." Toni covers.

Shelby's still doesn't say anything.

Toni steels herself, her guard going back up, "What? You disappointed?"

Shelby falters, "What? Of course not. I'm appalled."

Shelby begins to pace, her thoughts running around fast in her head. "How could he? I mean, he's supposed to—we're supposed to take care of you."

Toni genuinely laughs. Shelby's eyes widen, truly confused.

"Why are you laughin'? This isn't funny," she demands.

"I can see why you think that. For most people—not like your family, clearly—I'm just a paycheck."

"Not a punchin' bag, Toni." Shelby says.

That stings because Shelby is right.

"Not usually, no." Toni looks down, and starts picking at her nails. "But for some families, who aren't doing it out of the goodness of their heart," Toni steals a look at Shelby, "They just need the money for rent—or alcohol—and taking in kids pays pretty well." Toni says matter-of-factly.

"But he was different?" Toni continues, her voice going up, almost an octave higher. She clears her throat, her voice returning to normal, "It wasn't the first time. And he was a pretty consistent kinda guy."

Toni checks back in with Shelby to see if she's following. For once, she can't see what she's thinking. Shelby's hand fidgets with the cross on her neck.

Toni rolls her eyes. Stop talking, she thinks. "And I just got really lucky. The agent you saw today?" Toni thinks, but then reveals, "She goes on these unscheduled rounds with all her clients. Ours happened to be on a day he got really mad."

"Wait, you didn't tell anyone?" Shelby asks, unable to get any of this through her head. Toni scoffs.

"People lie, Shelby. Well, maybe not here," Toni motions at this house, "But out there? He'd just say I started it. That it was self defense or something." Toni's response is angry, not at Shelby, but at the situation.

"Toni, we're not them. Our family isn't doin' this because we want to make a buck or two off you. You know that right?" Shelby asks.

Toni looks back down and adds, "He always tried to hide it," ignoring the question because she really doesn't know why her family is doing this. They've got a beautiful home and beautiful children, so why do they want someone like her?

"Always?" Shelby questions.

Toni's knee bounces, she stays quiet.

"How many times did he get mad?" Shelby asks, anger starting to lace in her tone.

Toni clenches her jaw.

Shelby lowers her voice, serious. "How many times, Toni."

"Just forget I said anything," Toni states.