Read Online Untethered by Julie Lawson Timmer - Free Book Online Page A

hadn’t been searching too long in the bathroom closet for a clean washcloth and towel. Given Allie’s lack of organization when it came to laundry, Morgan’s search wouldn’t likely turn up anything.
    But Morgan wasn’t in Allie’s bathroom; she was bent over at the foot of Allie’s bed, rooting through a pile of clean laundry the teenager had left, as usual, on the floor. She was naked, dripping from the shower, and reaching for a towel when she noticed Char. “Oh!” she said, straightening in surprise before realizing she was exposing herself more now than she had been when doubled over. She folded over again, hugging herself, her hands moving from her legs to herarms to her torso in a frantic effort to keep Char from seeing her bare body.
    Which was covered, almost entirely, in bruises.
    Dime-sized, most of them, though some were larger. Many were the dark, blackish purple of a new hematoma, the blood still pooled under the skin. Some were a faded blue, older, and others were the greenish yellow of an almost-healed injury. Her torso and the tops of her thighs were covered the most densely, with more bruise than skin visible in some areas, and her upper arms were dotted significantly. Only her lower legs and forearms had been spared.
    Char gasped and covered her mouth with one hand while she reached out with the other, holding the towel to Morgan. Morgan snatched it, wrapped herself in it, and ran to the bathroom. As the bathroom door closed, the sound of the teenagers’ voices and footsteps rose from the staircase. Char flew to the doorway and held a hand out to Allie, who was on the top step, a small pile of clothes in her hands.
    â€œWe brought her a few choices—” Allie started, before noticing the expression on Char’s face. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œI’ll take those,” Char whispered. Her voice surprised her. She had meant to speak normally, so the girls wouldn’t suspect anything.
    â€œI can just take them to her,” Allie said, approaching the doorway. “We wanted to tell her about—”
    â€œAllie,” Char hissed, again unintentionally. She jiggled her hand for the clothes, not trusting herself with more words. Allie drew her head back, questioning, and Char shook her hand again.
    â€œOoookaaaaay,” Allie said. She handed over the outfits and looked from Char to the bedroom doorway and back to Char, waiting for an explanation.
    Char pointed down the stairs. Allie opened her mouth, butSydney tugged her shirt and said, “Let’s go put away all the crap we left on the basement floor.”
    Allie shot Char a final confused look before turning back to the staircase, and Char, shaking now with a mixture of shock and rage and desperation, stepped into the bedroom to face the badly abused little girl.

Eight

    M organ was still in the bathroom, with the door closed.
    â€œMorgan?” Char said. “Can we talk?”
    â€œI can’t,” Morgan said.
    Char looked at the handful of clothes in her hand. “Oh, of course. You need something to change into. I have some things here for you. Could you open the door, so I can hand them—”
    â€œCan you just leave them on the floor?” Morgan asked.
    â€œBut sweetie, I wanted to ask you about—”
    â€œPlease? Can you leave them?”
    â€œI just want to understand, so I can be sure you’re safe at home. I can’t let you go back today if I don’t know—”
    â€œCan you please leave the clothes?” Morgan asked.
    â€œYes,” Char said. “I can.”
    She set the clothes on the floor and backed all the way out of the bedroom, loudly pulling the door closed behind her, to let Morgan know the room was empty. Char eyed the staircase and wondered how she could rejoin the others and chat about nothing while inside, her blood reached its boiling point and then bubbled over; how shewould be able, when