Nick stood where he was. He didn't want her to start running again. "No. I've known your roommate for quite a while. I know how he treats you," he said, hoping this was good enough for her. Nick figured it would be easier to get away with saying that he knew the roommate since he had been observing them for close to two weeks.
He took a step toward her. "I know that he hits you, yells at you, abuses you... I want to help you get away from him." Nick thought the words sounded good enough. Maybe they would work or maybe she still wouldn't trust him. He stood there and waited for her to respond.
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Dani watched as her mother scooped the macaroni and cheese onto her plate. She gave a grateful smile. "Thanks, mom," she said as the plate was handed to her and sat at the table. Her parents took their seats on the couch in the living room to watch their shows. It was just a typical evening in the Leiber household.
Dani quickly scarfed her dinner down and put her plate in the sink. "Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad." Her parents turned their heads so they could see her and told her, "Goodnight." With a nod, Dani head up the stairs and brushed her teeth. Then she crawled into her bed and laid down to fall asleep. She laid there for a while, staring at the ceiling. Something wasn't right. Maybe it's too hot. Dani sighed and got up out of her bed to go open the window. Then she crawled back in bed and stared at the ceiling again until she fell asleep.