Page 34 of Escaping the King
Gosh.
I loved Sheila.
I'd known her for all of ten minutes, but she seemed like the kind of woman I wished I'd had as a mother.
Instead of the poor excuse for a human being, I was given.
I blinked my tears away quickly.“Don't mind me.I'm just tired.”I smiled up at Sheila.
Her hand landed back on my shoulder.“You should stay the night at the motel.I'm worried what might happen if you don't.”
Oh.
Gosh.
Her kindness was tearing into me right now.My mind trailed off to my father.And how easily he'd gotten rid of me.
No.
Not gotten rid of me.
Sold me.
He'd freaking sold me.
To the highest bidder.
“Why don't I get you a nice hot chocolate?It'll warm you up and make you fall fast asleep,” Sheila broke me out of my memories again.
“Oh, that's okay.Don't worry about me,” I told her and set my sandwich down.I picked up a fry and took a bite.It had cooled off enough to eat.
“You let me decide who I'm going to worry about now, Giselle.I'll be right back.”
Off she went to get me a hot cocoa that I probably wouldn't drink.
Dani ate—mostly ketchup off her finger, and I had finished half my sandwich by the time Sheila came back over.
“Here you go.Another coffee.”Sheila winked and handed me a coffee cup.This one was a disposable one, though.It had a lid on it, but I could still smell the chocolate.
“I added some whipped c-r-e-a-m,” Sheila spelled out and winked at me.“In case Dani knows what that is.We moms deserve a treat sometimes, too, ya know.”
Oh.
Crap.
I was going to cry.
Right here in this truck stop diner.
Yep.
I was.
A few tears rolled down my cheeks.I set down my hot cocoa and wiped my cheeks with my hands.“Okay, I really am overtired.You're right.Thank you for the—” I sniffled and pointed at the cocoa she'd brought for me.
“Oh, my girl.You must be really going through it.”
Then she did something so unexpected, it shocked me a little.
