Page 70 of My Cowboy Freedom
Chapter 18
Rock
My shame was complete when Elena knocked on Sky’s door like she was my mom and playtime was over. I stood too fast, which made me dizzy. Sky jumped to his feet so he could steady me before he answered. I liked how he didn’t say a word. How he didn’t look at me like he was figuring out how weak I was. Getting help without an embarrassing fuss felt good for a change.
“Hello, Elena.” He opened the door wide, welcoming her in. “Welcome.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “It’s probably best if Rock comes home now.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He turned to me. “Do you need my help with anything?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Go on ahead for a minute, Rock.” Elena said. “I’ll be right there.”
“No.” That small rebellion earned me an unhappy frown from both of them.
“Fine.” Elena said. “Then I’ll tell you together. The only reason I’m not going to Sterling about this right now, is I didn’t find you both in that bed.”
“Nina!” God. I couldn’t look at either of them right then. “Are yousorryyou didn’t find us fucking? That’d give my parents all the ammunition they need to send me away.”
Crack.Elena’s hand had flown out before I could move, before I even saw it coming.
“Whoa. Chill.” Before I knew what was happening, Sky stepped between us. I glanced from him to her, shocked by what I’d said, shocked by what she’d done. I had no idea what to do then.
“Maybe you ought to leave until you’re calm.” Sky said to Elena.
My face burned where she’d made contact. It burned on the other side, truth be known, because I’d never, ever talked to her like that before and I was heartily sorry for it. I was just embarrassed, and I took it out on her.
If I believed I was humiliated before it was nothing like what I was feeling then. I took off, but Maisy and I waited outside Sky’s door. I heard them speaking, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. It was about three minutes before she came out. She passed right by me, heading back without saying a word. I trailed after her.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“I know.” Her feet thudded along the trail. She was wearing one of those velour tracksuits, and she hadn’t been wearing it before.Great.She’d probably gotten ready for bed, noticed I wasn’t there, and then gotten dressed again to come looking.
“You know, I am twenty-three years old,”
“I know.”
“Am I supposed to go through life withoutanyfriends?” I asked. “Is that what you want? The cowboys treat me like I’m their stupid kid brother. Sky’s not like that. He’s nice. He doesn’t make me feel like a joke, he—”
“I know.” She rounded on me. “Do you think I can’t see that? Do you think I don’t know how you feel or that I took on your family, your goddamnfather—a man of God with his head so far up his ass he can’t even see that God might have saved you for a purpose—so you would have to live your life without any kind of love or—Jesus Christ, m’hijo. What do I have to do to prove I am on your side?”
I stared at her, speechless.
“That boy is fresh out ofprison,” she pointed out the obvious. “And I grant you, he seems polite, and the hands say he’s a real hard worker, but he hasn’t even been here for a week and you’re already sneaking off with him.”
At that, I protested, “I was not sneaking.”
“You didn’t tell me where you were going. You didn’t leave a note.”
“It was a walk. I wanted to stretch my legs.”
“You wanted to stretch your legs, all right.” There was no fooling Elena. “You wanted to stretch your legs out on that boy’s bed.”
“Elena.” Was that a whine? Christ, was I whining now? “You can’t expect me to live like a monk.”
“I don’t.” She stopped, tilted her face to the sky, and sighed. “There are ways to get what you want, and this is not a good way. You’re playing with your life, and Skyler’s. Did you think about that?”
