Page 68 of Mr. Edwards
My body freezes when he steps up behind me, pushing his chest into my back. “Here, let me help you with that,” he whispers, his lips ghosting over my ear as his hand comes to rest on my hip. I shudder, and not in a good way.
“What the fuck?”
Bobby immediately steps back when we hear Roxy’s high-pitched voice. When I look over my shoulder, she’s scowling, draped only in a towel.
“It’s not what you think,” Bobby says defensively, holding his hands up in front of him. He’s full of shit. There was nothing innocent about what he just did.
Roxy’s eyes dart between the pair of us before finally settling on me. When her eyes narrow my heart drops.Ohcrap. Looks like I’m going to take the fallout for her sleazebag boyfriend’s actions.
She reaches for my arm and yanks me forward. I glance over at Bobby and he just stands there watching the carnage unfold. If he was closer, I swear I’d kick him in the nuts. This is all his fault.
“Do you want to explain what the hell that was?” Roxy seethes, getting up in my face.
“It… it was nothing. I was just making him a coffee, I swear.”
“A coffee? Are you serious? Do you think I’m fucking stupid?” Her grip on my arm tightens and I know it’s going to leave a bruise.
“I’m telling the truth. I didn’t do anything. He came up behind me when I was reaching for the mug.”
“Roxy,” Bobby finally speaks. “She’s right, it was nothing.”
Her angry gaze moves from him to me, I don’t think she believes either of us.
“Get out of my damn sight,” she sneers, letting go of my arm and shoving me toward my bedroom.
Gladly.
Weeks pass, but unfortunately, Bobby’s still on the scene. He’s not from around here. My mom told me he travels a lot with work, so we only see him when he’s in town. I’m grateful for that. I just need to bide my time. Roxy will run him off sooner or later. It’s what she does best. And when that day comes, I’ll silentlyrejoice because I won’t have to deal with him anymore.
I’ve tried to avoid him at all costs. If Bobby comes over, I usually jump out my bedroom window and head to Reece’s so I don’t have to be around him. I don’t trust him as far as I can kick him, and it’s safer for me if I stay away. I’ve never seen my mom so taken with a man before, and I should be happy for her, but if he’s going to come onto her kid the moment her back is turned, God only knows what he gets up to when he’s traveling.
I’m sitting on my bed doing my homework when there’s a knock on my door. I suck at school, but I work extra hard to keep my grades up. To be honest, nobody gives a shit if I go to classes or not, but I do. A decent education is my only ticket out of here. If I ever want to get a job and away from this hellhole, I need to graduate.
“Yeah.”
The door opens and Roxy pops her head in. “I’m getting ready to leave. Bobby’s in town and he’s taking me out tonight,” she says, bouncing on her feet. I force out a smile because I can see how excited she is. It’s nice to see this side of her I just wish it wasn’t because of him.
“Cool.”
She clutches the beer bottle in her hand, hugging it to her chest. “I think he’s the one, baby girl.”Baby girl?That’s a first. “I’ve never felt like this before. I think I’m in love.” Her eyes are all dreamy like and it makes me want to puke. It’s weird to see her so smitten over a guy, and that thought fills me with dread.
“I’m happy for you both,” I say, but the lie tastes bitter in my mouth. I don’t know what I’ll do if she ends up marrying this creep.
She glances over her shoulder when a car door closes in the distance. “Oh my God, he’s here,” she shrieks.
“Knock, knock,” I hear him call out, the sound of his voice makes me cringe.
“Come in,” she says, turning and heading toward the front door. “I’ll just grab my purse.”
Rising from my bed, I go to shut my bedroom door. There’s no way I’m going out there to say hello.
I jump back with a start when a hand comes out to stop me from closing it all the way. “Hey, Carlee,” Bobby says, coming into view.
“Umm… hi.” I force out another smile.
“I bought you dinner,” he says, surprising me by holding up a takeout bag. “Since I’m taking your mom out, I thought I’d get you something to eat.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t expecting that.
