Page 70 of Mr. Edwards
The door to my bedroom suddenly flies open, making both me and Bobby jump. Roxy stumbles in, obviously still under the influence of whatever she consumed last night.
“What’s with all the racket?” she asks over a yawn, rubbing the heel of her palms into her eye sockets. “I’m trying to sleep.” Her hair is sticking up all over the place and the smudged remnants of last night’s eye makeup make her look like a panda bear.
I hold my breath as I await the tornado that’s about to be let loose. She notices Bobby first, and he quickly pulls the wad of clothes that is stuffed under his arm, down over his junk. Her eyes widen as she takes him in before shifting her attention back to me.
“What the fuck is going on here?” she asks, her scrutiny moving between the two of us.
I’d like an answer to that question too. “I don’t know,” I whisper, my voice cracking as I speak.
“You don’t know? You don’t fucking know!? You’re locked away in a room with my man and you’re both naked, and you don’t fucking know?” Her face goes bright red; she’s on the verge of a full meltdown. To be honest, I feel like I’m about to lose my shit too.
“Babe,” Bobby says, stretching his free arm in her direction as he takes a step forward. “It’s not what you think.”
My mom may be blonde, but she’s not dumb. Any idiot can see what’s going on here.
She bats his hand away. “Don’t touch me,” she snaps, giving me a small dash of hope. For once in her life is she going to do the right thing and take my side?
Tears of gratitude rise to my eyes. “Mom,” I say, even though she hates me calling her that, but it’s what I need in this moment. A protector. A confidant.A parent. Someone who’ll have my back. I’ve needed her many times over the years, but nothing like I do right now. “I think he drugged me. I think he… he did something to me.” My words come out choked as tears stream down my face. Reality has truly set in. My chin flickers toward the bed. “I wasn’t wearing any clothes when I woke, and there’s… there’s blood on the sheets.”
“She’s lying,” Bobby says, and it takes every ounce of strength I have not to lunge at him. But the thought of touching him makes me want to puke.
Removing the hand from between my legs, I bend down and throw back the blanket to reveal the evidence. While I’m down there, I scoop up my discarded clothes from beside the mattress, the ones I was wearing before I passed out.
The room falls silent for the briefest moment, but it feels like an eternity. I think we’re both waiting to see which way Roxy is going to go.
Please, please, please let it be with me.
I watch as her own tears start to fall, and it hurts me to see her cry. She wipes her hands under her eyes before she turns to face me. It all happens in a split second; she’s on me and I don’t have a chance to react.
“You fucking little whore,” she screams, fisting a handful of my hair and tugging hard. “I want you out of this house, you hear me? I don’t want to see your lying face ever again.”
It takes a few minutes, but I manage to free myself from her grip, bolting toward my bedroom door. I come to an abrupt halt when I near Bobby, noticing that cocky smirk on his face. He thinks he’s won, that he’s gotten away with what he’s done, but one day I’ll make him pay for everything he stole from me.
My arm draws back before surging forward. The heel of my palm connects with his nose, hard. Just like Reece taught me. My spirit and heart may be broken, but when I see blood dripping over his mouth and down his chin, I can’t help but smile.
Take that you motherfucker!
My mind and body have completely shut down by the time I arrive at the gym. Reece’s place is a few miles away from the trailer park. I vaguely remember slipping into my sleepwear on the front porch, sans underwear, before fleeing my home. I’m grateful I was together enough to do that, but there are no shoes on my feet.
I heard Roxy and Bobby arguing in my bedroom, but I didn’t stick around to see the outcome. There was no need. She’s already picked her side.
I don’t even recall how I got here. All I know is I’m breathless and hanging by a thread when I barrel throughthe front doors. Thankfully, the gym opens early so the masses can do their fitness classes before going to work.
“Reece,” I yell, darting my head around the large space. “Reece!”
I probably look and sound like a crazy person, but my mind isn’t right. When I fled, my feet automatically led me here. I have nowhere else to go. I’m homeless, I don’t want to live on the streets. But I can’t ask Reece to take me in; he’s already done so much for me. Yet, here I am. This is my safe place. Somewhere I can exist without fear.
The group of people doing the circuit training toward the back of the room pauses, and all heads swing in my direction. My eyes are frantically scanning the area, looking for the man I came here to see. Where is he?
“Carlee.” I jump when he suddenly appears by my side. “Jesus, what happened to you?” He places his hands on my shoulders, bending so his eyes are level with mine. Confusion mars his face. “Carlee,” he says again, shaking me slightly. “Talk to me, what’s going on?”
Tears rise to my eyes, but the words won’t come out. I shake my head as a small sob escapes. I can’t tell him what happened; I’m so ashamed.
What if he doesn’t believe me either?
“Did Roxy do something?”
I try to gulp in some air, but a weird sound comes out instead. When I don’t answer, he takes a step back and runs his hands through his hair, his gaze taking me in from head to toe. I wrap my arms around my middle, dipping my head. I’m afraid if I look him in the eyes he’ll see the truth.
