Page 81 of Good Girl

Haley stared at me, her mouth falling open as I crossed to my bed and began to pack up the rest of my belongings.

“How—howdareyou?” Haley screeched. “Did you forget I know what the fuck you’ve been getting up to? I know all about your sordid affair withteachersand Paul and I—”

“What?” I cut her off sharply. “What will you do, Haley? You only had power over me because I was scared. Scared of losing the few good things I had found in my life, but you know what? I’m not scared anymore, and you don’t hold power over me. So you and Paul will... what? Report on me and Derek? Good luck with that.”

“What?” Her shock turned her voice hoarse, and I quickly emptied my side table drawer, then picked up the box and turned to her.

“Paul’s reputation as a liar holds no weight. He can scream what he thinks he knows from the rooftop and not a soul will believe him. Me? I’m loved and cared for, and I’m going to do something amazing with my life while you’re stuck here. You’re a terrible person, Haley, and without some sort of adjustment, you’re not going far.”

“You’re a fucking bitch,” Haley snarled. In the past, her anger and words would wound me deeply because I had held her so close in my heart. Not now.

“Me? You tried to blackmail me. You constantly commented on my looks and my weight. You judged me by what you saw and not who I am.” I shifted the box in my arms and glanced her up and down. With her hunched shoulders and angry face, she looked much smaller. It was hard to believe I had looked up to her for advice and friendship.

“Paul will—”

“Paul is pathetic. Honestly, Haley, as awful asyouare, even you deserve better. Good luck, Haley. You’ll need it.” I headed for the door and then paused, casting one last look over my shoulder at my old friend. “Lose my number, Haley. Goodbye.”

Derek took the box from my arms the moment I stepped out the door, but I didn’t have it in me to protest. All three of them had been buying books and looking things up online about how to care for someone who was pregnant, and I wasn’t going to dampen their desire to help.

“Ready for some lunch?” Derek asked as we strolled away from the dorm rooms. I took a deep breath the moment we stepped outside into the foyer, weight lifting from my shoulders that had been crushing me for longer than I could remember.

“Definitely.” I wasstarving.

Derek deposited my box into his car, and we took a long walk through the park until we ended up at a small tucked-away cafe where Samuel was already seated. He greeted me with a kiss, and we quickly ordered some food then sat outside at a circular table. The red checkered umbrella above blocked out the sun, but I found myself enjoying the warm air that moved around us. The world kept turning, and we stayed in our own small bubble.

“How are you feeling?” Samuel asked, toying with his napkin.

“Good,” I replied with a smile. “And bad.”

“You could leave it until tomorrow?” Derek suggested. “You’ve already done a big thing today.”

“No, no, I have to do this or else I’ll lose my nerve.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and forced a deep, calming breath filled with the scents of the nearby peonies and food from inside.

“Should we step away?” Samuel glanced at Derek, but I shook my head.

“No. I don’t think I’m brave enough to face this one alone.”

Samuel reached across and grasped my free hand as I dialed my mother’s number, pressed the phone to my ear, and waited.

“I told you not to contact me,” my mother uttered coldly the moment she answered.

“I’m pregnant, Mom,” I said immediately. A short, sharp gasp echoed from the other side. My heart started to race and a tremble swept down my legs, but I forced myself to continue. “I’m pregnant, and yes, I am dating three people. They love me and I love them. That should be enough, but I know for you, nothing is enough.”

The silence from my mother was deafening.

“You have nine months,” I said as my voice started to quaver. “Nine months to work at being a better person and a better mother, or you will never see your grandchild.”

“Charlotte,” she finally gasped, “how can you be sostupid?”

“I love you, Mom.” Emotion clogged my throat briefly, and I swallowed hard. “But you need to start seeing me as apersonand not this awful stain you can’t get rid of. I mean what I say... so you can think about it and let me know.”

The second my mother took a deep, audible breath, I hung up the phone and set it face down on the table. Derek’s lips parted, but before he could speak, the waiter appeared with our food. There were a few moments of polite silence as we accepted our meals, and it gave me time to gather my thoughts and calm my flying heart. Facing down the two tyrants in my life was something I would not have had the strength to do without these men by my side. How did I get so lucky?

Previously, something public like this would never have been on the table, but I had dropped out of my degree, and they were no longer my teachers. We were just people in love, and that was all that mattered.

“You good?” Derek asked the moment the waiter was out of earshot. I nodded and gripped at Samuel’s hand.

“I’m okay. Maybe later, I’ll cry.” I laughed softly. “But right now, I feel like I could take on the world. Show me my bullies from high school. I’ll give them a piece of my mind too!”

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