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“I’m sorry.” I swallowed hard. Collin shot me an apologetic glance, but I couldn’t look at him and deal with my mother at the same time. “Why do you even care?”
Lorraine ignored me. “Did you have sex with my daughter?” Vodka sloshed onto the carpet as she pointed her half-empty bottle at Collin.
“No, Mrs. Footit. We just met at a club where my dad works.”
“A club!” That set her off. “A club is where Addy’s asshole father got me pregnant.”
Unfortunately, this was information I already knew. It was why she said she didn’t like music anymore. She didn’t like anything that reminded her of my father, and that included Rachel and me.
Sighing, I said, “Enough with the interrogation, Mom.”
“Not enough.” She aimed her red-rimmed eyes at me. “Do you want to get pregnant and end up without any options like me?”
“I’m nothing like you.” I curled my fingers into fists. My worst nightmare would be to end up like her. “Why are you even pretending you care?”
“I care.”
“Not true,” I spat out. “You only care about getting high and getting laid!”
Shockingly, she slapped me.
Stunned, I brought my hand up and covered my cheek. Red-hot fire burned one side of my face, and mortified heat crawled over the other.
Collin reached for me, but I backed away. Tears blurred my vision.
“Don’t you ever lay a hand on me again,” I choked out to Lorraine, hating that my voice quivered.
She scoffed. “Or what?”
“Or I’ll go to the authorities,” I said firmly.
“Is that a threat?” She glared at me.
My narrowed eyes burning with hatred and embarrassment, I said firmly, “It’s a promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Her face twisted, any semblance of concern gone. “I know your plan, and about your savings. I want you to leave, both you and your sister. When you do, I’ll have less mouths to feed.”
“Right.” I lifted my chin, pretending her saying out loud what I suspected to be true didn’t hurt. “But what we want and what we need are often separate things. I know you need the tax credit of having two dependents right now, so don’t interfere with me. Don’t touch me again, and stay away from Rachel. You, your drug dealer, and your creepy friends. For seven more months, we have to coexist under the same roof, then we’ll be gone. Agreed?”
Her gaze narrowed more, but she nodded.
“I’m going out. Don’t bother to wait up. Don’t pretend you even care.”
I jerked up my chin to Collin without making eye contact. I didn’t want to see his horror, or worse, his pity. He grabbed his leather jacket from the back of the couch and crossed to me. Throwing his arm around my shoulders, he walked me to the door.
I was grateful that he wanted to touch me after witnessing that, but I didn’t let on. I had to be tough. Stand strong on my own. I couldn’t get accustomed to leaning on him or anyone else. Like my mother, they could betray and hurt me. Like my father, they could abandon me.
Maybe Rachel already realized that. Maybe that was the reason she didn’t stay with one guy long.
Once we were settled inside Andy’s van, me in the passenger seat and Collin in the driver’s side, he reached across the console and took my hand. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” I pulled my hand away and stared straight ahead, though there was nothing to look at but a dark carport and a dumpster covered in graffiti.
The truth was I was far from fine. I was trembling.
“She hit you pretty hard,” he said gently. “Maybe we should go to the hospital or the police station to report her.”
“No police. No hospital. I’ll heal. I’ll get out of that apartment. It’s only a matter of time.”
