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They were right on all accounts, I just hated to admit defeat.
Me: Whose side are you on?
Ems: Always yours. Just keeping it real.
Me: Well, it’s red and obnoxious.
River: In other words, you love it.
Me: I’m warming up to it.
Ems: Lol
“You ready to hit the road, baby?”
“I suppose.”
Shooting off one more text, I smiled wide as my phone went crazy with a swarm of incoming messages, all of which I’d ignore for the next few hours.
Me: One more thing. Alec told me he loves me.
Served them right.
_______________
MONDAY MORNINGS WEREthe worst, especially this one. I’d lied to Alec last night after we’d returned to town and it wasn’t sitting well with me. Okay, I didn’t exactly lie, but when he asked me to spend the night with him again, I panicked and told him I wanted to spend time with my dad. It wasn’t untrue, but I’d left out the part about meeting up with the scum of the earth to give them money they hadn’t earned.
It was early, before five, when I pulled into the parking lot of the local Walmart. When I’d become complicit in their scheme, the first thing I’d insisted upon was a change in drop-off locations to a more public place with tons of lighting. I may be a fool for allowing this to continue for so long, but I wasn’t a complete idiot.
There were a few cars in the lot already, most likely employees preparing for the day, but their rusted-out truck was easy to spot. Coming to a stop two spots over, I grabbed the envelope off the front seat and exited the SUV on shaky legs.
The plan had been to drive my old car to the meet, however when I tried to start it, the only thing it did was make a horrible clunking sound. I knew showing up in a brand-new vehicle would only add to the problem, and I was right.
“Nice ride,” my sperm donor, otherwise known as Carl, whistled.
“Maybe we should up the monthly cost, seeing as how you got yourself a sugar daddy.”
Ignoring their remarks, I stepped in front of Stacy, my biological mom, and held out the money.
“Here. Let’s just get this over with.”
“Why so impatient, daughter of mine?” Carl sneered.
“I’m not your daughter,” I spat.
“Deny it all you want.” He took a step toward me, ripping the envelope out of my hand. “But we have the papers to prove it and you’d best remember that, missy.”
It was the same threat every time I met with them and it was also the reason why we’d kept doing this song and dance for so long. Their “proof” had the potential to cost my family everything and, up until now, I hadn’t been willing to call their bluff. There was too much at stake, though, to maintain this charade.
Over the last four years, I’d tried to understand life from their perspective. I couldn’t imagine living day-to-day only thinking about where my next fix would come from. It was the reason they’d lost me all those years ago, and consequently, the same reason they’d shown back up with their greedy hands outstretched years later.
“Trust me. I’m aware.”
Stepping backward toward my car, I kept the two of them in my sight the whole time. I’d learned never to turn my back on them.
“That smart mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble one day,” Stacy muttered, counting the stack of money.
Little did they know, it already had. The six-foot-three-inch Allesandro del Toro kind of trouble. He would rain holy hell down on them if he had any idea what they’d been putting me and my parents through.
