AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m not,” the teacher says.
“Could you help me with my labor?” another woman asks.
A crowd forms around us with all the other mothers-to-be asking Lily for her rates. I step back, not wanting to get trampled in the stampede. Lily shoots me an apologetic glance and I offer her a smile and a shake of my head. She was only trying to help me because I’m alone. Now she’s inundated.
I gather my things and rush to the door, only for the redhead from earlier to step into my path. “Before you came along, we all had turns demonstrating with Lily. Do you think you could stop hogging her attention?”
“What?” I ask.
Her husband grabs her by the shoulders. “Don’t mind Wendy,” he says with a wink. “She’s hormonal. We all love having you in the class, Kate. You and Lily look great together.”
“Are you serious?” I ask.
The husband smirks. “Just a joke. Don’t take offense.”
I turn to Wendy to see if she plans on saying something, but she shoots me a venomous look, as though I’m responsible for her husband’s wandering eyes.
“Do you prey on women at their most vulnerable or are you an equal opportunity creep?” I ask.
“Watch yourself,” Wendy snaps.
Fuck this. I shove past the annoying pair and march home, my steps powered by fury.
What is it about men that makes them think they have the license to disrespect women? No matter how they try to disguise it, they’re all the fucking same.
Predators.
As I round the corner and continue down the long stretch of road that leads to my apartment building, our superintendent, Mr. Wilder, spots me from a distance. The old man raises himself on his tiptoes and waves.
My stomach plummets. Carmel is a beautiful place, but nobody seems to want to mind their own business. I almost miss the anonymity of Beaumont City, even if it was riddled with the mafia.
I drag my feet as I approach the front door, where Mr. Wilder waits by a large box. Ever since I moved in, someone has been delivering organic groceries to my apartment, addressing it to Kate Edwards.
There are always enough large kits for seven days, giving me plenty left over. I’ve tried calling up the company to cancel, but they only allow me to switch up the menu options. The only person who knows me by this name and can afford such exorbitant prices is my cousin, Tommy. Maybe this is his way of saying he’s watching over me.
“Hey there, Kate.” Mr. Wilder booms, with a smile as gappy as his comb over. “Let me carry in your box.”
I paste on a smile. “Thanks.”
He opens the door to the building and lets me walk ahead to my apartment. This time, I let him in because I cleared up the other night’s mess.
I haven’t been able to paint since Tommy and Martina from the Di Marco Law Group helped me unravel that scam. No matter how much I try to forget about the man whose name I refuse to say, the child I’m carrying serves as a constant reminder.
The superintendent walks in after me and sets the box on the kitchen counter.
“Thanks, Mr. Wilder.”
“Call me Arthur.” He rocks forward with his thumbs tucked into the sleeves of his overalls.
I’ll continue to keep my distance and address him formally. That’s how Mom survived all those years and kept me away from my biological dad. That’s how she kept us alive.
“Anything else I can do for you?” His gaze wanders around the room, looking like he’s trying to commit everything out of place to memory.
“No, I’m good. Thank you though,” I say, eager for him to leave.
With an absent nod, he heads toward the door. Just as he reaches for the handle, he pauses to give me a crooked smile. “You know, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m always here.”
The nice thing to do is smile back and offer a word of thanks, but that’s not how Mom kept us safe. She taught me to keep my guard up and to trust no one. No chit-chat, no smiling, no allowing them to linger. I nod, not wanting to be rude, but needing to end any further conversation.
