Page 65 of Mommy

I nod again, more frantic this time.

“You’d basically be living here.” Derek clarifies, a small grin creeping into his cheeks.

A beat of silence and⁠—

“Yes.”

Chapter thirty four

Ivory

I can’t believe he made me come here.

We did everything the exact way Derek wanted to. I packed a huge bag with clothes, and told my mom I’d be gone for a few weeks. She asked where I was going and I lied, telling her I was taking a girls trip with some friends to look at colleges. I don’t think she even questioned it, just nodded happily as if everything was absolutely perfect.

I got the papers for Posie ready, and convinced Shelly to let Derek foster her even though he has no qualifications. I’ll be staying at his house until Posie and the puppies are ready.

I even contacted Samuel, Ezekiel’s vet and apparently good friend because he offered to look her over right away.

I didn’t even ask Derek to come with me to the appointment. Part of the reason being that I wanted to have Posie up on the passenger seat and I have a feeling that Derek would not have allowed that.

He has set a ridiculous amount of rules for her.

She’s not allowed on the couch.

She’s not allowed on the bed. There’s a crate in the living room, with comfortable bedding that I picked out inside.

She has to eat her food always at the exact same spot. I got her bowl from the shelter to place on the floor, but according to Derek that can only be a temporary solution.

She is not even allowed to be on the lawn by herself, because he’s afraid she might try and dig a hole.

Gods forbid she behaves like an actual dog.

I put up with all of that nonsense and still, he dragged me back here. Back to the hellhole that made me realize my shoulders could get set on fire without a match involved.

The gym.

Standing below the bar I glare up at it through my lashes.

I thought about laying my head back to really stare at it, but I’m afraid that would remind my body how far up the bar actually is, and then I wouldn’t be able to gather all my bravery and jump. What if I miss it and fall flat on my face and make a fool out of myself? No, this glare needs to be enough.

Taking a deep breath I flex all of my muscles getting ready to jump up and stretch as far as I can to hopefully reach the bar, and attempt a pull up. My feet push and I fly into the air, my hands easily curving around the metal and before I know it I’m hanging. Except I’m not really.

I know I’m not a heavy person, but I do know that I should be able to feel my body being heavy when it’s dangling on nothing but my toothpick thin arms. So the fact that I can’t feel it is very confusing. At least until Derek’s voice reaches my ear.

“Got it?”

Derek helped me get up.

I snort out something that faintly resembles a yes, and the next second I’m really hanging. His hands are gone from my waist and this time I can feel the weight in my arms. It makes me groan.

How am I supposed to actually pull myself up? I’m already having a hard time just hanging here and not moving a muscle.

Before I can form a sentence to share this discovery with Derek below me a hard shudder goes through the bar, vibrating down to my shoulders and into my torso.

Derek’s face is inches from my own, his body hanging by his arms just like mine. His hands grab the bar on either side of mine and I can feel his slow, even breathing on my face.

“Wrap your legs around me.”