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Andrew scrubbed his hands down his face and scowled at Taylor. “What happened to you, man?”
A blur moved past us and in the blink of an eye, Olive was in front of Taylor, her body rigid as she ripped into him. “How dare you! How dare you say that to Jesse! He’s a little boy and you just told him you hated him, you piece of shit! I don’t know if your parents didn’t love you enough or if you were just born a monster, but I’m done, Taylor. Jesse’s better off without a father than with a man like you in his life. You’re going to be a bad memory to him soon and if he’s lucky, he won’t remember you at all when he’s older.
“But you, Taylor? You’re going to wake up one day and remember you had a son. Not Joey, you asshole.Jesse. You’re going to wake up and you’re going to look around and see that everyone around you fucking hates you. If you do find fame, you’d better pray that no one ever shows up on my doorstep asking about the man you were before you were famous. Unless being a dirtbag who bullied a fourteen-year-old into losing her virginity is in style, I don’t think it’ll go over well. Jesse and I? We’ll always be ghosts fucking haunting you. But you’re going to be a smudge that we forget ever existed.”
Taylor stared down at Olive without moving or saying anything. He just stared at her.
“I hope you enjoyed that power you felt when you were here, cornering me in my own apartment and forcing me to deal with your presence. I hope it’s enough to last you because it’s over.” Shaking her head as she continued to stare him down, Olive raised her hand to point at the parking lot and Taylor visibly flinched. “Leave. Now. If I see you here again, I’ll file for a restraining order.”
Taylor stumbled back a few steps and cleared his throat. “Whatever, Olive. You were a shitty lay, anyway.”
With a bitter laugh, Olive crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, I was a child. If you wanted skill, maybe you shouldn’t have preyed upon a little girl, Taylor.”
His face paled and then he turned and stumbled back to the parking lot. The sound of his truck starting and him speeding out of the lot was a piercing finish to what had been a vile and horrific situation.
Andrew stepped into crisis mode and barked out orders. “Caleb, call the cops and alert them of a drunk driver. He’s going to fucking hurt someone. Jack, get Olive inside and make sure Jesse and Lydie are okay. I’m going to trail behind him to make sure he doesn’t kill someone.”
Olive turned to face us and the sight of her haunted eyes was a punch to the gut. She stiffened her jaw and lifted her chin in an act of pure defiance against the emotions battling inside her. “I don’t want you on the road with him right now. Come inside with us, please.”
Andrew hesitated and then nodded. “I’ll call the cops myself and make sure they know where he was coming from and where he’s going.”
She swallowed and pushed her hair behind her ears. “I… I’m sorry that this is what’s happening on a night you should be celebrating. None of you deserve this. If you want to go, I wouldn’t blame you. I just… Wait for a bit before you leave.”
I swept her into my arms and held her tight. “We’re not going anywhere, Olive.”
40
***Olive***
Kittylookedatmethrough rhinestone-tipped eyelashes and raised her eyebrows. “You look like shit.”
I yawned. “Thank you.”
Jerry stopped next to where the two of us were sitting on a bench in the sun and planted her hands on her hips. “Both of you look a little like shit, if I’m being honest. Big Kitty and Little Kitty both had a little too much fun last night, huh?”
Kitty pointed her finger at Jerry. “I’ve spanked you before and I’ll do it again. I am the spitting image of fucking beautiful right now. Do you see these eyelashes? These eyelashes were custom made by the woman who styles the wigs of the woman who cleans Dolly’s carpets. No one can look like shit with these eyelashes on.”
I nodded. “Facts.”
Kitty sighed. “But I did drink too much last night. I went with the Trashed Twins to James Barton’s ninetieth birthday party and between the Jell-o shots and the tequila head shakes, I’m feeling a little green.”
They both looked at me and I snorted. “I may have three boyfriends. They may want to touch me together. A little of that maybe happened last night and then all hell broke loose when my son’s father showed up and tried to fight everyone. I spent the rest of the night consoling my son and sister while the guys hovered over me, watching me for any signs of damage. IwishI’d gone to James’ party.”
“No one under seventy is allowed at-” Kitty did a double take that would’ve made the gang fromScooby-Dooproud. “Three boyfriends?!”
Jerry sat on the ground in front of us and rested her chin in her hands. “It’s story time, ma’am.”
I pushed my hair behind my ears and bounced my foot. “I’m nervous that if I say it all, everyone will judge me.”
“I told you about the time I slept with my ex-husband’s brother to make a point! I think this is officially a judgment free zone.” Jerry shook her head. “Might not’ve been so bad if he hadn’t been hung like a seahorse.”
Kitty nodded emphatically and then held her head and groaned. “Maybe I drank too much. But I told you about the time I got lobsters from that hippy in Panama City Beach. You didn’t judge me for that.”
I giggled. “Crabs, Kitty. You gotcrabsfrom a hippy in Panama City Beach. And you’re right. I didn’t judge you for it. I was honestly impressed that you had sex with a hippy on a beach in Florida andallyou got was crabs.”
Jerry cackled and high-fived me. “Amen. I knew a woman who slept with a guy in Florida and got twenty to life in prison. Of course, it was because she shot him to death when she caught him trying to steal her purse after he didn’t get her off.”
Kitty nodded. “I knew her. She was great.”
