He gave my shoulder one last squeeze before letting go and stepping away from me.
“I have a business meeting and I won’t be home until late,” he said. “You’ll be okay here by yourself?”
I nodded in answer, my throat too tight to speak the words out loud.
I thought about the last time I’d been left alone and almost cringed but managed to stop myself. I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t be left on my own, that would be terrible. Over the past three weeks, the only space he’d given me was allowing me to be in my room by myself. And when we’d gone to the funeral, I’d felt his eyes on me everywhere I went. I think he was afraid I would disappear on him like my mother did.
The guilt I felt threatened to swallow me whole.
He left the kitchen without another word and, as soon as I knew for sure he was in his bedroom, I bolted out of the kitchen and headed towards the stairs. I practically ran up the stairs and locked myself in the safety of my bedroom.
Once I had the door locked, I turned and pressed my back against it. I blew out a deep breath and let my feet slide out from underneath me. My ass hit the carpet and I pulled my knees up to my chest. I wrapped my arms around my legs tightly and held on for all I was worth.
My body started to shake as I felt wetness begin to slide down my cheeks. I was crying. Why was I crying? I hadn’t cried once in the last two weeks and now I was crying. Why? Because I might be moving again? Because Mr. Cole wanted to take me with him? Because I was finally wanted by a parental figure for once in my life, or because my own parent was no longer living and could never ever want or love me? Not that she’d ever done either to begin with. Or, could I be crying because I thought I might have to walk away from the only people I’d ever really had a connection with?
I didn’t know the answers. Maybe it was a little bit of everything.
In the quiet of the house, I was able to hear when the garage door opened and closed behind Mr. Cole’s car as he left.
Alone at last. For the first time in three weeks.
I laid my head on my knees and let my tears soak into the soft fabric of my leggings.
When my tears had stopped, my knees were soaked, and I had to get up to change out of the wet pants. I dropped them into a white laundry basket in my closet. I found a pair of dark, blue jean shorts and slipped into them.
I was pulling up the zipper when the doorbell went off. I froze for a heartbeat before quickly doing up the zipper and pushing the button through the little hole created just for it.
My heart skipped a beat as I thought about who could possibly be outside ringing the doorbell. Could it be Tyson? The Salt and Pepper twins? Maybe even Quinton? I cringed at the thought of it being Quinton. Not because of Quinton himself, but because of the feelings and emotions seeing him might bring out in me. And, if I were being honest with myself, which seemed rare these days, I had to admit that the man scared me just a little bit.
The doorbell rang again, then a third time. Whoever stood out there was clearly starting to grow impatient. My money was on Quinton. He seemed like the type to get annoyed when the door didn’t open up the second after he rang the bell. Who else would it be? All of Mr. Cole’s friends and family called before stopping by.
Knowing it was one of seven, I left my bedroom and slowly made my way down the stairs. I wanted to see them but they’d backed off, giving me the space I had needed. The space I still thought I needed, if only I weren’t now running out of time.
Before my last conversation with Mr. Cole, I would have hidden out in my bedroom, not going anywhere near the front door. Probably not for the next six months or so, I thought it would take me that long to be able to face them all again after I’d run off, taking the cowards way out.
The doorbell rang a fourth time while I unlocked the front door. I was rolling my eyes as I pulled open the door.
“Listen,” I said as I looked up and past the hand raised and ready to start knocking on the door, ready to give whoever it was an earful for being obnoxious with the bell. I said no more because my mouth was too busy hanging open as I gaped at the person standing in front of me.
This…
This was unbelievable.
“Wha… What…” I sputtered.
Chucky’s dimples popped out as he grinned at me.
What in the actual fuck?
Chapter Two
Chucky.
Freaking Chucky had been ringing my doorbell like an A-hole.
The last time I’d seen him, he’d gotten weird on me. He’d knelt at my feet, wrapped his arms around my legs and told me he’d do anything for me, anything. And he’d gotten uncomfortably close to sticking his face in my crotch. I hadn’t liked it much.
Tyson and the salt and pepper twins had been convinced Chucky’s weirdness had been Quinton’s doing. Quinton had admitted to messing with Chucky before with his magic, to them it made sense that he’d do it again. I was in agreement with them. Quint was