I have to think; I have to plan. First, I have to get out of here. Annalisa Davenport. She can’t be all that mom had said. That mousy little tramp is nothing compared to me. So what if her family’s rich? That doesn’t mean anything. Cody is the last person to care about that anyway.
She doesn’t measure up to me in any way. I’m better looking and smarter, and my personality is ten times better. There’s no way she could hold onto a man like Cody forever, whereas I know how to keep him by my side. But he looked like he’d wanted to come after me outside the party, and then again at the station, he’d stood in front of her, protecting her from me. Nothing hurt more than that.
A roach crept across the floor, and I jumped up on the little cot, which promptly broke, trapping my foot in the new opening I’d made. I screamed for a good five minutes before anyone came to the rescue. “What is it now?”
“What are you blind?” I pointed to my foot, which was already beginning to swell.
“Oh, that looks bad.” That was his enlightening response when he entered the cell and looked down at my ankle. “It’s going to be a while before we find someone to run you to the hospital.” He said it with glee. Probably still upset that I’d spat on him.
“Now, take me now.” He just turned and walked away. Nothing else that happened tonight had brought the reality of my situation home to me more than that. No one has ever treated me this way before. And even after meeting mom.
What’s going to happen to me now? It was just a windshield. I said it like a mantra in my head when I felt the proverbial doors slamming shut, closing me in. Then I looked around at the dingy little room and realized that the doors had been closed, and I was the only one sitting here, alone as usual, and now with a sprained ankle. My scream of frustration echoed along the walls.
CODY
“What apartment?” I looked at Lisa for the answer.
“I was going to tell you about it later.” She whispered. “Mom, don’t change the subject. You had my friends….” She stopped and looked at Jess and Alexis, “no, not friends, guards keeping tabs on me. Jess has been with me for more than two years.”
“I know, I know, but it was either that or homeschooling, and you chose coming here.”
“I want to know more about this apartment.” I never took my eyes off of Lisa.
“I’ll tell you later. Don’t let your guard down; Blaire scents weakness like other people smell sweat.” She almost hissed.
“I heard that. Now answer my question since you won’t let him speak.”
“He doesn’t know anything about it, mom. I didn’t discuss it with anyone.” She looked at Jess and Alexis accusingly. I kinda felt bad for them. They were in a tough spot, and even though Lisa was putting on a calm façade, her hand was tense in mine beneath the table, and I was surprised that no one else could hear the strain in her voice when she spoke.
My first instinct was to get up and take her out of there, but I knew that if I made the wrong move here tonight, it would take a monumental effort to make it right. I’ll deal with Miss. Annalisa in due time, but right now, my job was to avert the powder keg that was about to go off.
I myself had missed the signs, the signs of her growing up. Sometime between the day we met and whenever it was she decided to take on Susie, she’d crawled out of her shell. Part of me doesn’t want her to change; I like my soft-hearted girl, but part of me wants to hear more about her scheming ass and what all she got up to behind my back.
As pleased as I am that she went to bat for me, I’m not going to let her get away with lying to me. I bet her parents never spanked her spoiled ass before; she’s about to find out.
“Exactly what are you thinking about while looking at my daughter like that, Mr. Baxter?” Damn, doesn’t this woman miss anything?
I almost lied and said I was thinking about the apartment, but that would only throw Lisa under the bus, so I changed it up a little. “I’m thinking how proud I am of Lisa. When I met her just a short while ago, she was this sweet, shy girl who barely lifted her head to speak. Who would’ve thought she could take on someone like Susie without fear?”
“She’s my daughter; what do you expect?” I doubt even Lisa realizes that she has the makings of her mother in her. She’d probably bite my head off if I even mentioned it. I realized that I didn’t feel as uncomfortable as I’d expected to. Before I knew who these people were, I was nervous about meeting them; now that they’ve turned out to be even more than my mind could consider, I feel none of the angst I’d kept hidden from Lisa about meeting them.