I hurry to get my homework done so I have time to touch up my make-up and brush my hair. Thank God my teachers only gave out a little reading for the weekend because I don’t feel like doing any thinking. I finish my reading as the doorbell rings. Shit! There is no time for reapplying my make-up.
I make my way to the front door just in time to see Tommy taking off his infamous black leather jacket. Oh my, he has a sexy body. He makes eye contact with me and flashes me his gorgeous smile. I walk over to him and embrace him in a hug and start making introductions. My dad shakes his hand and gives him a nod, my brother gives him a half smile and my mom gives him a light hug. This is completely abnormal for my family. Usually, they are swooning over anyone who is new.
We make our way to the dining room where mom has already set the table. She really outdid herself this time. She made her famous pork chops with red potatoes, green beans and fresh dinner rolls. We all take our seats, but this time, Michael sits next to mom so that I am able to sit next to Tommy. As we dig into the amazing meal my mother has made, dad breaks the silence. “So, Tommy, tell me a little about yourself,” he says as he butters a dinner roll.
“Well, Mr. Wilkinson, what would you like to know?”
“What do your parents do?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I bounced from foster home to foster home since I was five years old and I haven’t seen my parents since. My mom was abusive and neglectful to me and I never knew my father.”
Oh, my heart aches for Tommy. He has never had a decent life. My poor Tommy has been on his own, without the love of a parent.
“I’m sorry,” my mom says, “it couldn’t have been easy growing up in the foster care system.”
“No, ma’am, foster care was not easy and I longed for a family. I believe that I turned out quite well, considering the circumstances though.”
How is it that I didn’t know this about him? I got so lost in his appearance that I never thought to ask him about his life. I feel like the world’s worst girlfriend. I guess I didn’t know everything there was to know about my Tommy.
“What are your plans for the future?” My dad asks.
“Well, I plan on enrolling in school to become a licensed mechanic. I love welding, but tinkering on cars is my passion.”
“There’s good money in that field,” my dad responds.
Dinner continues with mom and me talking about my upcoming prom next Saturday and the guys talking about sports. After dinner, I help my mom clean up while the guys go in the living room to watch television. My mom takes this time to talk to me, privately. “Honey, I don’t mean to sound like a horrible person, but I think you can do a lot better than Tommy.”
“Mom!” I gasp, “Why would you say something like that? Is it because he comes from a less than perfect background?” Never in my life have I heard my mom say I was better than anyone. What is her problem?
“No, darling, that’s not it. I just feel that he’s hiding something.”
“Well, mom, he may not want to discuss his entire, messed up life to people he just met,” I say, trying to mask my anger. I’ve never been mad at my mom. This is a first for me and, frankly, I don’t like it.
“Honey, just be careful with him. Don’t give him your heart before you know all there is to know about him,” she explains not realizing that I have already given Tommy my heart and so much more.
I nod and let the conversation drop. I don’t want to fight with my mom over Tommy. I’m an adult now and I don’t need her deciding what’s good for me and what isn’t. I finish up the dishes and head to the living room with the guys. Tommy is listening to my dad and brother talk football. I can feel how uncomfortable he is by looking at him. “Dad, is it alright if Tommy and I go out for a few hours?”
“Sure baby, just be back by your curfew.”
“Thanks dad,” I say as I give him a kiss on his cheek.
We reach Tommy’s car and he opens the door so I can climb in. I give him a quick kiss on his cheek before sitting down. He climbs into the driver’s side and gives me a kiss on my lips before starting the engine. “Where do you want to go?” He asks.
“I don’t care as long as I’m with you, babe.”
With that, we head opposite his apartment. We drive for ten minutes and pull into the driveway of a house I’ve never been to before. He gets out but does not come to my side to let me out. I open the door and hurry to catch up with him. I wrap my hand in his and give him a smile that he returns back to me. He rings the bell and, low and behold, that wretched woman, Jessica, stands on the other side. I’ve arrived at Hell’s doorstep. God, kill me now!
We walk into the living room where I shoot him a ‘what are we doing here’ stare that he just shrugs off. I’m not sure if he’s doing this on purpose or not, but I really can’t stand to be in the same room as her. She’s so overbearing and such a bitch!
“Lucas, Tommy and his toy are here!”
What’s her problem? I really want to go home. My dad may have interrogated him and my mom may have voiced her opinion about him to me, but they were at least polite and inviting. This woman is just a raging witch!
“Okay babe, I’ll be in there in a minute,” Lucas calls out from another room in the house.
She walks out of the room and leaves Tommy and me standing alone. “What are we doing here?” I grumble. I really don’t want to be here and I don’t care if Tommy can sense my frustration about the situation or not.
“I told you to play nice. Now, I suffered through an interrogation at your house and I think you can do me a favor by visiting with my friends. If not, I can take you home.”
I put my head down and decide that I will tolerate the visit with Lucas and his witch of a fiancée. It’s the least I can do for Tommy after all the questions my dad had for him tonight. Lucas comes in wearing a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. He shakes Tommy’s hand and then mine. “Hi guys. I wasn’t expecting you,” Lucas says.
“Yea, we weren’t expecting you. Why didn’t you call before coming over?” Jessica snarls as she walks back into the room.
“Sorry I didn’t call in advance, Jess. I just had dinner with Abby and her family and it was a last minute thought,” Tommy explains.
“Well, I prefer notice before guests show up. Sometimes, I don’t want to be around certain people,” she says, snidely, as she looks in my direction.
Oh, dear Lord. This is going to be very long night. Maybe I should just call my parents to come get me. No, I can’t do that to Tommy. He stayed at my house while my dad grilled him, so I am going to stay here even though Jessica makes me uncomfortable.
Lucas and Tommy begin to play a video game. They are playing some ‘blow ‘em up’ game on one of the many gaming systems out there but I’m not sure what the name is. I sit next to Tommy and watch a few minutes of their game playing while daydreaming about pulling strands of Jessica’s hair out. This game is getting really boring. I decide to fetch my phone from my back pocket and check my social media pages. After, I decide to text Katherine.
Hey girl, I’m picking you up at 10 in the morning right?
Almost instantaneously, she responds back.
Yes. I’ll see you then. How did the dinner go with Tommy and the ‘rents?
Finally, I can unload my frustrations.
Dad interrogated him as I suspected he would. Now, we are at his friend’s house. The one with the God awful fiancée. Just kill me now!!!!!!!!!
“You are a rude bitch, Abigail!” I hear Jessica shrieking at me from over my shoulder.
Shit, how long has she been standing there? This is not going to end well for me. I can no longer play nice. “What? Is your life so miserable that you have to look over my shoulder and get into mine?”
“I’m not the one talking shit on her phone, now am I?”
Oh. My. God. This woman knows no bounds. She treats me like shit and doesn’t want anything to do with me but wants to look over my shoulder as I am in the middle of a private m
essage?! Well, I’ve had enough. Tommy or not, I am defending myself against this sorry excuse for a human being. “Well, if you weren’t such a wretched person to be around, I probably would’ve been hanging out with you, but frankly, I can’t stand the sight of you let alone being in the same room as you!” I hiss back at her.
I stand and walk to the front door. Once outside, I begin to dial my dad’s cell phone. I’m ready to go home. It goes straight to voicemail. He’s probably on another call. Just as I’m about to call my mom, Tommy comes out and takes my phone out of my hand. “What the hell is going on, Abigail?” He demands.
“I don’t know. She must have been looking over my shoulder as I was messaging Katherine.”
“Dammit, Abigail, I told you to behave yourself.”
“I’m sorry, but you know that I can’t stand that woman yet you bring me here with no warning. She’s an absolute bitch, Tommy!”
“I don’t care what you think of her. Lucas is my only friend and Jessica is part of his life just as you are part of mine. Don’t you see that?”
“But I’m not nasty and mean like Jessica is. Tommy, she’s been a bitch to me since day one and you allow it. If I’m part of your life then why do you let Jessica walk all over me like that?”
He runs his hands through his hair as a low breath hisses from his lips. “You are absolutely frustrating sometimes, Abigail. Do you even realize that?”
“I’m sorry. Look, if you give me my phone back, I’ll call my mom or a friend to come and get me. I’ve already ruined your evening and you need to get back in there.”
“Dammit, Abigail, I brought you here and I’ll take you home. Right now, I’m going to go back inside and apologize for you and then I will take you home.”
I nod as he turns around to head back into the house. He didn’t give me my phone back so I am left standing outside like a fool with no one to call, text, or instant message to make the time pass. Just as I lean against his car, the front door opens and Tommy is heading down the walk way.
“Crisis averted, barely. For now, you are not allowed over when Jessica is home. Since she’s always home, I guess I can’t come over at all when you’re with me but Lucas understands the hostility between you two and there are no ill feelings, at least where he is concerned.”
He opens the passenger door for me. As I climb in, I look back at him. “I really am sorry, Tommy. I hope you forgive me and realize it was a slip in judgment.”
“Abby,” he sighs, “it’s alright. Jessica is hard to handle and I shouldn’t have brought you here,” he says before kissing my lips.
I nod in acceptance of what he said and turn to look out the passenger side window.
Once in the driver’s seat, he starts the ignition and turns his head to face me. “The night is still young. Do you want to go home or back to my place?”
Oh, given the choice, I would always choose going to Tommy’s over going home. I give him a sly smile and he nods. I know he knows where I want to go.
“To my place it is,” he says as he hands me back my phone.
* * *
I barely make it home in time for my two o’clock curfew. Geez, Tommy makes me lose track of time. My brother is up watching television in the living room when I close the front door behind me. “You were out late, sis.”
“Yea, I lost track of time. I meant to be home earlier than my curfew.”
“You sure are hung up on Tommy, aren’t you?”
I blush. “Yes, I am. Michael, I think I’m in love with him.”
“Abby, please be careful with him. He gives me a bad feeling.”
“Mike, please don’t. You’re starting to sound like Mom and Jeremy.”
“Well, have you considered that maybe we are right? Abby, three people who love you have a bad feeling about this guy and Jason, well, he absolutely hates him.”
“Jason?”
“Yes, Jason told me about the confrontation with Tommy at the hospital. Abigail, do you realize that Jason loves you? I don’t mean love as in my love for you, but love as in he wants a relationship with you?”
Really? Is that what all those longing looks meant? Why didn’t he tell me this before I fell in love with Tommy? “No, he doesn’t love me, Mike. I’m like a little sister to him. That’s all.”
“You and Jason can deny it all you want, but I’ve seen the love building in him for years! I think it would be neat if you guys started dating.”
“Ok, enough talk about Jason. I’m going to head to bed. Katherine and I have a date with the wretched mall tomorrow and I need my rest if I plan to keep up with that girl!”
I walk over and give Michael a kiss goodnight and make my way to my room. I am so tired that I forget about taking a shower. I just slip my pajamas on and crawl into bed relieved that this day is finally over but dreading the trip to the mall tomorrow.
* * *
It’s 9:30 before my eyes spring open. Shit! I overslept. Dammit, no time for a shower. I hurry out of bed and rush over to the closet and grab the first items I touch. I’m running around trying to get dressed when my cell phone vibrates. I pick up the phone and see it’s a text message from Tommy.
Hey angel, I would love to see you today. When you’re done shopping, come over.
I quickly respond with an ‘okay’ before making my way out of the house. I get to Katherine’s house with two minutes to spare. I almost faint when I look up to see Katherine. She’s actually ready to go on time! I suppose there is a first time for everything, including Katherine. “Hi,” she says.
“Hi, yourself. Look at you, all ready to go and not a minute late!”
“Yea, I figured I wouldn’t keep you waiting today. Speaking of ready to go, you look like hell Abby. You look like you are wearing yesterday’s makeup,” she says as she grabs my iPod and begins searching it for music.
Damn, she’s good. “Actually, I did. I didn’t get home until late and then woke up later than expected. Do I look that awful?”
“I wouldn’t say you look that bad, but you aren’t something to gawk at either,” she explains as ‘Gotta Be Somebody’ by Nickelback flows out of the speakers. Now it starts. Katherine belts out the lyrics. Will her squawking ever not make me giggle? After some time, I decide hell with it, if you can’t beat them, join them! I begin screaming the chorus with her as we drive to the mall.
We walk around the mall buying make-up and jewelry for the prom next Saturday. The worst part of this trip is the shoes. We didn’t buy shoes when we bought our dresses so now we have to buy the “right” shoes, according to Katherine. I have a feeling that this is going to be as tedious as dress shopping.
We are finally out of the mall at three o’clock. I was correct. Shoe shopping with Katherine is just as big of a chore as dress shopping! She was dragging me from one store to another and then another. Low and behold, she bought the very first pair of shoes she tried on. I swear, that girl is going to be the death of me if I don’t strangle her first!
After I drop Katherine off, I turn and head toward Tommy’s apartment. I pull into the guest parking and make my way to his unit. I ring the doorbell and am greeted by a smiling hunk of a man that is my Tommy. He looks gorgeous. His hair is still damp from a shower. He is wearing black denim jeans and a white t-shirt. Oh, I’ll never get tired of looking at him. “Howdy, darlin’,” he says with a stupid grin on his face.
“Howdy yourself, may I come in?”
“Oh, yea, of course,” he says as he steps back.
Tommy is so happy today. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy before. What is up with his yo-yo type mood swings? One day he’s happy and the other angry. Before I have time to question his demeanor, he closes the door and scoops me into his arms, spinning me around. He puts my feet back on the floor and kisses me deeply, passionately. That’s it; I’m lost in the passion behind that kiss. We kiss as we quickly make our way to his bedroom. He closes the door without taking his lips from mine and we begin to swiftly remove each oth
er’s clothes.
Chapter Six
Prom day has finally arrived and I’m a nervous nelly. Katherine and I have salon appointments this afternoon and I hope that she is more relaxed during her appointment than she was picking out her dress and shoes. However, this is Katherine and the chances of her making anything easy are almost impossible. Her middle name should be Impossible or maybe even Difficult. I giggle to myself as I grab a button up shirt from my closet. Lately, I’ve been wearing long-sleeved shirts to cover the bruises that Tommy left on my arms. The hickey has been easy to cover with make-up. As I change into my shirt, I look at the bruises. They have lightened up enough that I can put a little loose powder on them and no one would even know they’re there.
My brother is still staying with us. I am fairly certain I heard my parents talking about taking him back to Bayford tomorrow after dinner. I’m going to miss him. I’ve had fun spending time with him since he’s been home. I am confident that we have watched every movie that we own and have eaten our weight in popcorn since he’s been home.
I grab my purse while dad fishes his credit card out of his wallet. I give him a smile before taking it from his hand.
“Please, don’t go spend crazy with this thing. Your mother is bad enough,” he says as he looks toward mom.
I can’t hold back the laughter. My dad hit the nail on the head with that description of my mother. “I won’t, Daddy. I’m just going to get my hair done and I’ll bring it right back.”
I climb in my car and head over to Katherine’s. “Fire” by Bruce Springsteen plays through the speakers and I can’t help but sing along. This is such a classic song but it’s too short. I really wish the song was longer. Another song begins playing as I pull into Katherine’s driveway, but I don’t take the time to hear the words. I turn the radio down as Katherine comes sulking to the car. She places her garment bag with her prom dress in the back seat along with a bag that contains her shoes and accessories for the big night. “What’s wrong?” I ask as she climbs in the passenger seat.
On the Edge Page 5