The cramps were still there—yay—but I could survive those. My phone was nearly dead when we hung up. I got my backpack squared away, cleaned up my food trash and crept through the silent apartment to the kitchen to throw it away.
After a pitstop in the bathroom, I crawled into bed with my heating pad and put my phone on the charger.
Archie: It’s going to be okay. Call, text, whatever you need, okay?
Jake: I’ll be there early tomorrow, promise.
Coop: I’m right around the corner, you know that.
Ian: You’re a rock star and my hero. The fact you shine even when everyone around you gets in the muck just makes me adore you more.
The messages buoyed me. I sent a kiss emoji and a night to each of them, then set the phone down on the nightstand. One by one, the cats all tumbled onto the bed to curl up with me, and I hugged Jake’s pillow as I leaned into the heating pad.
Sleep proved elusive. My mind kept running in circles, like the cats doing rabbit races from topic to topic. The buzz of my phone pulled me upright to look at it. There was a message from Ian with the words play me under an audio file.
Tiddles complained when I snagged my ear buds and then hit play. The soft melody of his guitar combined with his voice made me grin. Two songs, a second one arrived as I was listening to the first.
I saved the files to my phone and then put them in a playlist. I listened to both of them twice before I answered his text.
Me: I love them. Thank you.
Ian: Wanted to give you a lullaby, sleep well.
Putting the songs on repeat, I curled up around Jake’s pillow and the heating pad again as Ian sang me to sleep.
Tomorrow needed to be a better day.
* * *
By the time my alarm went off, I did not want to get up. The cats were quite vocal in their need for me to move though, and the fact I wanted to get out of the apartment before any of the other occupants woke up drove me.
Dressing in a hurry, I slipped on the borrowed t-shirt from Archie over a pair of shorts. The heat was back and likely would be for a few more days. I tied the t-shirt in the corner so it wouldn’t hang down to my thighs. In the kitchen, I fed the cats and dropped in two pieces of bread to toast.
In the bathroom, I brushed my teeth then pulled my hair back into a braid. It was a mess of curls otherwise, and I didn’t want to deal with it. I cleaned out the litter box and changed it, then wrestled with whether to leave it in my room or not.
I’d prefer not, but if she shut the cats up again, they needed access. Preferring they didn’t have an accident, I left it, then grabbed a water bowl and dry food and put that in my room before grabbing my backpack.
It was barely six-forty and Jake wouldn’t be there for at least another thirty minutes, though he had said early. I stood in the quiet of the kitchen and ate my toast and drank a cup of coffee before I took some pain relievers.
The cramps were worse today, but that had to be the stress. My stomach was in knots, too. The creak of the bedroom door opening intensified the unsettled feeling racing through my system. Mom appeared, and I almost sighed with relief.
Not that I wanted to see her, but she was so much better than…
Never mind.
Mr. Standish was right behind her.
At least they were both dressed.
Well, mostly dressed.
Mr. Standish had bare feet in my kitchen.
All of my appetite fled.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” Mom said as she gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.
Who was she, and what had she done with my mother?
“Good morning, Frankie,” Mr. Standish said, a wry smile on his face, and it was like a punch to the stomach. I forgot how much Archie looked like his dad. Or maybe I’d just blocked it out. He stood there awkwardly, and for a moment, I swore he was going to give me a hug.
Coffee cup in one hand and toast in the other, I retreated toward the table in the corner. My backpack was on, and if I could have phased right through the door, I would have. Too bad comic book powers didn’t really exist.
“You’re ready to go early,” Mom said, pouring coffee for herself and then Mr. Standish like the three of us in the kitchen was a normal occurrence instead of some whacked out version of the Twilight Zone.
“Lots to do,” I said, concentrating on eating each bite of the toast and not choking on it. Tiddles wound around my leg.
“You need to lock the cats up before you go, sweetie.” Again with the endearments. Ugh. “I told you, Eddie isn’t a fan.”
“I’d just prefer not to get hair on everything.” The gaze he settled on my cat was one of distaste.
“Yeah well, they live here,” I reminded them. “Mr. Standish doesn’t have to stay if he doesn’t like them.”
The words landed like a gauntlet, and my mother glared at me. “That was rude.”
“Okay,” I responded then took a sip of my coffee. I wasn’t apologizing. “It was also the truth.”
“It’s all right, Maddy,” Mr. Standish said, running a hand down my mother’s back, and ugh. I think I just threw up in my mouth again. “Frankie is right, the cats do live here for now. We may have to make other arrangements for them when we move you two.”
“I know a good rescue…”
My jaw opened but no sound came out. I was not getting rid of my cats. Were they insane?
“We should talk at dinner tonight,” Mr. Standish continued. “Frankie could use a new car, and we could look into that as well.” He stole a look at me, and I think my face was frozen somewhere between what the fuck and get out of my house.
When he kissed my mother, I turned away. I really didn’t want to watch that. The last bit of toast went down like a lump, and Tiddles stared up at me almost mournfully. No one was getting rid of my cats. If I had to get my own damn apartment, I’d figure it out. I had savings. I could make it work.
It wasn’t like I didn’t know how to look after myself.
My mother’s fingers bit into my arm and jerked me around. “What the hell was that?” The hissed demand carried tremendous accusation.
“What the hell was what?” No way I would roll over on this one. As uncomfortable as all this made me, she was the one who brought him there. “Maybe I should ask you the same thing. Why is he here?”
“Because he’s my fiancé,” she snapped. “You’ll be more respectful. He’s willing to help you, Frankie. All you have to do is be nice.”
“Help me?” She was joking, right?
“Yes. School. A car. He can make your life easier.”
Easier.
Right.
“I don’t want his money.” I didn’t want anyone’s money.
“Fine, you don’t have to take it, but you could at least do me the courtesy of being happy for me and supporting me. Sometimes, I wonder what I did that made you so damn selfish.”
Me.
Selfish.
I pulled my arm out of her grasp. “Maybe you should look in a mirror.” Not pulling my punches, I glared. “Maybe you should think about the fact in your happiness you’re sinking someone else’s marriage and someone else’s family. You’re not getting rid of my cats. You want to move in with him. You go right ahead. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You know,” she said. “When I was pregnant, I could have given you up for adoption.”
Not the first time she’d ever said that to me.
“Maybe you should have, Mom, maybe then I’d have a real family.”
The slap I saw coming a mile away, and it stung when it landed. Even when the tears sparked to my eyes, I refused to shed them.
“You ungrateful little—”
Someone knocked on the back door. Tiddles had vanished sometime around the moment we’d raised our voices. Now, Mom stared at me before she glanced at the door.
I backed away, then unlocked the door to find Coop standing there, eyes worried. His sandy blond hair was disheveled, like all he�
�d done was run his hand through the hair. His eyes narrowed, then he looked past me at my mother.
“Cooper,” she said briefly, then looked at me. “Your friend can wait outside while you put up the cats.” The expression she leveled at me promised a hell of a lot more trouble if I fought her on this.
“I’ll be a minute,” I told Coop.
“Want me to hold your backpack?” he asked, but that wasn’t the real question. Was I okay was the question written all over his face, and no, I really wasn’t.
I gave him a tight smile. “Sure. I’ll just be a sec.” I slipped out of the straps, and he took it and caught my hand. The squeeze he gave me reminded me I wasn’t alone. After he stepped back, I closed the door.
“Frankie,” my mother said. “When we go to dinner tonight, you will behave yourself. Am I clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Eddie said he’d have a dress sent over for you, so I’ll leave it in your room. Dress appropriately.”
Fuck.
No.
“Whatever you say.” I went to walk past her, but she lifted a hand, and I raised my arm ready to block that next hit. She’d gotten one slap, I wasn’t taking another.
We locked gazes, and she frowned. “You really need to work on your attitude. I expect better from you.”
For the first time in my life, I hated her. “Okay.” I kept it as non-combative as I could. Truthfully, I didn’t expect better from her. Sadly, this was my mother. She’d always been this woman. In all likelihood, if Archie was right, when this was over, my mother would be the one hurting.
And all I’d have were I told you so’s and pieces to pick up.
“May I be excused? You wanted me to put the cats up.”
With a sigh, she stepped aside and waved me away. It didn’t surprise me the cats were already in my room. Tabby’s tail stuck out from under the bed. Tory peered at me from inside the open closet door and Tiddles sat in the middle of my desk, tail lashing.
“Sorry, guys,” I murmured. “I’ll be home right after school. I promise.” I double-checked the food, the water, and the litter, then shut the door before grabbing the trash bag with the used litter from my bathroom.
Thankfully, Mom wasn’t in the kitchen anymore, and I made it outside without encountering either of them. Coop was right there when I came out, and I didn’t care how it looked, I set the trash bag down before wrapping my arms around him.
He squeezed gently as he held me close. Eyes closed, I took a deep breath of him and the faint spiciness of his soap. He spread his hand out against my back before rubbing it in slow circles.
“Tell me what happened.” It wasn’t a question.
“I don’t really want to talk about it.”
And I didn’t. This—I never liked talking about my mother. It was bad enough they all knew about her affair and the fact Mr. Standish had spent the night. A shudder rolled over me and despite the warm air, I was freezing.
Coop just held me while I tried to get it together. I didn’t want to cry. I really didn’t want to cry. Leaning on him helped, but it didn’t take away the fact I still had to see them later that day.
And we couldn’t keep standing here. If they came out—just no. When I pulled back, Coop tightened his arm and then studied my face. With very light fingers, he traced my cheekbone. It stung a little. She’d really gotten me.
His eyes narrowed, and he glared back at my apartment.
“Just let it go,” I told him.
“No,” he said, then pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “I’m tired of her hurting you.”
“Right now, I just want to leave.” Please don’t make this a big deal. I didn’t say it aloud, because I knew the answer. Coop pressed his lips to my forehead again and held there. Tension corded his arms as he sighed.
“Okay,” he said, finally. “Okay.” But he glanced back at the door, and I could almost read the need to knock on it again. Coop would fight my battles for me. It was easy to forget he didn’t back down, even when he was so live and let live. That he let me talk him into it now was a gift.
Or maybe we were just delaying the inevitable.
Letting me go, he grabbed the trash bag with one hand and my backpack with the other. “Jake’s almost here.”
Early.
They were both super early, and I didn’t have it in me to complain.
We headed toward the parking lot, and I debated just sliding into my car, but we had a plan. To be honest, as much as a part of me longed to run away, I didn’t want to be alone.
The familiar yellow SUV pulled to a stop as we reached the parking lot.
“Go get in,” Coop said. “I’m throwing this away.”
He diverted toward the dumpster and didn’t relinquish my backpack, so I just headed for Jake’s car. He leaned over and pushed open the front passenger door. He searched my face with every bit of the intensity Coop had. The moment he latched onto the red mark on my cheek, his lips thinned.
“Who the fuck hit you?”
“It’s nothing, okay?” I slid into the seat and did my best not grimace. The pain relievers hadn’t kicked in for the cramps, and they were worse on day two than on day one. Hell, even my back hurt today. It would be better by tomorrow. Just had to make it through the day.
“No, it’s not okay.” He twisted in the seat as I buckled my seat belt. When he cupped my face, I leaned into the contact. “Who hit you, baby girl? Your mom or Archie’s dad?”
“It wasn’t Archie’s dad,” Coop answered as he let himself into the backseat and tossed the backpacks in. “That much I know.”
“Coop.”
“It’s not the first time, Frankie,” he countered. “You always cover for her.”
I closed my eyes. “Please, just let it go.”
There was silence, and when I opened my eyes, I found Jake staring behind me and I could almost read the war on his face.
“Let’s just go to school?”
He dragged his gaze back to me. “How many times?”
“I’m not answering that. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Enough,” Coop supplied, and I groaned.
“Coop.”
“Nope, I told you, not letting it go. I’ve let it go enough. You don’t want to talk about it, fine. I won’t force you. But I’m tired of what she does to you, Frankie. You always defend her…”
“She’s my mom.”
“She’s…” Jake said, then seemed to bite off his next words before he leaned forward and kissed me. Like the hug with Coop earlier, I just leaned into the contact. The touch of his lips was gentle, sweet, and oh so careful as he licked his way in to tease my tongue. At my little sigh, he eased back and stared at me again. “I don’t want her hitting you.”
Neither did I.
“Can’t change it,” I said. “It’s done. But thank you for caring.”
His eyebrows tightened, and he shared an inexplicable look with Coop. Then he glanced back toward the apartments before giving me one more kiss. “We’re not done with this.” It sounded more like a promise. “Yes, I care.”
“So do I,” Coop said. “Of course, we care.”
It was all a little too much, and I shifted in the seat. I ached inside and out. “Thank you.”
“Silly girl,” Coop muttered then tugged my braid gently. “You need more coffee if you need us to explain it to you.”
Maybe I did.
Or maybe I just needed to get this day over and done with. I’d never been so relieved as I was when Jake pulled away. Even though I finally saw Mr. Standish’s BMW. It was parked just a few slots to the left of my car. If I’d been paying attention the night before, I’d have known.
The sick feeling pitted my stomach again.
The silence in the car was so loud and thick, I could touch it. Jake didn’t even have music on, so it wasn’t hard to hear the buzzing of their phones. Mine had gone off, too, but I didn’t want to dig it out of my pocket. Last night had been awful, but they’d a
ll been great.
This morning had been so much worse.
Tonight?
Tonight, I had to go out to dinner with them, and Mr. Standish was buying me a dress?
Not a chance in hell would I wear it.
The sun shining seemed almost a middle finger from Mother Nature. Life sucks? Here, have some sunshine. I suppose it could also mean life wasn’t that bad. At least, until you opened the door and got a face full of humidity—not so bad? Ha, just kidding.
My cheek still stung a little, and I hadn’t looked in a mirror to see how bad it was and the closer we go to school… I flipped down the visor and pushed open the slide to look in the mirror.
It caught Coop’s reflection and the white line of his mouth where his lips compressed. “It’s not horrible,” he told me. It wasn’t. There was a red mark and there was no mistaking it was a hand.
Fuck.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back as I slapped the visor shut. I didn’t have cosmetics in my bag, I just didn’t carry them. I could not go around school all day with a handprint. It would fade, but the fact I still had it said she’d definitely hit me as hard as it seemed.
The school was in sight, and I sat forward and dragged my phone out. Messages from Archie and Ian, general good mornings and both worried. The last one from Archie said Coop had already ratted out the slap.
Yeah. He was definitely not letting it go.
I both adored and despised him a little for being so stubborn about it. There was a reason I didn’t talk about Mom. I never wanted them to look at me the way they were right now.
Scrolling past those messages, I found the one Rachel had sent to me and sent:
Me: Weird question, do you have some base and powder I could borrow?
Rachel: I even have concealer. What’s up?
Me: Look like crap and need some help.
Rachel: Impossible, but I’ll help. I’m at school, where are you?
Me: Pulling in the parking lot with Jake.
Rachel: Meet me in the girl’s bathroom, theatre hall. It will be empty.
Me: Thank you.
Rachel: See you soon.
Changes and Chocolates: Untouchable Book Two Page 28