“James, may I help you?” I ask.
He takes a step toward me and I stop in my tracks. Tilting my head back, I look up into his eyes and I try to hide my flinch, but I fail. His eyes search mine and I hold my breath until he decides to speak.
“You haven’t done it, have you?” he asks.
Shaking my head, I sigh. “I’m not going to, James. Your wife came into the diner today, can you please have her refrain from coming into my place of work?” I ask.
He reaches for me, wrapping his hands around my bicep and shakes me slightly. “You can’t keep this baby. I refuse to let you. Don’t make me take you to court,” he growls.
I try not to laugh in his face, but I fail. “We live in Texas. No way a judge is going to demand I terminate a child I want. You can sign your rights away if you want, I don’t want your money. I don’t want anything from you,” I whisper.
Tears fill my eyes as he looks down at me. He looks angry, so pissed off that his face turns red. He shakes me two more times, then leans forward. “You will not ruin my reputation here, Channing. You will not fuck me over,” he growls.
“If you don’t let go of me, it won’t be me who ruins anything,” I say through trembling lips.
He releases me, and I lift my hand, rubbing my arm. “Fuck you. Nobody will believe a little whore. That’s exactly what you are, too. A little whore who wanted to tempt me, to get better grades in school. It’s all on you. It was legal what I did. You were eighteen, so don’t try to come after me there,” he growls.
I don’t bother responding to his ridiculousness. I brush past him, sticking my key into my lock and twisting the knob. Only when my door is unlocked and opened, do I turn around.
“I wouldn’t try to ruin your life, James. I loved you, I thought we were going to be together, forever,” I rasp. He snorts, his eyes cold as he watches me. “I’m fine on my own, this baby is fine without you. Just leave us alone.”
James throws his hands in the air. “Fine,” he grinds out. “You won’t do the right thing? Fine, fuck it. Better pack your shit, because nobody and I mean nobody will even look at you, or smile at you again when me and Jennifer are through with you.”
He walks away. I watch him climb into his car, start the engine, then speed off. Closing my duplex door, I lock it behind me and sink down to my ass. Bringing my knees up to my chest, I bury my face and I cry.
Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him.
James never loved me, not even a little bit. I’m not even sure if he liked me. He’ll smear my name all over town, and it should bother me. I should be upset about that but honestly? I’m not. This is such a Payton Place as it is. You can’t fart without someone judging the smell of it. I’m just pissed off that I allowed myself to be used like that, for years.
I was raised by a single mother. I know the stigma that goes along with that, the thing is? I don’t care. My child will be strong like I am, and hopefully they’ll never be in a position to be lured by a teacher of theirs. To be abused the way I was. For years. To be judged in the court of public opinion like I will assuredly be, by the morning.
Taking myself to my room, I go to bed. I should eat something, I should do laundry, I should clean. I don’t. I curl beneath my sheets, and I cry myself to sleep. I feel sorry for myself. It’s the last time that I’ll allow it. James has shown his true colors. I am done, so done.
Tomorrow starts a new day. Tomorrow I will be stronger. Tomorrow I will be braver.
Chapter Four
RYLAN
I shouldn’t be here.
Saturday morning I find myself back at the Crazy Lucy’s diner. I walked here. I have no reason to be here, none, other than seeing her. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, all night I lay awake in bed. I laid there, on my mattress that was thrown into the middle of my bedroom on the floor, and thought about her long blonde hair, and her sweet round ass.
Walking into the diner, I sit down at the same table we used yesterday afternoon. I watch the older lady across the room, smile and chat to her customers. Ripping my gaze from her, I look for Channing. When I see her walking toward me, my eyes lock onto her.
She stumbles, causing me to smirk. “Hey,” she breathes.
I watch as she lifts her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. It’s down today and longer than I anticipated. It skims her forearm and falls around her in waves. I wonder if it’s as soft as it looks. I shouldn’t even think about it. She’s obviously pure and pretty, soft and clean. She wouldn’t even look twice at a man like me—she shouldn’t anyway.
“Pancakes and bacon, black coffee, please,” I murmur. She smiles, nodding once. I watch her walk away. Specifically, I watch her ass.
“How’d I know this is where you’d be?” a voice chuckles.
The chair screeches as he pulls it out and I watch him sit down across from me. I shake my head at my cousin. “You follow me?” I ask.
He snorts. “Fuck no, I woke up and you were gone…” His words trail off, but I understand his meaning. He was checking up on me, afraid that I was about to sink down the rabbit hole. Something warm fills my chest. My cousin gives a fuck, he really does, and that means something to me.
“Thought about her all night. It’s fucked,” I admit.
I snap my lips closed when she walks out with two coffees in her hand and sets them down in front of us. “You hungry, Wyatt?” she asks.
A spike of jealousy flows through me. She knows his name and doesn’t know mine. She’s smiling at him, not at me. She talks to him easily, without stumbling or the shake in her voice. I hate it. I fucking hate it, and yet I know that I fucking deserve it, every bit.
“Yeah, eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, darlin’,” he grins.
She nods, quickly turning around and hurrying away. Shifting my gaze to my cousin, I frown. “Don’t even,” he says, lifting his finger and pointing. “You don’t need to be dating anyone, and that girl’s got enough on her plate,” he states.
Lifting my chin, I lean back in my chair. “And what’s she got?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “There’s enough small-town gossip going on. It’s her story to share, not mine,” he shrugs.
“Why do you know it?” I demand, losing my attempt at being calm and cool.
His brown eyes meet mine, leveling me immediately. “I don’t know details. I know the guy’s older brother. I know what he’s into, I assume from the rumors in town, little brother is much of the same.”
Frowning, I think about his words, about what he’s telling and isn’t telling me. There’s a story, a long sorted story, and I want to know what it is. I want to protect Channing from it, I feel the need deep in my bones. It’s stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. There is something about her, something that draws me to her.
She appears with our plates of food and sets them down, along with some ketchup and Tabasco. “Can I get y’all anything else?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
When I look up at her, I notice that she’s not looking at me. She’s staring across the room. I turn my gaze, following hers and see a young couple sitting at a booth across from one another.