Chapter 8
I’m not even a hot mess anymore. I’m just a room-temp mess.
— Maven to Athena
MAVEN
He never made it over.
But to be completely truthful, it was a good thing.
Because had he pushed and asked me why I’d needed the ride to the lawyer, he would’ve figured out that I didn’t drive because I was under the influence.
As in, taking pain medication to keep the pain from my PCOS and endometriosis under control.
When I’d turned fourteen and had gotten my first period, I’d thought I was going to die.
It’d been Vickie who got me to the specialist, and we’d found out that I had issues and would forever have issues.
Ever since then, we’d found ways to manage it… mostly.
But sometimes, like this current period, I had to take a bit more medication to keep myself going.
Hence the reason I couldn’t drive.
But now, hours later, the pain meds were wearing off.
Plus , I was angry from the visit with the lawyer.
I would not have been good company tonight, that was for sure.
“ I’m curious. What else did the lawyer have to say?” Dorsey asked. “ Does she think you have a case?”
“ She thinks I could have one if Dad wasn’t who he is.” I sighed. “ She said that we could definitely try to bring a case, and it’s a strong one, but since Dad knows everyone in the city and surrounding areas, it might be impossible to find a judge willing to try the case because they want to keep Dad in their good graces.”
“ Oh , that’s just fantastic,” Dorsey said. “ So pretty much he’s going to get away with it?”
I rubbed at my cheeks. “ Maybe I’ll just move locations.”
“ You signed a three-year lease last month,” Dorsey said.
Dorsey was right, of course.
I had.
I shouldn’t have, though.
I’d been more than aware of the issues I’d been having when it came to Dad , and the city.
Sure , I could’ve moved.
But I was close as fuck to all the popular downtown retailers, and my rent was amazing.
I hadn’t wanted to leave.
But now I may not have a choice…
“ I know,” I admitted. “ Let’s just say I have no idea what I’m going to do.”
“ I freakin’ hate him,” she said. “ I hate him so much.”
“ You and me both, sis,” I said. “ How’s work going?”
Dorsey was a third-grade teacher for Dallas ISD . She’d been working there for four years now and loved it.
“ The classroom is ready, but I’m not,” she admitted. “ I love summer so much.”
I snickered. “ You’ve just had two months off.”
“ I know, and it wasn’t enough. I enjoyed the heck out of my vacation.”
“ I think that’s fairly normal to love being off.” I giggled. “ What’s your plan? Do you still want me to come help hang up the posters with you?”
“ About that,” she said. “ I had an unexpected visitor. Remember Mr . Freely ?”
Mr . Freely used to be her switch teacher. When he’d moved away last year for a year abroad, Dorsey had been devastated.
“ I do,” I answered.
Secretly , I thought Dorsey had a crush on the older man.
Not that she’d ever get the nerve to pursue anything with him.
Dad and Scott hadn’t focused their sights on just me, after all.
Dorsey had gotten just as much as I had, unfortunately.
“ Well , he’s back!” she chirped. “ And is back to being my switch teacher. I’m so freakin’ excited! He helped me hang up all the posters today. And get this! He asked me out for coffee!”
I grinned into my pillow, trying to be excited for her but becoming sidetracked when a wave of pain in my belly hit me.
“ I gotta go,” I admitted. “ I’m about to throw up.”
Dorsey said her goodbye, unsurprised by my abrupt departure.
I’d done enough bailing on her over the years because of my PCOS that she was used to it.
Heading to the bathroom at a run-shuffle, I bent down over the toilet and lost my lunch.
Or dinner.
At this point, it was so late into the day, that I wouldn’t be eating anything for dinner. And the last thing I’d had to eat was lunch.
I closed my eyes and let my head rest on the toilet seat.
I might be grossed out about it tomorrow. But for tonight, I was just trying to survive.
It was long moments later when I finally made my way back to the bed and collapsed into it.
I gave a weak clap, and the lamp at my bedside turned off.
I opened my phone and turned on the alarm, then was about to shut it down when my Google Home alerted me to movement seen on my cameras.
I switched apps to the camera that was pointed at my street and was unsurprised to find Scott there at my door.
I’d fully expected him earlier.
The man had no chill, and we’d pissed him off earlier at the coffee shop.
That , and he would be trying to finagle information out of me to take back to Dad in regard to my lawyer visit.
Luck wasn’t with him, today, though.
Sometimes I indulged my curiosity and opened the door for him.
Others , I left him hanging.
Today was a leave him hanging kind of day.
Heck , forever might be a leave him hanging kind of day after the meeting with my lawyer this morning.
Though she was hopeful that she could file for harassment charges and likely win, she was worried that by doing so, it’d just paint a bigger target on my back.
The lawyer was right, though.
My dad had a long reach.
I’d held on so far, but it was only a matter of time until I couldn’t anymore.
Maybe tomorrow I’d go look for a new area to work out of.
Luckily , I could open my bakery tomorrow.
Unluckily , I wouldn’t be opening because of the massacre currently happening inside of my uterus.
I’d have to give it a day and go back Tuesday .
Scott knocked for a second time, but I closed down the app and shut my eyes.
Maybe when I woke up everything would be better…
Two days later, the bakery was back open, and something strange had occurred to me.
But only after Pepper had mentioned it.
“ You’re right,” I said. “ I haven’t seen a single Carter all day.”
Pepper’s brows rose. “ That’s weird, especially when I see at least one of them in here throughout the day.”
My stomach tightened, and my palms started to sweat.
Had something happened to one of them during that call two days ago?
I frowned as a customer came in.
A cop.
But not the one I wanted to see.
“ Hello , Sergeant Assman .” I smiled at the young man. “ How’s your baby doing?”
“ Growing like a weed,” he admitted. “ Throwing attitude. How are you?”
Well , my uterus isn’t trying to kill me today, only maim.
“ I’m well,” I lied.
“ Hey ,” Pepper interrupted. “ Why haven’t we seen any of the Carters in here today? Is everything okay?”
Assman turned his gaze to her. “ Uh , they’re fine as far as I can tell. Just saw all of them today.”
I frowned.
And come to think of it…
“ Hey , do you have Auden’s number?” I asked him.
His eyes came to me. “ Uh , I’m sorry. Yes , I do. But I’m not giving that out.”
I held up a placating hand. “ Could I get you to give him mine?”
Assman smiled. “ Sure .”
After writing my name and number down on a bright pink business card, I waved him on with his baby’s sweet treat, and went back to work.
But the longer the day wore on, and there was still no sign of Auden , the more worried I became.