Eleven | Jo
Eleven
Jo
“I can’t believe we’re finally doing this,” Charlie said as we sat at one of the round tables in the empty bar.
Axel had closed the bar early due to another storm rolling in, and Charlie had asked him if she could host a girls’ night while he went out shopping for supplies.
He gladly agreed—mainly because there wasn’t a damn thing he wouldn’t do for her.
I was surprised when he took Keith and Dom with him to go shopping, but maybe it was a guy thing?
Or maybe he just really wanted Charlie to be able to have a girls’ night without any of the guys interrupting.
I was thankful that Axel and Keith had been so kind and welcoming to Dom in the two weeks he had been staying with me.
While nothing had happened to make me believe Tray was really looking for me, I couldn’t deny that I loved spending time with Dom, so I was thankful that he hadn’t rushed off.
Having my friends take him in and accept him as one of their own was just the cherry on top.
“I know,” I agreed. “I’m so excited to have some girl time without any of the guys.”
“You mean without the sexy man who has been obsessively watching you since he showed up?” Ashley teased as she brought out a huge platter of nachos and set it down in front of us.
“Me?? What about you and Keith?” I asked, steering the attention away from Dom and me because I wasn’t ready to talk about what happened yet. Shit, I was still struggling to process it on my own; I didn’t need anyone else getting in my head and twisting it into something it wasn’t.
“Keith is a nice guy,” Ashley replied with a smile. “But, of course, you would already know that, given how long you’ve known him.”
“He is a nice guy,” I agreed with a shrug, because it was true. “However, I still stand by my word that I will kill him if he ever hurts you.”
“Not if I kill him first.” Ashley winked and took a seat next to me as Charlie and I looked at her.
“Damn, Ash!” I laughed and shook my head. “So harsh...”
She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when she noticed the playful look on my face.
“Seriously, though, I love that for you. Keith is my friend, but I will never put a man before any of my female friends. Men who hurt women deserve what they get.”
“Agreed,” Charlie said as she held Molly to her chest and patted her back until she fell asleep.
“It’s crazy to think that each woman at this table has a terrible past, all because of a man,” I said, thinking out loud before I considered what I was saying. “Or several men, if we’re being honest.”
“Yep. I thought I married someone who would love me forever,” Charlie said sadly. “Instead, I got a gambling addict who was willing to give up his wife and unborn child to clear his debt.”
“I started with an abusive uncle and then went straight to a man who was just like him. I was young and stupid, but sometimes I think maybe I would have turned out differently if my parents had been there. My dad tried his hardest when he was alive to keep me from getting caught up in all of that, but once he was gone, my uncle rushed in to make sure I knew I didn’t have any options other than him. ”
“At least you had a dad who loved you,” Ashley said, her face filled with anger. “My dad used to pass me around to his friends, starting when I was too young to know better. He knew what they were doing to me, and he sat there and watched.”
“I fucking hate him,” I growled, feeling the anger burn inside of me as strongly as it had when she first told me.
She had shown up in Nowhere shortly after I did, with bruises covering her body and needing help.
Dr. Foster had found her behind the clinic, bleeding profusely.
Ashley was pregnant but didn’t know who the father was after several of her dad’s friends had raped her.
She didn’t want the baby and was relieved when Dr. Foster confirmed she was bleeding so heavily because she was having a miscarriage.
“We should form a club with our fucked up pasts,” Ashley said, grinning at her joke.
“I mean, what’s the criteria to join? How many dead bodies do we have to have under our belts?” Charlie asked playfully. “So far, I only have one, but I’m sure I could add to that list as I go look for your dad.”
“Trust me, he’s not worth it. Escaping him was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I don’t bother thinking about any of it because there’s no reason to.
That part of my life is over, along with my childhood and innocence.
But I’m stronger now, and no one can take that from me,” Ashley said, pulling her shoulders down.
“That doesn’t make me want to kill him any less,” Charlie said with a raised eyebrow.
“Same,” I agreed. “He’s been on my list for a while now.”
“Who else is on your list?” Charlie asked as she popped a chip into her mouth while she held Molly against her chest.
“Well, Ashley’s dad, for one. My uncle used to be on the list, but now that’s taken care of. My ex-husband. Dr. Foster’s ex-husband.” I stopped and gave it some thought before continuing. “And anyone who ever hurts one of my friends again. I refuse to let anything happen to you, ladies.”
“Nothing is going to happen to any of us,” Charlie said reassuringly. “We’re all safe here.”
“That’s because we’re bad bitches,” Ashley sang. “Anyone who comes here looking for trouble is sure to find it. We’re not those scared girls anymore. We’re tough women who have been through hell and back, and we’ll be damned if we take any more shit from anyone.”
I nodded, not wanting to acknowledge that safety was a false illusion when you lived a life like mine.
I had been on the run from Tray for so long that I eventually stopped looking behind me, praying he wouldn’t find me.
But then Dom showed up and proved that I hadn’t hidden as well as I thought I had because if he could find me, so could Tray.