“You don’t have to talk about it,” Jude continues after a moment. “Just think about it. Think about all the different scenarios. The one where this child is yours. The one where he isn’t. The one where you and Victoria maybe talk about the past. Her miscarriage. The way her parents treated you. There’s a whole can of worms about to be unleashed if you seek out answers, so you should be at least a little bit prepared.”
Jude is one of the best human beings I know, and everything he said makes a ton of sense.
So why do I suddenly feel like throwing up?
Chapter 4
Victoria
I’m running late on Monday morning. Mondays are my busiest day of the week. I have classes from ten to two and then go straight to my job at the mall. I’m an assistant manager at a boutique clothing store, where I’ve worked for three years, so I make more than minimum wage and it allows me to save a little. Of course, I had to buy my car, and I pay for my own insurance, gas, and even my phone. My parents essentially let me live in their house and feed me.
They don’t even pay for my college. I was lucky enough to get a scholarship but it’s not a hundred percent so I’ll graduate with some loans but nothing like the loans I know others have had to take.
This is my last semester since I’ve been taking full course loads and going to school through the summer as well, so I can’t wait to graduate and find a well-paying job. I don’t want to waste money renting an apartment so I’m going to suck it up living with my parents as long as possible because it’ll give me the opportunity to save for a house.
South Florida real estate is daunting so it might take a while, but I don’t care. I want something of my own, something no one can take from me or hold over my head. I have an idea what area I want to live in, and it’s expensive, but if I can get a job in my field, I should be able to save a hundred thousand dollars in two or three years. At least, that’s the plan.
I don’t know if my parents are going to start asking for rent. I never know anything with them. They run hot and cold with both me and my sister, it can be mentally exhausting sometimes. Part of me feels bad because I know they’re doing what they think is right. But another part of me is so damn tired of being treated like a second-class citizen.
It’s like I can’t do anything right.
Even when I get straight A’s, they ask why I didn’t take more classes.
When I got promoted to assistant manager, they thought I should be store manager.
My dad thinks it was a waste of money that I bought a new car instead of something used, but the new car came with roadside assistance and an extended warranty, so I don’t have to worry about breaking down or repairs.
It just feels like I’ll never meet their expectations, no matter how hard I try.
“I won’t be home until late,” I call to my mother as I grab my backpack.
“Have a good day,” she calls, not even looking up from the magazine she’s reading.
“Bye!” Charlie waves to me, his mouth full of waffles.
“Bye, sweetie!” I walk outside and get into my car.
It’s nothing fancy, a Toyota Corolla that gets me where I need to go with no issues. My car payment is manageable, insurance is pretty cheap, and it’s good on gas mileage, so I don’t care what my dad thinks. Well, not much anyway.
I pull out of our development and onto the main road. I glance in the rearview mirror and the big black SUV behind me looks vaguely familiar. I frown, staring at the reflection.
That can’t be Jordan.
Can it?
I must be imagining things since I’ve thought about him more than I want to admit the last couple of days. Seeing him re-opened some wounds I thought were long since healed, but apparently, they’re not. There are still so many things I want to say to him, questions I want to ask, things I wish we’d been able to talk about. But he disappeared and left me to deal with the aftermath alone.
My father was a jerk, no doubt about that, but I thought Jordan loved me enough to fight for me.
I was such an idiot then.
And I need to stop thinking about him now.
I get on I-95 and head south toward where I go to school. Traffic isn’t bad this morning and I get to the exit in record time. I’ve just pulled into the parking lot and I see the black SUV again.
What the hell?
My heart rate kicks up a little and I frown. The parking lot is packed since everyone is arriving for their ten o’clock classes, so I’m not particularly scared, but it’s a little weird to think someone followed me.
