CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

KIM

The women’s bathroom is packed. Women hogging the mirror, fixing their makeup. I hate crowds like this, but being with Josh helps a lot. It’s nice to have him hanging out with my friends.

Beth and I head straight to the stalls. We have to pee pretty badly. Zoey and Rachel only came along to stretch their legs.

I finish the deed, and when I walk out of the stall, my mom is there. She looks older in this lighting. Had some work done. A lot of work done. She should have stopped a couple of procedures back. She really should have.

Mom stomps over. She’s pissed and not trying to hide it. This is going to be bad.

“You rotten, spoiled little brat,” she hisses. “How dare you treat me this way.”

The room grows quiet, and my friends gather next to me for support. It’s just what I needed.

“Enough, Mother,” I say and walk past her to wash my hands. She grabs my arm. Drives her fingernails into me.

“You ungrateful bitch,” she howls. “After all I’ve done for you.”

She’s had too much to drink, because she rarely likes to fight in public.

“Let go of me.”

She does so by pushing me away. I almost fall. And would have if my friends weren’t behind me, helping me stay upright.

She bends slightly at the hips and leans forward. “You finally land a whale, and you’re cutting me out. I don’t think so.”

I don’t understand what she’s talking about. I never wanted a man for his money. That’s her. I just want someone to love me for who I am. Josh does that.

“Mother, shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She smirks. “It’s always been our plan. Don’t play all innocent with me now.”

She has completely lost it. Isn’t making any kind of sense.

She stares at something behind me. I spin around and see Josh with a murderous look on his face. I walk toward him, thinking he’s mad at my mother again. But he’s not. He’s mad at me.

“Josh,” I say, but he whirls around and leaves the bathroom.

I crumple to the floor, tears rolling down my face. He believed her. How could he?

My friends surround me, trying to give me comfort. Nothing is going to help. My heart is broken, and I don’t know if it can ever be fixed.

“You bitch!” Zoey shrieks.

“She had it coming,” my mother sneers and waggles a finger. “You’re not better than me.”

She hates me. I never realized it until now.

I get up from the cold, hard floor and watch my mother walk out. I notice Josh’s brothers are here. They’ve seen everything. Oh, God! I push my way out of the bathroom, my friends right behind me.

“We’re taking the limo,” Zoey says and leads me outside and to a waiting car.

I’m crying now and can’t seem to stop. We all crawl into the back, and someone hands me something. I almost choke on the first swallow. It burns, but I take another. And after the third swallow, it goes down easier. I’m going to get so drunk that I don’t know which way is up. I’ve never had someone truly hate me before, until tonight. Why wouldn’t he let me explain? I was wrong to think he was different.