Craving Redemption
Page 90
At her words, I lost all steam and was suddenly exhausted. “I stayed because I love you,” I told her, tears filling my eyes. “But you don’t even care. You don’t even care that I’m five months pregnant and went to my ultrasound today. You don’t care that I postponed my entire life to make sure you were okay.” I paused, hiccupping. “I needed you today and you were passed out on the couch, and the minute I walk in the door you make some stupid fucking comment without once asking if everything was okay, because it so obviously wasn’t.”
I shook my head and walked toward my bedroom. “I’m going to take a nap, Gram. Can you keep my phone in case someone calls?”
“Yeah, baby girl. I’m gonna run to my place and get some potatoes for dinner and I’ll cook over here tonight,” she told me gently. “You get some rest.”
I heard Cody and Farrah start to argue as I reached my room, but they went silent as Gram’s angry voice roared through the apartment.
I barely crawled into my bed before I began to sob.
Chapter 61
Callie
I woke up the next morning to Farrah sitting on the edge of my bed holding a plate full of toaster waffles.
“I’m here to grovel,” she told me with a rueful smile, gesturing with the plate. “I’m not very good at it.”
I gave her a small smile, scooting up in bed so I could lean against the headboard.
“I’ve been a dick,” she said, handing me the food. “I know when I’m being a dick and sometimes it feels like I can’t stop it.”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you last night,” I answered quietly, setting the waffles on my lap. “I was freaked out about Asa and you were in the line of fire.”
“Yeah, but you meant what you said.” She raised her hand when I tried to interrupt. “No. I get it. You’ve stayed here to help me and I’ve been an ungrateful asshole. I’ll try to do better.”
“I just want you to be okay.” I reached out and squeezed her knee.
“Yeah, I’m running out of skin anyway,” she told me with a shrug. “I need to get a job or something. I can’t live off your food and other people’s booze forever.”
I snorted and started choking.
“Shut up,” she laughed back at me. “I’ll get a job. I’ll figure something out.”
“I know you will,” I gasped, my throat still tickling. “I was more worried about the partying and pin cushion thing you’ve got going.”
“Fuck!” she hissed, falling backward on the bed. “I’m gonna have to take some of these out or I’m never gonna get hired.”
“Do you really care?” I asked seriously.
She raised her head to gape at me. “They hurt like hell and now I have to take them out!”
I started to giggle, my heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks.
“Well, maybe not all of them,” she replied, raising her eyebrows up and down.
We sat on my bed laughing for a few minutes before reality came crashing down with the arrival of Gram at my bedroom door. “Poet,” she mouthed silently, handing my phone to me.
“Hey, Poet,” I answered cautiously.
“Hey, girl. I just wanted to give you an update. Looks like they’ve got Grease on a probation violation. The suit says he should be able to get him out on Monday.”
“That’s days from now!” I argued.
“Shit takes time, darlin’. Don’t you worry; we’ll have your man out soon. You have another phone number?”
“What? No, just this one,” I answered, confused.
“He’s not gonna be able to call, then. Can’t make collect calls to a cell phone—has to be a landline.”
“I can go get one!” I answered almost frantically. “I’ll go today.”
“Saturday, girl. Nothing’s open. Just give it a few days and he’ll be able to call. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.”
He hung up again without saying goodbye, and I dropped the phone to my lap.
“Fuck,” I whispered, raising my eyes to Farrah and Gram who were waiting. “Probation violation. I don’t even know what that means!”
“Just means they’ll hold him for a few days, maybe longer,” Gram reassured me, sitting down next to me on the bed. “You just worry about you and that baby.”
“I need to go to Oregon,” I responded, flipping my blankets back so I could crawl out of bed.
“What the hell would you do that for?” Gram argued. “Nothing you can do up there that you can’t do down here. You need to just wait until we know how long he’s gonna be there.”
“I can’t just sit here. I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin knowing he’s in there.” My nose tingled with tears as I rifled through my dresser, picking out clothes. “I have to do something.”
“Why don’t we go baby shopping?” Farrah piped up from where she was laying, covered by the blankets I’d thrown off. “Plus, you need some new clothes, that shirt is way too small.”
I looked down at the tee I’d put on and pulled at the hem to cover the sliver of belly I was showing. I’d gotten significantly rounder in the last month and I’d had to start wearing yoga pants and leggings constantly because I couldn’t zip my jeans.
“I can wait a little longer before I buy maternity stuff,” I answered, my nose crinkled in distaste. I’d seen some of the shit other ladies at my doctor’s office had been wearing. No, thank you.
I shook my head and walked toward my bedroom. “I’m going to take a nap, Gram. Can you keep my phone in case someone calls?”
“Yeah, baby girl. I’m gonna run to my place and get some potatoes for dinner and I’ll cook over here tonight,” she told me gently. “You get some rest.”
I heard Cody and Farrah start to argue as I reached my room, but they went silent as Gram’s angry voice roared through the apartment.
I barely crawled into my bed before I began to sob.
Chapter 61
Callie
I woke up the next morning to Farrah sitting on the edge of my bed holding a plate full of toaster waffles.
“I’m here to grovel,” she told me with a rueful smile, gesturing with the plate. “I’m not very good at it.”
I gave her a small smile, scooting up in bed so I could lean against the headboard.
“I’ve been a dick,” she said, handing me the food. “I know when I’m being a dick and sometimes it feels like I can’t stop it.”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you last night,” I answered quietly, setting the waffles on my lap. “I was freaked out about Asa and you were in the line of fire.”
“Yeah, but you meant what you said.” She raised her hand when I tried to interrupt. “No. I get it. You’ve stayed here to help me and I’ve been an ungrateful asshole. I’ll try to do better.”
“I just want you to be okay.” I reached out and squeezed her knee.
“Yeah, I’m running out of skin anyway,” she told me with a shrug. “I need to get a job or something. I can’t live off your food and other people’s booze forever.”
I snorted and started choking.
“Shut up,” she laughed back at me. “I’ll get a job. I’ll figure something out.”
“I know you will,” I gasped, my throat still tickling. “I was more worried about the partying and pin cushion thing you’ve got going.”
“Fuck!” she hissed, falling backward on the bed. “I’m gonna have to take some of these out or I’m never gonna get hired.”
“Do you really care?” I asked seriously.
She raised her head to gape at me. “They hurt like hell and now I have to take them out!”
I started to giggle, my heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks.
“Well, maybe not all of them,” she replied, raising her eyebrows up and down.
We sat on my bed laughing for a few minutes before reality came crashing down with the arrival of Gram at my bedroom door. “Poet,” she mouthed silently, handing my phone to me.
“Hey, Poet,” I answered cautiously.
“Hey, girl. I just wanted to give you an update. Looks like they’ve got Grease on a probation violation. The suit says he should be able to get him out on Monday.”
“That’s days from now!” I argued.
“Shit takes time, darlin’. Don’t you worry; we’ll have your man out soon. You have another phone number?”
“What? No, just this one,” I answered, confused.
“He’s not gonna be able to call, then. Can’t make collect calls to a cell phone—has to be a landline.”
“I can go get one!” I answered almost frantically. “I’ll go today.”
“Saturday, girl. Nothing’s open. Just give it a few days and he’ll be able to call. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.”
He hung up again without saying goodbye, and I dropped the phone to my lap.
“Fuck,” I whispered, raising my eyes to Farrah and Gram who were waiting. “Probation violation. I don’t even know what that means!”
“Just means they’ll hold him for a few days, maybe longer,” Gram reassured me, sitting down next to me on the bed. “You just worry about you and that baby.”
“I need to go to Oregon,” I responded, flipping my blankets back so I could crawl out of bed.
“What the hell would you do that for?” Gram argued. “Nothing you can do up there that you can’t do down here. You need to just wait until we know how long he’s gonna be there.”
“I can’t just sit here. I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin knowing he’s in there.” My nose tingled with tears as I rifled through my dresser, picking out clothes. “I have to do something.”
“Why don’t we go baby shopping?” Farrah piped up from where she was laying, covered by the blankets I’d thrown off. “Plus, you need some new clothes, that shirt is way too small.”
I looked down at the tee I’d put on and pulled at the hem to cover the sliver of belly I was showing. I’d gotten significantly rounder in the last month and I’d had to start wearing yoga pants and leggings constantly because I couldn’t zip my jeans.
“I can wait a little longer before I buy maternity stuff,” I answered, my nose crinkled in distaste. I’d seen some of the shit other ladies at my doctor’s office had been wearing. No, thank you.
