On the Plus Side

Page 71

There was no winning when he talked to me like that.
“OK, fine.” I peeked up at him through my dark lashes and saw a soft smile spread across his face.
“I can’t wait to get you home and see you in that thing,” he smirked.
Home. The way he said it made my heart skip a beat.
He intertwined his fingers with mine and turned back toward Victoria’s Secret again.
I followed behind him and face-planted into his back when he came to an abrupt stop.
“Well, hello, Devin. How are things?” Renee asked with a sneer.
I didn’t need to see her face to know it was her. I’d never forget her voice. I guess I’d hoped that I’d never see her again, especially not while I was with Devin. Ever since the day I found out that the Renee that ruined my life was the same Renee that used to be his side piece, I’d had a tiny fear that we’d run into her while we were together. My biggest fear had happened.
“I’m good,” he said with a clipped tone.
Then it happened. Her eyes left his face and met mine. Her expression changed from amused anger to one filled with total rage.
“Don’t tell me you’re with her!” she pointed at me with disgust on her face.
“That’s none of your business,” he evenly replied.
“Oh my God, Lilly? Large Lilly?” she threw her head back in laughter and I felt Devin’s body tense. “Didn’t we deal with you that day in the woods?” She laughed to herself. “Oh my God, I still remember your face that day. It was fucking priceless. I thought I’d never see you again. I see you still have that weight issue thing going on.” She motioned with her hand at my body.
I felt like I was dying a thousand tiny deaths. The embarrassment I felt could never be put into words. Why’d she have to do this now? Why in front of Devin?
“I can’t believe you actually switched schools because of that. We were just fucking around with you. A girl your size could take some roughing up,” she continued.  “And then your bitch of a mom called the school on us. You got me kicked off the cheerleading squad, you fat cow!”
Devin looked down at me with questions in his eyes. I could almost hear him asking me why I didn’t tell him. Then I saw something else written in his eyes…anger. His face was turning bright red and I thought for a minute that he was going to yell at me and join in with Renee and call me mean names like we were in high school again.
Instead, he turned his attention to Renee and took a menacing step toward her, causing her to back up a little.
“If you ever talk her like that again, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. If you ever come near her again I’ll personally make your life a living Hell. I’ve never put my hands on a woman in my life, but if I even think for a minute that you’re causing this girl,” he pointed at me. “A single minute of stress or heartache I’ll personally come to your house and choke the living shit out of you. Do you understand?”
His voice was a sinister whisper and I watched as Renee’s face turned from red to white. She gawked back at him like he was a mad man before shaking her head and backing away.
His body relaxed and his facial expression softened as he turned to me.
“Are you OK, baby?” His voice had softened, too. I loved it.
“I’m fine, a little embarrassed, but I’m OK.” I reached down and picked up the bag I didn’t even realize I’d dropped.
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” He leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. “If anyone should be embarrassed, it should be her for acting like a massive bitch. You, on the other hand, are perfect.”
He kissed me and everything and everyone around us disappeared.
That night he stayed at my place. He was an insatiable beast and I loved it. He didn’t take his hands off me all night. I blame the tiny piece of scrap fabric he bought me from Victoria’s Secret. We made love until we were both exhausted and passed out.
Twenty-Five
Mommy Issues
When I left for work, Lilly was still sleeping. There’s nothing more beautiful than a sexually satisfied Lilly sleeping like an angel. I never thought there’d be a day when I had to force myself to leave a woman to go to work, but she was a magnetic force. Being around her made me feel like I was balanced, like I wasn’t breaking apart and splitting into different directions all the time.
Since meeting her there had only been a handful of moments when I felt my usual madness and all of those moments had something to do with either her or Jenny being in some form of pain. Other than that, I felt whole again. I hadn’t felt that way since before my mother left.