disappeared and he never looked back once.
Chapter Six
After Judd left and I followed Farah into her beautiful house, I felt lost. Cooper watched me like I was a curious thing he wished would leave. Next to him, Farah was bouncing off the walls with excitement. After showing me around her amazing house, she pulled me upstairs to the two rooms I was given. One held a bed, dresser, and a flat screen on the wall. The other was empty except for a couch and a TV on the wall.
“Do you not like it?” Farah asked, standing next to me like she might cry at any moment.
“Of course, I like the rooms. I just can’t believe they’re both for me.”
Farah shut the bedroom door and leaned against it. “You liked that guy, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. You heard what he said.”
“Maybe he just said that because of Cooper? You saw how he was being out there, all protective like you’re his little sis.”
I forced a smile. “I like Cooper.”
“Do you?”
“Farah, he’s gorgeous and rich and he loves you so much. He’s great. I’m not grumpy because of him or the rooms. I just thought something special was happening with me and Judd. I was wrong though.”
Wrapping me into an embrace, Farah spoke softly. “Guys around here are scared of Coop. It’s possible Judd was intimidated.”
“I doubt it. He just changed his mind about me. It’s fine. I don’t know why I thought I could keep him interested when I’m the loser chick he found in a shit hole. I probably seemed interesting enough while on the road, but here he has options. Better women, not losers.”
“Don’t.”
Hugging her tighter, I felt at home in her embrace. “I feel like I lost something special. It might seem stupid, but I had it all planned out in my head and I was so sure. I was wrong though. I misread him and I’m usually good at reading people.”
Cradled in her arms, I missed Judd already and imagined him with another woman. Enjoying someone beautiful and confident, he would forget about me while I pined for him.
“I want to change,” I whispered.
“Here you can be anyone. I’m proof of that.”
Nodding, I sat on the bed and looked up at her. “Tonight, I need to feel sorry for myself and miss Judd. Tomorrow, I’ll enjoy my new start.”
Farah sat on the bed next to me. “What did you like about him?”
“I just felt comfortable with him, even if I shouldn’t. Like he was scary and rude, but I saw stuff in him. It sounds stupid.”
“And he kissed you?”
Smiling, I caressed my lips. “It wasn’t a kiss really. It was everything. The way he held me in his arms and how his lips and mine were just perfect together. I felt like he was mine, but I was wrong. I saw what I wanted to see and now I feel stupid.”
“Men like Judd are complicated, I think. Even Cooper, who has a good family and a pretty easy life, can be difficult to understand. A guy like Judd is probably even more complicated. Who knows? Maybe he’ll come back tomorrow and say he’s sorry and wants to be with you?”
“Maybe,” I said, not believing it. “Tomorrow, I’m going to learn about Ellsberg and see your life here. I heard you talk about it and want to see what it’s really like. I also want to find a job.”
“You don’t need a job, Tawny. Cooper can take care of us.”
“He shouldn’t have to though,” I said, pushing her long hair behind her ear. “He doesn’t even know me.”
“He knows you’re my best friend.”
Too freaked out for me to push the subject, Farah wanted me to feel safe and happy because she was safe and happy. Yet, I wasn’t the one with a beautiful rich guy in love with her. I wasn’t the one who graduated high school, attended college, and had a great future ahead of her.
I was someone else, but I just didn’t know who yet.
***
Downstairs, Cooper waited for us with a nearly childlike expression as if thinking Farah might never play with him again. Proving his concerns were
Chapter Six
After Judd left and I followed Farah into her beautiful house, I felt lost. Cooper watched me like I was a curious thing he wished would leave. Next to him, Farah was bouncing off the walls with excitement. After showing me around her amazing house, she pulled me upstairs to the two rooms I was given. One held a bed, dresser, and a flat screen on the wall. The other was empty except for a couch and a TV on the wall.
“Do you not like it?” Farah asked, standing next to me like she might cry at any moment.
“Of course, I like the rooms. I just can’t believe they’re both for me.”
Farah shut the bedroom door and leaned against it. “You liked that guy, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. You heard what he said.”
“Maybe he just said that because of Cooper? You saw how he was being out there, all protective like you’re his little sis.”
I forced a smile. “I like Cooper.”
“Do you?”
“Farah, he’s gorgeous and rich and he loves you so much. He’s great. I’m not grumpy because of him or the rooms. I just thought something special was happening with me and Judd. I was wrong though.”
Wrapping me into an embrace, Farah spoke softly. “Guys around here are scared of Coop. It’s possible Judd was intimidated.”
“I doubt it. He just changed his mind about me. It’s fine. I don’t know why I thought I could keep him interested when I’m the loser chick he found in a shit hole. I probably seemed interesting enough while on the road, but here he has options. Better women, not losers.”
“Don’t.”
Hugging her tighter, I felt at home in her embrace. “I feel like I lost something special. It might seem stupid, but I had it all planned out in my head and I was so sure. I was wrong though. I misread him and I’m usually good at reading people.”
Cradled in her arms, I missed Judd already and imagined him with another woman. Enjoying someone beautiful and confident, he would forget about me while I pined for him.
“I want to change,” I whispered.
“Here you can be anyone. I’m proof of that.”
Nodding, I sat on the bed and looked up at her. “Tonight, I need to feel sorry for myself and miss Judd. Tomorrow, I’ll enjoy my new start.”
Farah sat on the bed next to me. “What did you like about him?”
“I just felt comfortable with him, even if I shouldn’t. Like he was scary and rude, but I saw stuff in him. It sounds stupid.”
“And he kissed you?”
Smiling, I caressed my lips. “It wasn’t a kiss really. It was everything. The way he held me in his arms and how his lips and mine were just perfect together. I felt like he was mine, but I was wrong. I saw what I wanted to see and now I feel stupid.”
“Men like Judd are complicated, I think. Even Cooper, who has a good family and a pretty easy life, can be difficult to understand. A guy like Judd is probably even more complicated. Who knows? Maybe he’ll come back tomorrow and say he’s sorry and wants to be with you?”
“Maybe,” I said, not believing it. “Tomorrow, I’m going to learn about Ellsberg and see your life here. I heard you talk about it and want to see what it’s really like. I also want to find a job.”
“You don’t need a job, Tawny. Cooper can take care of us.”
“He shouldn’t have to though,” I said, pushing her long hair behind her ear. “He doesn’t even know me.”
“He knows you’re my best friend.”
Too freaked out for me to push the subject, Farah wanted me to feel safe and happy because she was safe and happy. Yet, I wasn’t the one with a beautiful rich guy in love with her. I wasn’t the one who graduated high school, attended college, and had a great future ahead of her.
I was someone else, but I just didn’t know who yet.
***
Downstairs, Cooper waited for us with a nearly childlike expression as if thinking Farah might never play with him again. Proving his concerns were
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