When Bad Boys Fall

Seventy-Six

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I ended the call when my heartbeat increased. I was not strong enough to talk to my mother who did not care about me almost a year ago before I left Redside to train myself in school. I switched off my phone and went to the kitchen.

"Who was that?" Lucas asked and took a sip out of his orange juice.

I ignored his question and grabbed my morning-after pill from the counter. I popped it onto my palm and dropped it inside my mouth then downed it with a glass of water. I glared at him and then pointed my finger at his face.

"What?" He asked, chuckling.

"You need to learn how to pull out, you oaf," I said and he smirked.

"Well, you can't blame me. You feel too good and when I'm in the moment, I lose control of myself. Sorry, babe," Lucas said with a wink.

I grimaced and rolled my eyes away from his face. I exhaled as I thought about hearing my mother's voice. It was still the same, soft yet controlling in some way. I still wondered why she wanted to see me. First, she cleared my student loan, but now she wanted to see me? It was too good to be true.

"Are you okay? You're not eating."

I broke out of my thoughts at the sound of Lucas's concerned voice. I shook my head and faced him.

"It's my mom," I began. "She was the one who called."

"Oh... Is that a bad thing?"

"Did I ever tell you that it was my mother who paid my loan?" I asked and he looked shocked at my question.

"No, I don't remember you telling me."

I smiled. "She did without letting me know. After leaving me on my own to fend for myself, she decided to act like a parent for once. Now, she's calling me so we can meet? Does she expect me to jump and be happy at her demand? Bullshit," I said and bit my lip as I felt it quiver.

I hated what was happening. I hated how she thought she could easily come back into my life after I needed her the most. My mother was the one person who should have stood by me, knowing the dreams I had for myself but she chose to side with Martinez, her deadbeat husband.

"Do you mind me asking why you don't want to see her?"

I rolled my eyes to stop the tears from falling. I took deep breaths and drummed my fingers on the counter before meeting Lucas's worried eyes.

"I think it's time I tell you all about my life," I said and sniffed. "I used to have a father until he died. My mother and I were devastated because he was the breadwinner of our family. It took some time before we got over the fact that he was done. Then came a new man who became my mother's boyfriend. I never trusted him or liked him and he knew it. I was uncomfortable around him as he would stare at me in some manner I never liked. Sometimes, he would subtly touch me. One night, I..."

I shut my eyes and clenched my hands as memories came up in my head. I heard the chair scratch the floorboard the felt Lucas's front against my back. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, comforting me. I opened my eyes and sighed.

"I had been sleeping when I felt someone's hands on my body. When I opened my eyes, I saw my stepfather... He was... He was touching my legs and when I wanted to scream, he closed my mouth and t-touched my body. When he wanted to go under my skirt, my mom walked through the hallway. He left after that and since that night, he would come to my room and try to touch me but I would either run out of the room or lock my door. The worst of it all was that my mother worked late. So, you can imagine the fear I lived with. I had no one to stay with and no friends. I endured a lot. Martinez would even send me...he would send me pictures of his disgusting private part and sexual texts. It hurt when I tried to hide it because he threatened to sleep with me if I did. Lucas, I was traumatized and I hated my mom for failing him, for ruining my life."