Welcome to Valley View (Valley View Book 1)

Chapter 13

"Tiff, Hon?" Candy gently knocked on the bathroom door as I was hiding away from the family, trying to pull myself back together after Jimmy's bombshell announcement.

"Just give me a second, please. I'm using the restroom." I knew she didn't believe me, but it was at least worth an attempt to get her to leave.

Candy knocked on the door again. "Babe, can you come talk to me?"

I splash my face with water and then dry it with the hand towel. I open the door and come face to face with Candy. I try to put a fake smile on my face, but her eyes tell me that she sees right through me.

"Tiff..."

"Did you know?"

She sighs and gives me a sad, knowing look.

"Of course you fucking knew. This is a small town and you're all best friends. Jesus, I feel like a huge idiot right now. Everybody knew and nobody felt like telling me."

"Yes, I knew. But I wasn't trying to keep anything from you. I just didn't think that it had anything to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me? He's my boyfriend! You should have told me. I thought we were friends. I mean, you're like my best friend. I thought you were at least."

"Now hold on a second, Tiff, it wasn't my story to tell. I figured that he would eventually tell you when the time was right. I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was going to make a difference in how the two of you worked together. I doubt that he meant anything bad by not telling you."

I start to wave her off. "No, do not even make excuses right now. I don't want to hear them right now."

I push by Candy and go straight to the coat closet and grab my stuff. I walk past the dinner table and out the door, sitting myself down on the steps of the front porch. The snow is still coming down in soft flakes and it is blistering cold out, but somehow I'm not feeling the effects of that right now. Maybe it is because I'm already hypothermic, maybe it is just because I'm raging mad.

The door opens and Jimmy calls for me, "Sweetheart?"

"No right now Jimmy."

The front door shuts, but I refuse to turn and look. I can feel him still standing there. He walks down the steps and stands directly in front of me with his hands held out towards me. "It's really cold outside, please come back in."

"I need to be alone right now, Jimmy."

"Baby..."

"I said not right now!" I almost don't recognize the snap in my own voice, but it gets him to walk back up the steps and open the door again.

"I'm going to grab my keys and take you home, then."

"I'd rather you not."

"Okay. I'll find somebody else, I guess."

I can hear the pain in his voice and when the door closes once again and I know he isn't outside anymore, the tears begin to fall once again. I wipe them quickly because they quickly froze my face. A few minutes later the door opens once again and I yell back, "Dammit Jimmy, I said...."

"It's just me, beautiful." I turn my head around to see Bobby standing in front of the door with his hands up in the air.

"Sorry, I just figured it was him."

"Well, I'm not. Can I drive you home?" Bobby shows me the keys dangling from his finger.

"Fine, but I'm only saying yes because it is cold and I want to be home and alone."