Author Anonymous_ A True Story - E.K. Blair Page 0,2

better take it, whatever it is because you need to get laid.”

I yank the bowl she’s holding from her hands. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re uptight, Tori.”

“Aren’t I allowed to be?”

Brooke dries her hands, and when she sets the towel down, she looks at me with compassion. “Of course you’re allowed. But it’s been months. Don’t you think you should start putting yourself out there?”

“I am out there.” My defense is weak at best. We both know I’m hiding.

“You’re a terrible liar. Look, Trey was a grade-A dick, but not every guy is like that.”

Pain grows thick in my chest, building pressure around my heart that I will to dissolve. I wonder how much longer this will last. She’s right, it’s been nearly seven months since I broke up with Trey. We’d dated since high school—I gave him four years of my life, and I thought he was the one. But it turned out, I was just lying to myself. I was blinded by familiarity.

From early on, Trey had been physical with me. What started out as meek pushes and shoves eventually morphed into slaps and punches. But I stayed with him because I loved him. At least, I thought I did. I now know differently. I’d convinced myself that if I just loved him a little harder, if I behaved a little better, that he’d stop.

No one knew what was happening behind closed doors—we hid it well. It wasn’t until Brooke ditched her blind date one night and returned to our dorm room much earlier than expected that she walked in on Trey hammering his fist into my back. That was the moment my world fell from its axis. Our dark secret of abuse and lies had been discovered by the one woman who would fight harder than Trey ever could. The only difference—she fought for me, not against me.

“If he calls, take the pity date.”

I swallow past the memories and nod my head. “Fine. I’ll take the pity date . . . if he even calls.”

“Girls, come on! We’re gonna be late!”

While Landon finishes up in the shower, I run around the house like a crazy lady with her head chopped off. Typical weekday morning.

“Mom, I can’t find my other shoe,” Emily hollers from her bedroom.

“Well, if you’d put your things where they belong, it wouldn’t be lost.”

I grab a to-go mug from the kitchen and quickly brew another cup of coffee before remembering I never went through the girls’ school folders last night. Shit!

“Jill! Em! I need your backpacks!”

Jill walks into the kitchen with her folder already out and is followed by Emily who has one shoe on.

“Mom, did you find my shoe?”

“I don’t have time to find your shoe. We should already be in the car and—”

“Found it!” Jill announces into the chaos of the room with her arm shoved under the sofa.

With fast hands, I clean out their folders, sign their daily planners, and pull out a note from Jill’s teacher, requesting me to come in on Friday to volunteer in the classroom.

Just because I work from home doesn’t mean I’m not busy, Mrs. Briman.

Shoving the folders into their backpacks, I dump an obscene amount of creamer into my coffee, screw on the lid, and grab my keys.

“Let’s go.”

The kids run out to get into the car as I shout, “I love you, babe!”

“Hey, while you’re out, we need more toilet paper.”

Love you too.

After I drop off the kids and run by the store, I head back home and am just in time to see Landon’s car pulling out of the driveway. We both stop and roll down our windows.

“Remember, I’ll be home later than usual,” he tells me.

“That’s fine. I have a lot of stuff to do before my trip this weekend.”

“Well, if you’re not too tired, maybe we can spend some time together when I get home.”

That’s code for sex.

“Maybe.”

“Just pretend I’m that billionaire in the book that kept you up all night.”

I laugh and drive into the garage at the same time he smiles and heads down the street.

Walking into the house, I embrace the silence and solitude. When Jill was born six years ago, I decided to take a short leave of absence and then return to my job as creative director at FOX25. But before I reached the end of my leave, I found out I was pregnant with Emily.

After I resigned, my life became focused on the kids and Landon. Though I was happy and content for a while,