Damaged and the Knight (Damaged #2)

“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 unfounded, my sister attached herself to him the moment she hit the last step.

“You saved my sister,” she murmured, grinning up at him. “My sexy hero.”

“Hell yeah,” he said, clearly relieved by the look on her face. “You guys want to eat or something?”

I shook my head, but Farah ordered pizza. Sitting on the couch, I looked around the two-story living room while accepting how I lived in this beautiful house now. While Farah looked like she belonged in such luxury, I felt awkward like a dirty stray they allowed into the house.

“Look at what I kept for you,” Farah said, leaning over the back of the couch and smiling against my cheek.

In her hand were a pile of advertisements from the mail. Shiny colored pictures of fast food deals and sales on furniture, the stack of junk mail beckoned to me.

“Thanks,” I said, grinning as I took them.

Cooper frowned at the ads. “I don’t get it.”

“Tawny likes to collect ads,” Farah told him.

“Why?”

“Because,” Farah replied then kissed him before he might ask more questions.

As they messed around behind me, I worked my way through the stack of junk mail. Some ads weren’t that interesting, but I found several for restaurants I wanted to visit. I also liked an ad for angel figurines at an art supply store. While I didn’t plan to buy the figurines, I kept the ad to look at later.

The pizza arrived while Farah and Cooper were goofing around upstairs. Fortunately, he left cash for the delivery guy. I’d never paid for pizza before and wasn’t sure about the tip. Growing flustered at the correct amount, I just gave the guy the rest of the money and hoped Cooper wouldn’t complain.

By the time Cooper and Farah appeared, he didn’t look like he would complain about anything for a while. Clearly, Farah had worked past her fear of sex because she was grinning and glowing when she dished out the pizza. I watched them and tried not to think about Judd. Yet, I was so sure he was my Cooper.

We watched TV for the next few hours. Farah sat between us on the couch like she was a shiny toy we both wanted for ourselves, but had to share. My mind wasn’t interested in TV. Everything reminded me of Judd. From the SUV in a commercial to Cooper’s tattoos to the blue eyes of a woman in the show we watched. Replaying the last few days in my head, I wondered if I had kept my ugly secrets to myself if Judd might have remained interested. If I hadn’t shown him the real me, I might have kept him and I really wanted to keep him.

Later, Farah tucked me into bed like I was a scared kid and she was my mom. I knew Farah needed to comfort me especially when she was nervous. I wasn’t going to interfere with her coping mechanism. Besides, I needed comforting between Judd’s rejection and the weirdness of this new life I should be embracing.

After Farah joined Cooper in their room down the hall, I cried over losing my knight. Tomorrow, I planned to be strong and get over him. For that night though, I allowed myself one good cry over the man I thought would be mine.





Chapter Seven


The next few days, we fell into an easy routine. The weekend was spent showing me around Ellsberg. I saw the college where Farah was working towards her dream of becoming a teacher. It was bigger than I imagined. Prettier too as autumn arrived, turning everything vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds. I also ate at the Italian restaurant from their first real date. Farah wanted to show me everything. She even pointed out the apartment she lived in with our mother.

The best part was going to the movies where Farah and I kept giggling. I figured Cooper would think we were idiots, but he only smiled at Farah’s happiness. During the movie, I held Farah’s hand while she leaned her head against Cooper’s shoulder. With our free hands, we ate buttery popcorn and slurped oversized sodas. This was how rich people lived.