“I can’t just go. The Coyo--”
“Screw them. I am telling you to go, and that’s an order. If Cal Ross has a problem with me sending you back to him, he can come over here and tell that to me directly. Until then, I want none of you within a hundred foot radius of me or my school.” I quickly unlock the door to my home, my keys fumbling in my shaking head. As I slam my foot into the wood, I turn back to add my last few words, “And when you go, clean up those damn ashes you’re getting all over my sidewalk and plants!” I pull the door shut with a thud and toss my keys into the darkness of my entryway.
As I slump to the floor and place my hands over my head. I listen to the boy linger. He’s struggling in trying to decide who to listen to and who will punish him more. But after my crazy woman display and my threats to call the cops, he knows he’s safer heading back to Cal than sticking around here to see if I will act on my threats.
A light flickers on in the living room, startling me. A jovial voice calls to me, “Where’s that guy going? I was having fun looking at him all night.” Erin walks towards the entranceway, stepping over me as she peers out the small side window next to the door. “Did you have to tell off the hottest one yet?”
“Yeah, Erin. I had to. This is getting to be bullshit. We’re not in any danger. I don’t need any protection. And I don’t want them around.” I add frustrated, “And did you see what they are doing to the bushes? It’s like a giant ashtray to them!”
Erin laughs as she outstretches a hand for me to use. I stand to my feet and give her a long hug. I needed some kind of comfort. But she pushes away and takes a long look at me. With a sly smile she exclaims, “Well, Michelle Springer, tsk tsk! I smell sex. Someone was getting it on with her tutoring student’s parent again.”
I roll my eyes at her and walk towards the living room. I place my bag down and fall into the large leather couch. I close my eyes briefly as I pray that this night would just end, but by the way Erin is staring at me, I know I have a lot of talking left to do. I gesture towards her, “What do you want to know?”
Erin comes at me in a flash. She’s been asking questions since the night the motorcycle club bodyguards came following me home. I haven’t given her much, just that Cal wanted to send protection. But it was getting suspicious given that he himself hadn’t stopped by and that I made it clear we were not in any serious relationship. If he didn’t care for me, why would he want to ensure I was safe twenty-four hours a day?
“I don’t know where to start, Michelle. You haven’t really talked to me in weeks.” She puts a fingertip to her mouth as she thinks of the best question to ask first. “Okay. Let’s start with what happened the night you went over to the motorcycle club’s house and didn’t come back ‘til that morning?”
“Ugh. No. Pass. Any question but that, Erin.”
“Come on, Michelle! You can’t keep this from me. They are clearly guarding the house, so if I’m in danger than I deserve to know, too!” She grabs me by the hand, insisting I pay attention to her.
She has a point. It is unfair that I have kept her in the dark over these things. I sigh heavily as I try to round it up in the least damaging way, “Okay. I went over there to talk about Maddie, my student, and as we were talking I guess one of the other motorcycle clubs came by and shot at the house. Cal knocked me over, and a bullet just barely missed us.”
“No fucking way.” Erin is staring at me stunned. This is way more than she bargained for.
“Way. After the attack, we had sex. It was the adrenaline or something. I don’t know. But then he locked me up with his daughter while he went out and did something with his club. He came back all messed up and we had some really rough sex after that, too.”
Even Erin, who prides herself on being open-minded and totally sex positive can’t believe what I am telling her. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, Erin. I’m serious. Why would I make this up?” I pause as I think about the painful part of all of this. “But his former mother-in-law picked up Maddie and she gave me a warning about him and how I shouldn’t be with him. So I left him. I agreed to keep tutoring Maddie because I felt so bad for her. She really needs a good, solid figure in her life and someone to help her with school.”
I want to crumble up into a ball and fall to pieces. Every part of me hurts just thinking about what has transpired over the last few weeks. How that girl could go through with all that day in and day out is beyond me. I can’t even handle it for the short time I get in on the snapshot of their lives.