Hey guys! So I'm so excited! I've got a baby sitting job, and I'm going down to Delaware for camping on Friday!
Anyway here's the chapter! Enjoy!
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Chapter 32- (All Men Are Pigs)
I was sitting in Tatum's bed, his head was resting on my chest while I ran my fingers through his wavy hair.
Thinking about my current issues made me sigh.
Good news is; we aren't dead.
Bad news; my boss knows that I'm a seventeen year old girl working at a bar joint after I told him I was in college.
I was supposed to go work today but now I don't know if I should. What is my boss going to say when I show up to work after he found out I flat out lied to his face.
Another thing that is eating away at me is the fact that I'm lying to Tate also. I haven't even told him about the bar job. I know I should but then I also know how protective Tatum is of me.
God only knows what he would do if some drunken idiot even looked at me the wrong way. I cringed thinking of the thought.
I usually don't pray considering throughout the course of the year, I have pretty much lost my faith, but for the passed week I have been praying that I have a job still.
If I don't, I'm am royally fucked considering I have to pay my car insurance. With only one hundred and fifty dollars left from my mother, I know it's not going to be enough.
I going to have to trade it in or something. Maybe if I trade in my almost brand new mustang, I can get some vehicle with cheaper payments. I'm not sure if that's possible, but I will find out.
My phone began to buzz next to my leg, Tatum sat up so I could reach.
I looked at the caller I.D., telling me that it was Leila. "Hey babe, what's up?"
Normally Leila texts me when she wants to talk, so her calling me was a bit weird. To be honest, I am just happy that her and I are on good terms after I drunkenly kissed her for a dare. Luckily she was tipsy too, so I wasn't all to blame.
"Addison!" She said, not in her normal jolly voice. "I need you please!" I could tell now that she was crying in hysterics. Her voice was loud through the speakers and Tatum could here considering he had a concerned expression on his face.
To him, Lails was like his little sister. He had just as much right to be concerned as me.
"Leila, what's wrong?" I asked in a soothing voice.
Her hysterical crying became louder, "Please just come here, I need someone."
"Alright baby, I'll be over in five minutes."
With that she hung up. Tatum looked at me confusedly, I kissed him before saying, "Call me in like ten minutes and I'll try and tell you what happened. Whatever it is, it's bad, she is crying out goats..."
Tatum chuckled, "Alright Belle, love you. Just think, next Friday we will be high school graduates..."
I made a return smile, trying to cover up just how scared I really am. It's like I have finally woken up and boom, I'm thrown into adult reality. Working my life away just to pay off a house before I'm seventy. Working my butt off just to have the state take most of it. Work until the breaking point just live check by check. I know that life so well from my parents. This is only the beginning for me...
I pulled out of Tatum's gravel and red dirt drive and made it to Leila's in four minutes. Less than I thought.
That door was already slightly ajar so I took the liberty into my own hands and pushed it fully open, "Hello?"
When I walked into her family room, I could faintly hear sobbing. I walked into her bedroom and found her laying on her side with her face buried into her pillow.
I sat on the edge of the bed and she lifted her body, eyes bloodshot from crying. She enveloped me into a hug, "Gosh Leila what happened!?"
She just sobbed harder as she clung to me for support for a few minutes. She jumped back a bit when my phone abruptly rang. I knew it was Tatum and so I answered it, "It's Tatum. He worried about you." I say before picking up.
"Hey."
"How is she?" He asked, concern flowing from the speaker.
"I don't know yet. I'll call you later though okay?"
"Alright." I quickly ended the call and threw it next to me on Leila's bed. She wiped her eyes and finally calmed down.
"Are you okay?"
Leila shook her head wrapping her arms across her chest, "No. Promise me you won't tell anyone about what I tell you..."
"Don't worry Lails, you have my word."
She took in a deep breath, a silent tear dripping down her cheek, "I lost my virginity a month ago to Jeremy... And I started feeling kinda queezy and nauseous then I realized I was late on my period. So...-" she took in a sharp, hesitant breath. I rubbed her forearm, "So, I took a pregnancy just on a whim thinking that it couldn't be possible but it is.."
"You're pregnant...?" I said just above an audible whisper.
Leila let some more tears flow as I took in what she said. "Yes... I'm seventeen and pregnant. I didn't think it could get worse until I told Jeremy. After that, he broke up with me." Poor Leila was in hysterics again, "I should have know! I should have fucking known that he only was with me to get in my pants!"
I am at loss for words.. That's only happened to me twice before.
First, when my parents told me we were moving.
And second, when Tatum told me he loved me.
This is the third time. And with Leila's current situation, it makes me lose faith in men. Does Tatum really love me?
I started questioning our relationship once again replaying Tatum's words, I would never hurt you.
But can I trust that?
I cried along with her, I'm not sure why. Maybe just because I felt sorry for her, or maybe it was because I might be dating a user. Someone who wants to get in your pants and leave. Or someone who is just a coward.
The fact that Jeremy contributed to Leila's pregnancy an he's leaving her alone in the dust. At least man up and have some balls...
I was furious. I really want to just find him and chop off his nuts and tell him what failure of a person he is.
"I'm so sorry Leila!" I paused thinking of what I wanted to say next, "I want to take it to the next step with Tatum but I'm scared."
She grabbed a tight hold of my wrists and looked me square in the eye, "Don't! All men are pigs." She seethed.
I began to rip the tips of my nails off with my teeth, unsure.
"How you seen a doctor yet?"
She smacked her head into the palm of her hands, "Oh my god, I've been drinking! What have I done!?"
"Leila we need to get you to the clinic right now..." I say in all honesty. It may not be what she wants to here, but it's the truth.
I stood up and grabbed her hand pulling her out of her bed, "Common, we are leaving."
Leila grabbed her purse and followed behind me as I pulled her out the door. Just as Leila sat in the passengers side of my car, Tatum pulls up in his souped up truck.
He jumped out and ran over to me and I backed away not sure if I could face him. "Addison,-" he spoke.
Before he could speak even more I placed my hands on his chest, "No, stop. I- I can't deal with this right now."
For some reason, his expression wasn't concerned, he looked royally pissed.
"Addison come here." He pulled me into him but instead I wiggled my way out.
"Just leave me alone Tatum. I have to be with Leila." I got into my car and slammed the door giving him the message.
I was completely and utterly discombobulated. After Leila's news, I'm having trouble trusting not just Tatum, but every guy I've known. Just think, my brother, his friend, and my father turned out to be major assholes. What's to stop Tatum?
I know that relationships are based off of love and trust but what I don't get is how you can love someone so much, but not trust them.
I wanted to trust Tatum but now I'm not so sure.
Once we checked into the women's clinic, Leila filled out some paper work which seemed to be stressing her even more.
After sitting in the waiting room for what seemed like ages a nurse called through a swinging door looking down at her iPad, "Leila Shaw"
Leila sucked in a deep breath before standing up, "Well that is me..."
I looked at her with sadness, "Would you like me to come with you?"
Leila shook her head, "No, I have to do this alone."
I squeezed her hand, "I will wait for you until you get out."
Leila nodded her head in acknowledgment before she turned around and followed the nurse into the examination rooms.
~*~
Tatum's P. O. V
I pulled into the dirt parking lot of our local flea market. Pulling into a spot, I cut the engine, killing the beautiful diesel purr.
Hopping out of my truck, I began walking to the buildings full of vendors who sold anything you could think of. It was busy like it always was on a Saturday. Old people shuffled by in their ugly loafers wanting to find the organic produce. Young parents with money to spend bought their annoying children homemade ice cream to get them to shut up. You also had the Amish girls wearing their usual pastel blue dresses and white bonnets, in the middle selling their Shoefly Pie.
I remember coming here when I was little with my mom and Brant before she got sick. Ten years ago, I was that annoying little kid smacking Cookie Dough ice cream into my mouth.
This is the first time I've come here since she died actually, memories flooded back to me like a freight train. Back then, my dad would come some of the times. I remember he would always flirt with the Amish women just to be funny.
He didn't mean it obviously, just to start trouble. After mom died, he hasn't set foot in these old wood and concrete buildings.
I walked passed the candy counter in the middle remembering how I always used to get sweetish fish from the old lady who ran the place.
Just as I walked by, I heard my name being called, "Tatum, is that you?" It wasn't a youthful voice, much older.
I turned on my heel, maneuvering around a little girl and her brother.
I looked up to see who it was, and once I did I was shocked.
Behind the candy counter was an ancient looking black woman who I remember to be Mrs. Etta. She still owned the little spot in the flea market! She was short with gray hair in a bun. Her large glasses sat on the arch of her nose, wrapped around the back of her neck on a chain.
She squinted her clouded, chocolate eyes, weathered by age, "By golly it is you!" I walked in front of her counter and smiled, "Mrs. Etta, it's been ages," I say. "I can't believe you're still here."
"I know," she made a breathless chuckle, "Look at you! You turned out to be one handsome man!" She grabbed some of the skin on my cheek and ran the pad of her thumb over it.
I made a small laugh, "Thank ya ma'am."
"How's your momma and brother doin'? Haven't seen them in a while!"
I made a sad smile thinking back to all these memories of the two of them. Then the bad memories began to enter my brain.
When I was eight, my dad took Brant and I to the hospital to visit our mom. She was always in and out of that godforsaken place, but when she told me Good-bye that night, I knew it was her time.
Here I was at a mere eight years old watching my mother die slowly hooked up to all these machines that couldn't help her. It pained me to know that I couldn't help her.
My mind then fast forwards to when I was thirteen. I remember that day like it was yesterday, not five years ago.
After my father had one of his drunken tantrums, I remember gearing him slam the door, getting in his truck, and leaving me with out saying goodbye. I knew he was just going out to drown his feelings in booze.
I locked myself in my room that night wanting so badly to move away from the hell around me.
In the morning, I was woken up by someone knocking on our front door. For a second, my heart beat raced as I thought about my father and how I never heard him come home.
I half expected to see a cop telling me he was either dead, or in jail.
Instead, I opened my door to see a very tall man dressed in this fancy uniform, holding his navy and white hat along with a folded up piece of paper.
It was like I was kicked in the gut repeatedly. This was the day I never wanted to happen. Just like with my mother, I knew full well from the army General in front of me that my big brother was gone.
Killed.
He was killed by a roadside bomb because they were set up.
Just like that, he's gone.
After Brantley's death, my father sunk into a bigger home of alcoholism and depression.
I looked at Mrs. Etta, "They are doing great. Looking over me everyday."
She made a frown and grabbed my cheeks, "God bless your soul..."
I caressed her hand on my cheek, "It's been nice seeing you again Mrs. Etta. I'll be sure to stop by again."
Before I left she managed to get me to take a half pound of sweetish fish.
She's a persistent old woman.
I then continued around the market until I found the one person I needed to speak with.
More like punch.
My eyes narrowed in on Jeremy working at his family's meat counter as I pulled him outside, away from everyone else's site.
With all my might I planted my fist on his face and clocked him hard enough that he fell on the ground.
Jeremy's hand went up to his face as he screamed, "Ow! What the fuck was that for!?"
My blood was boiling, "That is for you being such a douche bag, I can't stand to look at you." I seethed before adding, "I know everything..."
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Uh oh, Tatum knows...
Hope y'all liked this chapter!
Song on the side is "Road Between" by Lucy Hale!
Xoxo
Shan <3