AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah,” Emilee said. “I’ll have to pass on anything sweet.”
“How about savory? She has amazing breakfast burritos!” Delilah said. She looped her arm through Emilee’s. “Trinity is my bestie, she tells me everything. I enjoy playing tag, too!” She grinned at the other woman.
Emilee found herself relaxing a bit. She sat on a barstool next to Delilah and watched Trinity do her thing, making the mostdelicious looking coffee and tea drinks. She glanced longingly at the cookies and cupcakes but was determined to make her Daddy proud.
“Trinity, can I have the biggest white chocolate mocha you have,” a familiar voice said, moving between Delilah and Emilee to order.
Emilee’s heart dropped.
“Oh. I didn’t knowyouwould be here,” Mia remarked, eyeing Emilee's outfit with thinly veiled judgment.
“Couldn't miss it. Trinity invited me,” Emilee said, resisting the urge to tug at her skirt. She could feel Mia’s eyes on her scars, the marks that told stories she wasn't ready to share with this crowd.
“Your... Daddy let you out on your own?” Mia asked, the word 'Daddy' sounding foreign on her lips.
“Arrow trusts me,” Emilee snapped back sharper than intended, the sarcasm a reflex she couldn't always control.
“Mia, mind your manners,” Delilah said. “You are a good girl.”
“Maybe. Sometimes. Well, most of the time.” Mia smiled at Delilah.
“I thought you worked on Tuesdays,” Trinity said, handing her a large cup of steaming coffee.
“Normally. One of the other nurses on my floor swapped with me. She has an appointment tomorrow,” Mia explained.
“Well, it’s nice to see you here,” Trinity said.
“Thanks, I’m going to go… over there…” she nodded to where several other girls were gathered around a large table coloring pictures.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Delilah said. “Mia really is a terrific person.”
“Terrific or terrible?” Emilee asked.
“Terrific. She has her own issues, but she has a good heart. She’s super loyal to Catie. From what I’ve understood, they’ve grown closer in the past few months. Catie needed a friend too, after everything that happened to her. I don’t think Mia knows the truth, only what Catie’s told her. From what I can gather, Catie doesn’t know the truth, either,” Trinity explained.
“Even if it were true, even if Emilee had left Catie that night, it wouldn’t excuse bad behavior,” Delilah said.
“No,” Trinity shook her head, “it wouldn’t. Their daddies would agree with you. Even if they had a good reason not to like you, they need to be respectful. At the very least, not rude.”
“Hey, girls!” Makenzie said, coming up to the trio. “I missed you!”
“Makenzie! When did you get back in town?” Trinity rushed from behind the counter and gave the woman a big hug. “Missed you too!”
“Last night,” she said. “I was surprised Daddy let me out of his sight, but he had to go to Denver and pick up some supplies with Slash.”
“I’m so happy you are back! Did everything go okay at home?” Trinity asked, motioning the three women over to a table. For the next fifteen minutes, Emilee got to know Irish’s little, Makenzie, and relaxed in the safety of Delilah and Trinity’s watchful gazes. After finishing her coffee, Emilee excused herself to go to the bathroom.
Walking through Day & Night after she finished, she heard someone fake whisper, “Oh my God. If I were her Daddy, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight. She’ll probably end up doing drugs again.”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m surprised she even has a Daddy. Who would want someone like her?” Another girl said with a smirk. The others giggled, exchanging looks that made Emilee's skin prickle. She had to walk right through their group to get backto Trinity, Delilah and Makenzie. Instead, she turned away from the girls standing there staring at her like she had a horn growing out of her forehead.
“Excuse me,” Emilee muttered, turning away to find a quiet corner to compose herself. She took several deep breaths as she distanced herself from their whispers. She wished she could just melt into the shadows, or better yet, teleport back to Arrow's house where she belonged.
Emilee found herself tucked away in the corner of the dimly lit room, her heart pounding like the thumping bass of the music that reverberated off the walls. The laughter and jests from the girls echoed in her ears, each snicker a needle prick to her already fraying composure. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if she could shield her heart from their mean words.
“Whatcha doin' all alone over here, Em?” The question came soaked in mock concern. It was Mia, flanked by two girls she didn’t know, their eyes alight with the thrill of the hunt.
“Enjoying the view,” Emilee spat out, but her voice lacked its usual bite. She was worn out. It's been an emotional week, and she didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with these girls. “Doesn't look like much fun,” Mia said, tilting her head with feigned curiosity. “You sure you're okay?”
