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She ismywoman.
CHAPTERTWO
Alicia
I don't knowwhat my plan is. All I know is that I had to get out ofthere.
My stepdad has always been a creep, and now that I'm eighteen, it's all I can do to keep him at bay.
I might be a virgin, but I know what the looks he gives me mean.
And when he started openly palming himself tonight while he looked at me, every alarm in my head started going off—especially when he started drinking.
I didn't know how much longer I could hold him off, so I jetted out of there.
I frown. It's a bit earlier than I wanted to leave. Well,wantedisn't the correct term. I've never wanted to be there with him, but, unfortunately, he's the asshole I was left with after my mom split on me.
Yeah, my mom ran off and left me with her new husband. Too bad she never knew who my dad was. I'd rather she had left me with my real father a long time ago instead of the asshat she married and then decided she didn't want to be with anymore.
Apparently, she decided she didn't want to be a mother anymore either.
But I'm not crying about it. It is what it is. She was never much of a mother to me anyway. I always felt like a tag-along, a hindrance to her.
Mom was always more concerned with partying and meeting guys than making sure her daughter was fed and taken care of.
So, I've been taking care of myself for a long time.
And while I never wanted to stay with Jeff, it was a roof over my head while I tried to scrimp and save what I could to get me a start in life. Plus, it was much better than being in the foster care system. I knew kids who were in it, and as long as I could stay away from Jeff as much as possible, I figured I could put up with his leers.
But he was fixing to start making advances. I could tell.
So, I had to leave sooner than was ideal, but I'm confident I'll be able to make it on my own.
I readjust the backpack on my back. I don't have much in it, just the little bit of cash I made washing cars and the few scraps of clothing I was able to grab before I left my stepdad's.
I don't need much, and besides, too much stuff and I wouldn't be able to carry it all.
My tummy gives a growl. I wish I'd had the foresight to grab a few granola bars at least.
As I step into the truck stop, I'm instantly assaulted by the aroma of food. My mouth starts watering as I glance longingly at the plates of burgers and waffles some of the truckers are eating.
A hot meal looks great, but I chew on my bottom lip as I consider how much cash I have. It would be smarter for me to buy something from the convenience store so I can stretch my money further.
I turn from the diner to head to the convenience store side of the truck stop and gasp when I collide into what feels like a brick wall.
But when big hands reach out to gently grasp my upper arms and steady me, I realize that what I ran into is not a wall but aman.
A really, really big man.
My head turns up, up, up to a guy who's got to be at least six-foot-five. He's more than a foot taller than me, and he's nothing but bulging muscle everywhere.
I'm not one of those girls who swoons over super ripped guys, but my face is suddenly flaming, and I feel all sorts of fumbling and stupid.
"Oh," I stammer. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there."
He doesn't say anything at first. Instead, his blue eyes just smolder down at me.
I can't help but stare. I've never seen eyes that color before, and he's got a strong, square jawline, with a firm bottom lip.
