Her hands fumbled around on the shelf above her head, feeling for her stash, and she accidentally knocked down a box of mementos. Her money box came with it, cracking open as it landed, spilling the bills onto the matted carpet.
“Is that you, Ricki? What’s for dinner? I’m hungry,” Steve grumbled as he pulled himself off the couch with a groan and tromped down the hallway.
Maddy’s face contorted as she realized her door was still open. She definitely didn’t want Steve to see all the money she was hiding. She raced to close it, but she wasn’t quick enough. Steve’s eyes landed on the pile of bills like a laser beam hitting a target.
“Well, lookie what we have here — a genuine treasure! Where’d you get all this money, honey?” He chuckled as he pushed his way into her bedroom.
“It’s mine; I earned it.” Maddy rushed to grab up the bills before he could reach them.
“Now, I thought we were a family in this house, and families share things, don’t they? Your aunt shares this house with you, shouldn’t you share some of that money?” His eyes bored into her with an evil glint as he reached for the money.
“This is for college; you can’t touch it. Go get a better job if you’re so desperate for money, you loser!”
Steve’s eyes grew dark and squinty, and Maddy knew immediately it was the wrong thing to say.
“I ain’t no loser, sweetheart. I get exactly what I want, when I want it, even if I have to take it.” He grabbed the money, prying it out of her sweat-slick fist and shoving it in his pocket. His hands reached for her next, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her towards the bed, his eyes full of lust and anger.
Maddy’s mind played out the scenario like a movie as they moved in slow motion. She saw his filthy, heavy body collapsing on top of hers, his hands tearing the clothing from her body, his foul breath poisoning the air as she tried to catch her breath around his forceful kisses. She knew she couldn’t let it happen; she’d never be able to fully recover. She only had moments before his momentum trapped her, but she mustered every ounce of strength she had and channeled it into her leg, driving her knee between his.
He howled in pain as his legs collapsed under him, his hands reaching to cup his injured member. Maddy vaulted over him, grabbing the few bills still lying on the floor and dashed out of the bedroom.
She raced down the narrow hall and through the tired living room with its sagging couch and scarred tables, and she slammed open the front door like a choking fire victim seeking oxygen. She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she couldn’t stay there another minute. Not with that lowlife threatening her.
She would call her aunt as soon as she got somewhere safe and tell her what happened, convince her to get rid of him. Surely Ricki would be willing to help her.
Maddy shivered as she ran through the backyards of her neighbors, staying out of sight in case Steve was following her. She didn’t think he would bother to chase her, but she really didn’t know that much about him. The sun was setting and the temperature was dropping quickly, just like her hopes for the future.
When she broke through a line of trees and saw the library, she sighed in relief, propping her hands on her knees as she bent over to catch her breath, her whole body heaving.
The library was perfect because it was warm and open late, and Steve had probably never been there in his entire life, so he wouldn’t think to look there.
She walked through the doors like she had a hundred times before, but this time she felt like she had a giant sign on her forehead, announcing her trauma. She looked around furtively, her eyes landing on the door to the bathroom. She could call her aunt from there, and hopefully no one would overhear her. She forced herself to walk casually, normally, despite the fact that her breath was still coming in heaves and she was sure the whole building could hear her heart pounding. The clean, quiet bathroom was a lysol-scented sanctuary, and she exhaled loudly as she sank to the floor, the cool, hard tiles offering comfort — a sanitary reprieve from the madness of the last few minutes.
The phone rang four times before going to voicemail, and Maddy left a teary message. She didn’t know where Ricki was or how long before she would listen to the message, but Maddy stayed in the bathroom for what felt like hours, calling, hoping to eventually catch her.
The librarian had just made the “10 minutes till closing” announcement when Maddy’s efforts to reach her aunt finally succeeded.
“Aunt Ricki, it’s Maddy. Where’ve you been all evening? I’ve been trying to reach you!” The calmness she had attained after waiting so long immediately evaporating.
“I was havin’ cocktails with my girlfriends, not that it’s any business of yours. What do you need, anyway?” Ricki’s voice was slow and slurred from one too many cocktails.
“Ricki, listen, Steve took my money and he tried to… touch me. I can’t go back there with him in the house. You have to kick him out.”
“Now, hold on jus’ a minute, lil’ miss uppity. Steve’s a good man — maybe the best one I ever had. You musta done somethin’ to set him off.”
“I swear, I didn’t! I was just putting away my money, and he barged in and took it from me, said I needed to share it with the family. That’s my college money, Aunt Ricki! I earned every dime of it. I yelled at him and called him a loser and that’s when he grabbed me and tried to… you know.”
“See? That’s what I mean; you done paroled him. I mean paroked, er… pavoked him! What’d you e’spect, girl?”
“Aunt Ricki, he tried to… rape me!” Maddy’s voice was a high-pitched whisper, shrill with anxiety.
“Well, were ya parading around with them skimpy pajamas on you like to wear?”
“What? No! I was fully dressed. I don’t parade around in my pajamas!” Maddy couldn’t believe how her aunt was responding. Well, actually she could. It really shouldn’t have surprised her. Ricki had never been on Maddy’s side, never bothered to take care of her. All she gave her was a roof over her head and three meals a day — if Maddy was lucky.
“Well, if you was dressed, how could he rape ya? Huh? Quite makin’ up stories and git home. It’s late, and it’s your turn to make supper.” The line went dead, and the silence felt final.
Maddy slumped back down to the floor, her back sliding against the slick tile walls of the bathroom. The thump she made as she hit the floor echoed in the empty room, and she sobbed, overwhelmed by the situation. She hated her life — hated her Aunt Ricki and all the loser boyfriends who always took priority over being a good mother, hated that nasty old house that smelled like booze and urine, hated the fact that her stupid, irresponsible birth mother had given her to her aunt to raise instead of to a good family. Maddy knew the only reason Ricki agreed to take her was for the foster money. She never really wanted her, never loved her.
What was she supposed to do now? She refused to go back to that house, to put herself at Steve’s mercy. But it was too soon to move out; she still had several months till graduation. She didn’t make enough money working part time to pay for an apartment. The manager at Dairy Queen had said he’d probably let her work full time come summer, but it was barely spring and too cold for most people to be thinking about ice cream.
She had her money in the bank she could use, but she hated to dip into that. It would be hard enough to pay for college as it was, let alone if she took three months rent out of her college fund. But what other option was there? She couldn’t stand another minute living in that house with Steve and Ricki.
She sighed and glanced at the clock on the cheap Tracfone she carried then jumped to her feet in surprise when she realized the library had closed 30 minutes ago. Why hadn’t anyone come to shoo her out? Didn’t they realize she was in there? She poked her head out the door and stared at the darkened room before her. Was she locked in the library?
She tiptoed out of the bathroom and peered around the corner, looking for any sign of life at the counter, but everything was dark and quiet. She scurried
to the front door and was relieved when it swung out in front of her, but she paused just before she let the door close behind her. She didn’t have anywhere else to go tonight, and there were some soft chairs she could probably sleep in. What would it hurt to stay here? The worst that could happen was someone would find her and kick her out, but it didn’t look like anyone was left to see her. She expected at least a cleaning crew, but she didn’t hear a single sound emanating from anywhere in the large building.
Exhausted from the emotional turmoil, Maddy stepped back into the library and made her way to the reading nook in the far corner. She slumped into an overstuffed armchair, the pillowy cushions enveloping her, and she let her eyes close for just for a minute.
Chapter 2
The sound of a vacuum awakened her, and Maddy jumped up, heart racing and body shaking. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was or what had happened. All she felt was terror and confusion. Quickly, the events of last night came back to her, and her heart began to race for different reasons. But she was safe now. Her whole world was crumbling around her, but at least she’d had a good night’s sleep, and she hadn’t lost her virtue to Steve the slime ball.
She glanced at the time on her phone and was surprised to see it was 6 am. She’d slept the whole night in a chair in the library. The vacuum must be the cleaning crew, prepping the building before opening. She couldn’t let them see her, so she dashed back to the bathroom. She opened the door slowly, careful not to make any noise, and poked her head in. It didn’t look or smell any cleaner, so she figured the janitor hadn’t been there yet. There was a row of bookshelves nearby, so Maddy hid behind it and waited, nervously poking her head around the corner every few minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the janitor.
What seemed like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes later, a short man in gray coveralls pushed a squeaky cleaning cart into the ladies’ room. Maddy waited for him to clean the men’s room, too, before she dared to sneak into the bathroom. Even then, she hid in the last stall and climbed on top of the toilet, in case he felt the need to return for something.
Maddy took the time to think about what she should do, now that her head was a little clearer. It was Friday, so there was school, but she didn’t think she could handle algebra and chemistry today after all that had happened.
She was supposed to work today, but not till 3:30, so she had a few hours to kill. The head manager didn’t usually work on Fridays, but maybe she could talk to the assistant manager about getting more hours. She needed to make up the stolen money.
Her stomach was rumbling, so she dug in her pocket, curious how much money she’d managed to grab when she escaped. A ten and a twenty. Nowhere near the hundreds she had started with. She cursed Steve under her breath and shoved the money back in her pocket.
When her stomach made more noise than her shoes would and she was sure the janitor wasn’t returning, Maddy tiptoed out of the bathroom and towards the front door, her head swiveling wildly around her to make sure she wasn’t at risk of being spotted.
Once on the street, Maddy breathed a sigh of relief, relishing the crisp, morning air and sunshine. There was a McDonald’s a few blocks away and they were open early, so Maddy walked slowly down the road, confident that neither Steve nor her aunt Ricki would be out looking for her at this time in the morning.
A McMuffin, a hash brown, and a cup of coffee later, Maddy was feeling much calmer and more confident. Sure, she was out a few hundred dollars and she’d have to work that much harder, but the thought of being free from her old life a few months early had lightened the mental and emotional burden she didn’t realize had been pulling her down like heavy weights strapped around her entire body. Even though she knew her struggle would be challenging and exhausting, she still felt excited about it, almost like an adventure.
She still had a few hours till her shift at Dairy Queen, so she decided to work on finding a more permanent living arrangement. She didn’t have a car and didn’t want to spend the money to buy one, so her options were limited. Fortunately, the Dairy Queen she worked at was pretty close to the community college, and there were several apartment buildings nearby. She figured they were probably used to renting to college students, so they wouldn’t bat an eye at a young girl looking for an apartment.
She went to the bathroom to freshen up, wishing she had a hairbrush and a change of clothes. She ran her fingers through her long, dark hair and pulled it back with the hairband she always wore around her wrist, hoping a ponytail would hide the tangles, and washed her face with the stiff, brown, paper towels. Her skin was clear and her cheeks rosy, so she could get by without any makeup. Her jeans and tee shirt were still clean, and she decided she didn’t look too bad, considering how rough she felt.
She figured she could sneak back into the house eventually and grab some of her belongings, but not on a Friday morning. Steve had Fridays off, and Ricki worked evenings, so they would be at the house most of the day, drinking, unless they went out to look for her. Maddy kind of doubted they would, though. Maybe if the checks from the state were threatened. But the checks were due to run out in a few months anyway, when Maddy turned 18.
Maddy headed for the ugliest-looking apartment building that was within walking distance of the college and the Dairy Queen, hoping it would be as cheap as it was ugly. She didn’t care about how it looked; it would probably still be better than the dump she grew up in.
A half-lit neon sign pointed the way towards the “off” and Maddy ignored the omen and held her head high as she pulled on the door. It creaked and groaned and took all her strength to budge, but she finally yanked it open. The hours on the sign out front indicated they were open, but no attendant manned the dingy little office.
Maddy called out and tried to peek down the hallway behind the desk, and eventually a tired-looking man in a stained polo came out of the back room and shuffled over to the counter. He smelled sour, like morning breath and body odor, and Maddy had to resist the urge to hold her nose while she talked to him.
“I’m looking for an apartment,” she said, and he puckered his lips and quirked his eyebrows.
“You 18? You look like a teeny bopper.”
Maddy’s first instinct was to lie, but he’d probably want some ID if that was his first question. “I will be soon.”
“You gotta have an adult cosign, then.” He plopped in the desk chair, the wheels squeaking and groaning under his girth.
“I’m on my own, but I have a job. I can pay rent.”
The man stared at her as if he didn’t understand English, and Maddy tried to maintain eye contact. The room was stuffy, and a bead of sweat broke out around her hairline. She resisted the urge to fan herself.
“You got references?”
“Um, well, my boss would probably vouch for me. I’ve worked there for almost 2 years now.”
He nodded and shuffled though his drawers for some paperwork. “Fill this out, bring me two months rent plus deposit and we’ll talk.”
“How much is that?” Maddy asked, taking the packet he slid across the counter.
“Depends on which apartment you want — 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, studio, efficiency.”
“Whatever’s cheapest. I’m saving money for college.”
“$500 for rent, $500 deposit.”
Maddy did the easy math in her head; she’d have to hand over $1500 just to move in here. If she didn’t get more hours right away her savings would be gone before the fall semester started.
“Okay.” She gulped, rolling the packet into a tube and tapping it against her leg. “I’ll be back soon with the paperwork.”
“Don’t you want to see the apartment?”
Maddy laughed nervously. “Oh, yeah, I suppose so.”
The man grabbed a set of keys and came around the counter, leading her out the door and towards the nearest building. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, holding it with his arm. Maddy cringed as she squeezed past him.
The apartment was obviously a model — clean and well-decorated to maximize the tiny space. Nice furniture created a cozy living area, and bright artwork hung on the walls. The appliances in the kitchen area were half size, but Maddy didn’t mind. She didn’t plan to do a lot of cooking.
“Are the apartments furnished?” she asked, fingering the plump couch.
“We got some that are. Adds 50 bucks a month to the rent, though.”
Maddy’s heart sank. Maybe she could pick up a few things at The Salvation Army. She’d get by.
“This will be fine. You have one like this available?”
He nodded.
“Okay, I’ll be back later.”
He followed her out of the apartment and watched her carefully as she walked away, his stare boring into her back and making her uneasy. $500 seemed like a lot of money for such a small apartment, and the guy gave her the creeps, so Maddy decided to check out another place, just for comparison.
Two hours later, Maddy was disappointed to learn that none of the other close apartment buildings were even willing to consider renting to a minor without an adult co-signer. Did she dare ask Ricki to sign for her? Would Ricki even do it? The prices were higher too, and Maddy just couldn’t see spending any more money than she had to.
It was almost time for her shift to start, so Maddy made her way to Dairy Queen, anxious to talk to her boss about more hours. Maybe if she told him why she needed them he’d be more willing to help her. She was a good employee — never missed work, never late, always willing to do whatever was needed. Both the manager and the assistant had been there as long as she had, so they knew her work history. Surely that would count for something.
When she entered the kitchen, Maddy knew immediately that something was going on, and based on the worried looks and raised voices of her coworkers, it wasn’t pretty. Tension hung in the air like the greasy scent of french fries and hamburgers.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 26
