Reclaim Me by A.O. Peart

Author:A.O. Peart [Peart, A.O.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Three Graces Publishing
Published: 2014-12-21T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

As soon as Jack closed the door to the guest bedroom and went to get my luggage, I opened the small duffle bag he'd brought upstairs with us and rummaged inside. I pulled out my favorite University of Oregon Ducks t-shirt and took it with me into the small walk-in closet. I took off the shirt I’d worn and looked around, trying to decide what to do with a dirty laundry. For now, I just dropped it onto the floor and immediately wondered if Jack would think I was a slob if he saw it.

I lifted the shirt up and went back to retrieve a shopping plastic bag from my duffle. I deposited the sweaty t-shirt in it and placed the plastic bag on the closet floor. I concluded this was much better.

A knock sounded on the bedroom door, and Jack’s voice called out, “Hey, Willow. All your stuff is here. Do you want me to bring it in?”

I stood inside the closet in my lacy bra that concealed little from sight. Fortunately, Jack stayed on the other side of the bedroom door.

“In a moment. I’m changing!” I hollered out to him.

He must’ve left because I didn’t hear anything else. With the Oregon Ducks shirt on, I returned to my duffle to find deodorant. Next, I took my hair brush from the side pocket and ran it through my hair. It was tangled and I realized I probably looked awful. There was a large mirror over the sink in the bathroom, so I decided to take a look and fix my appearance the best I could.

I’d been avoiding mirrors lately, not wanting to see my disturbing reflection. Not much had changed since I checked this morning. The bruises actually seemed to stand out even more against my pale complexion, but the swelling had definitely diminished, which was a good sign.

I turned to the side, making sure my shirt wasn’t stained or ripped. When I lifted my arms, the fabric rose above the waistband of my jeans. I caught a glimpse of my tattoo. Slowly, I put my arms down and reached to pull the t-shirt up from my right hip. I stared at my tattoo, mesmerized, as if seeing it for the first time. My fingers traced the ornate lines that formed letter “J”, two small hearts, and roses.

Pain stabbed through me. So much had happened lately. It was hard not to feel confused and uncertain.

Did I really need to leave Rita’s apartment and come here? After all, tt was weird to accept my ex-boyfriend’s help and protection from another ex-boyfriend. My self-esteem took a nosedive right then. Have I always been drawn to men with anger issues? What was wrong with me? Was it because of my childhood abuse?

I felt like banging my head against the wall until I could clear my mind of chaos and desperation, but that was the last thing I needed. The fabric of my shirt slipped out from between my fingers and covered the tattoo.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.