Read Online Bad Girlfriend (First & Last #4) by Kirsten DeMuzio - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kirsten DeMuzio
Ads: Link
milk. "You know I'm not getting any younger, Brooke. And the winter weather here is really hard on my arthritis. This big old house has so many steps..." she trailed off as she brought the milk glasses to the table.
"What are you saying, Gram? Do you want to sell the house?"
She took my hand. "No, I don't want to sell it. But I don't want to live here anymore."
Not understanding where she was going with this, I scrunched my eyebrows together. "I don't understand."
She sighed. "My sister, Irene, has that condo down in Florida. It's in an old folks community. You know I’ve been there to visit the past three winters…and Brooke, I think it's time I moved down there. Permanently."
"You're leaving me here?" I whispered. Hearing that she wanted to move wasn't a total surprise to me. Gram had mentioned it over the years, but I never thought she would actually do it. Part of me understood that she had given up her older years to raise me when my mother couldn't. That part knew she deserved to relax, move somewhere warm and not have to take care of a big one hundred year old house. But the part of me that was scared at being on my own, alone, reared its ugly head.
"What will I do wit hout you? Where will I live?" I said, near panic mode now. I felt Adam's hand on my knee, squeezing reassuringly.
"Brooke, honey, you'll live here. The house is paid off, and I will transfer the deed to your name. With the rental income from the apartment along with your job, you should be in very good shape."
Logically it made sense. Financially it made sense. But emotionally? It made no sense. I was being abandoned by yet another person that claimed to care about me. First my mother and father, whoever he was, then the hordes of guys I had dated. Now Gram. In reality, she should never be lumped into that category, but in that moment all I could feel was fear.
Pushing my chair away from the table, I hurried out the back door to where I always felt free like I did as a child. Sitting on the swing, I buried my face in my hands and let a few tears slip out.
A moment later, I heard the grass crunching as footsteps approached me. Adam came up behind me and put his hands on the rope on either side of my head.
"Do you want a push?"
Sniffling, I nodded and put my hands just under his on the rope. He pulled the swing back and let it go, sending me flying forward. Each time I swung back, Adam gave a gentle but firm push on my lower back. I don't know how long I was swinging, but he stayed with me the whole time, pushing me higher.
Finally , when the sun had set and the stars were out, I dragged my feet along the ground to slow myself down. When I was almost stopped, Adam grabbed the ropes and brought the swing to a standstill. Taking my hand he helped me stand up. With my heels on he was still quite a bit taller than me, and I had to tilt my head back to look at him.
"You okay?" h e asked quietly, brushing his fingers through the hair at my temple and tucking it behind my ear.
"I will be. I know she deserves this. She's taken care of me for twenty -three years and her own kids before that. It’s time for her to think about herself for once. And it's time for me to take care of myself." I bit my lip and looked up. "It's just really scary for me to think about being alone."
Adam placed his hands on my bare shoulders, and the warm touch made me wish his hands were other places. "You're not alone, Brooke. You have your friends, and you have me. I'm not very handy around the house, but I can wield a lawnmower like nobody else."
I smiled. "Thanks." I wanted to take one step forward and be in his arms, but I held back. "You're probably really sorry you moved in here."
Adam's thumbs rubbed over the tops of my shoulders, sending little wisps of heat down my arms. "Not at all," he murmured.
I had to close my eyes and step back before I did something stupid.
"What are you saying, Gram? Do you want to sell the house?"
She took my hand. "No, I don't want to sell it. But I don't want to live here anymore."
Not understanding where she was going with this, I scrunched my eyebrows together. "I don't understand."
She sighed. "My sister, Irene, has that condo down in Florida. It's in an old folks community. You know I’ve been there to visit the past three winters…and Brooke, I think it's time I moved down there. Permanently."
"You're leaving me here?" I whispered. Hearing that she wanted to move wasn't a total surprise to me. Gram had mentioned it over the years, but I never thought she would actually do it. Part of me understood that she had given up her older years to raise me when my mother couldn't. That part knew she deserved to relax, move somewhere warm and not have to take care of a big one hundred year old house. But the part of me that was scared at being on my own, alone, reared its ugly head.
"What will I do wit hout you? Where will I live?" I said, near panic mode now. I felt Adam's hand on my knee, squeezing reassuringly.
"Brooke, honey, you'll live here. The house is paid off, and I will transfer the deed to your name. With the rental income from the apartment along with your job, you should be in very good shape."
Logically it made sense. Financially it made sense. But emotionally? It made no sense. I was being abandoned by yet another person that claimed to care about me. First my mother and father, whoever he was, then the hordes of guys I had dated. Now Gram. In reality, she should never be lumped into that category, but in that moment all I could feel was fear.
Pushing my chair away from the table, I hurried out the back door to where I always felt free like I did as a child. Sitting on the swing, I buried my face in my hands and let a few tears slip out.
A moment later, I heard the grass crunching as footsteps approached me. Adam came up behind me and put his hands on the rope on either side of my head.
"Do you want a push?"
Sniffling, I nodded and put my hands just under his on the rope. He pulled the swing back and let it go, sending me flying forward. Each time I swung back, Adam gave a gentle but firm push on my lower back. I don't know how long I was swinging, but he stayed with me the whole time, pushing me higher.
Finally , when the sun had set and the stars were out, I dragged my feet along the ground to slow myself down. When I was almost stopped, Adam grabbed the ropes and brought the swing to a standstill. Taking my hand he helped me stand up. With my heels on he was still quite a bit taller than me, and I had to tilt my head back to look at him.
"You okay?" h e asked quietly, brushing his fingers through the hair at my temple and tucking it behind my ear.
"I will be. I know she deserves this. She's taken care of me for twenty -three years and her own kids before that. It’s time for her to think about herself for once. And it's time for me to take care of myself." I bit my lip and looked up. "It's just really scary for me to think about being alone."
Adam placed his hands on my bare shoulders, and the warm touch made me wish his hands were other places. "You're not alone, Brooke. You have your friends, and you have me. I'm not very handy around the house, but I can wield a lawnmower like nobody else."
I smiled. "Thanks." I wanted to take one step forward and be in his arms, but I held back. "You're probably really sorry you moved in here."
Adam's thumbs rubbed over the tops of my shoulders, sending little wisps of heat down my arms. "Not at all," he murmured.
I had to close my eyes and step back before I did something stupid.
Similar Books
