Read Online Carly by Lyn Cote - Free Book Online

kidnapping.”
    Jolted, Carly shoved her spine back against the step. Her pulse raced. “Can you remember exactly what they said?”
    “Just that the man was trouble and he’d better stay away or my dad would do . . . something.” Lorelle’s voice dropped. “About
     him.”
    It couldn’t be true. Why would her birth dad . . . ? Carly’s face twisted with a frown. “Did they think my dad kidnapped me
     or paid someone to?”
    Lorelle shrugged. “I’ve told you all I heard. But if he had, don’t you think he would have come to where you were being held
     and told you who he was?” Her friend’s voice trailed off, thin with uncertainty.
    Carly breathed in and out, holding off tears. Thinking about it, trying to remember every detail of those two horrible days
     always gushed fresh terror inside her. “I wouldn’t think that my father . . . any father would treat his child . . . like
     the kidnappers did. They didn’t abuse me, but it was cold and scary.” Carly rubbed her eyes and her fingers trembled.
    “Sorry I brought it up.”
    Carly looked into Lorelle’s pretty, brown, very concerned eyes, taking strength from her sympathetic reaction to the topic.
I’m not overreacting. And maybe my dad was the one who helped me get home
. “No, you did right. Someday, I will meet T.L.K.”
    “No return address, right?”
    Carly shook her head. “Yeah, evidently he can only handle one-way communication now. Or maybe he thinks my mom would do something
     if she found out he had contacted me without her permission.” Did T.L.K. know how much Carly wanted to see him? Did he expect
     her to be angry at him? Is that why he’d not included his name and address? Or was he still keeping his distance from her
     because of her mother? “At least I know that Mom told him to stay away from me.”
He’d said he’d wanted to be with me
. Hope sprang to life—followed by the same old bitter disappointment.
How would I feel if I saw him for the first time?
    Lorelle shrugged and looked down.
    “Well, if it isn’t Ebony and Ivory,” said the sarcastic voice of Crazy Woman.
    Carly looked up at Alex, who had her duffel over one shoulder. She had just run out of patience with Crazy Woman.
Get a life
.
    “Come on, Carly.” Lorelle rose, obviously wanting to put distance between them and Alex. “Your stuff should be ready for the
     dryer, and I can get mine started in your washers.”
    Carly didn’t hesitate. She went inside. Pointedly ignoring Alex, she emptied her wet clothing from the two washers into a
     large wheeled cart, and then Lorelle quickly stuffed the washers with her clothing. No dryer was free, so Lorelle and Carly
     sat along the wall opposite the dryers, watching Carly’s cart and waiting to see someone’s clothes spin to a stop behind the
     large, round glass doors. They didn’t dare leave; they’d been warned that people might steal uniforms to replace those they
     hadn’t laundered. Alex hovered in the doorway with her bag of laundry.
    Lorelle leaned over and whispered in Carly’s ear, “Everyone’s trying to figure out why she’s on your case.”
    Carly cocked her head. “How come you have the time to gossip?”
    “Because you’re one of the main topics of conversation in our company. I, on the other hand, keep a low profile.”
    Carly leaned closer to Lorelle. “I can’t help it if Crazy Woman picked me as her target.”
    “Did she really spit in your food?”
    Carly nodded.
    “Gross.”
    “Are you two talking about me?” Alex demanded, suddenly appearing in front of them with arms crossed.
    “What we’re doing is none of your business,” Lorelle snapped.
    Carly rose, her back against the wall. “What is your problem? Stay away from me.”
    “You gonna make me, rich witch?” Alex raised her fist.
    “Are you out of your mind?” Lorelle jumped up. “Starting a fight in the laundry? Get away from us.”
    The others in the large room had stopped speaking and stared at the trio.