The Summer of No Attachments (The Summer Friends #2) - Lori Foster Page 0,20
her past still influenced her in so many ways. Few knew about it, but Ivey and Hope had grown close quickly and they shared just about everything.
Ivey took in Hope’s puzzled expression and wasn’t sure if she should even bring it up. “Never mind.”
“Oh.” Realizing what Ivey was actually asking, Hope shook her head. “You mean me with guys and the fact I’ll be living so close to Corbin and on my own and everything.”
That pretty much summed it up. “When are you moving in?”
“Starting tonight, actually.” With new anticipation, she hooked her arm through Ivey’s. “I have my essentials boxed up, a bunch of my clothes, plus a sleeping bag. I paid some boys to help move my bed and dresser over the weekend, but I splurged and bought a new love seat and a few tables. They’ll be delivered early next week.”
“Wow.” So many questions, but Ivey started with, “What boys?”
“High school guys who work at the grocery. Three of them. They seemed nice and they’re always polite.”
If Ivey had to guess, they were probably extra nice to Hope. Not only was Hope pretty, she was also incredibly sweet. “And you aren’t nervous about it?” Usually Hope got tense around any male who was close to her age of twenty-one. High school boys could be anywhere from fifteen to eighteen.
Pausing, Hope stared out over the rear parking lot, empty now except for their two cars. “It was four years ago. I figured it was time to push myself a little. Sixteen-year-old boys seemed like a safe bet. Plus it’ll be daytime and I’ll have all the windows open, so...” She shook her head. “I have to start somewhere, right?”
Ivey wanted to hug her close, but many times that resulted in each of them getting weepy. So instead she made a decision. “I’ll go with you Saturday after we get off work, and I’ll cancel my plans with Corbin for Sunday so I can be there with you—”
“No.” Laughing a little, Hope gave in to the hug that Ivey had resisted, but she kept it brief, a quick squeeze of affection that said what words couldn’t. “You’re excited about seeing Corbin and I’m excited to hear how it goes. Plus...this is on me, Ivey. I want to start putting the past behind me.”
“You don’t have to do that alone.”
Her smile trembled, and she leaned in for a longer, softer hug. “How is it you’re so much more understanding than my own mother and sister were?”
“I don’t know. I guess they were too close to it, too close to you, so they had a different perspective.”
Hope shook her head. “No, they just blamed me. They were so excited about my sister marrying him, all because he had money, and they seemed to think I deliberately messed it up.”
Fury surged, but Ivey held it back. She knew the story, and it still made her want to vent on people she’d never even met. “Money should never come before family. More importantly, you were only seventeen, for God’s sake. Should you have let him rape you?”
It was odd, but Hope always reacted positively to anger on her behalf—maybe because, as she’d said, she didn’t get that reaction from her own family.
A ghost of a smile chased off her gloom. “Overall, I think they really just wished I’d kept quiet so no one else knew. Then my sister could have gone ahead with the marriage and gotten her hands on the family’s wealth.”
“Ridiculous. Money is not that important.” Yes, Ivey did well enough, always had. Her parents had raised her in an upper middle-class neighborhood, and though she hadn’t gotten everything she’d wanted, she’d had everything she needed.
“No, it’s not.” Hope unlocked her car and opened the door to let out the day’s heat. “I haven’t seen either of them since then, and other than a card for holidays, they haven’t contacted me.”
“They should be ashamed.”
This time Hope smiled without reserve. “I tend to agree. I miss them, but I’m not sure I could ever go back to that town anyway. Too many ugly memories.”
Once everyone had found out about the attempted rape, Hope had been under scrutiny, especially since her sister didn’t immediately break things off with the bastard who’d tried to force himself on her. One day, Ivey thought, she’d go there herself and give them all hell.
For now, she figured Hope needed a change of subject. “So you’re camping out in the new place tonight, huh?”