Eddie started to drag me toward the door.
“Let’s go,” he said.
I looked at Blanca.
“I’m so sorry,” I said to her, on the trot because Eddie was stil dragging me.
“I’l take care of tu mama,” she promised.
* * * * *
We took off in our mini-convoy and went back to my apartment; Ada riding with Trixie. Before going into her apartment, Ada gave me tight hug. “You’re a good girl,” she said, her eyes glistening. She nodded to Eddie, probably too scared of him at that juncture to give him a hug, and went through her door.
I told myself not to cry and luckily, my self listened.
Trixie packed for Mom and gave me another tight hug.
She looked at Eddie then looked at me. “It’l al be okay,” she said.
she said.
I wished I could believe her.
Trixie took off, I packed and Eddie and I went to his place.
We didn’t talk. Eddie was in a mood.
Truth be told, I was in a mood too but I was keeping my mood to myself.
And my mood revolved around my f**king father.
Where was he?
It didn’t matter, I was going to find him and tel him exactly what I thought.
Something else. I was never again going to be as scared as I was that night.
Never.
I didn’t know how I was going to get control of my life but I was going to do it, one way or another.
No one made my Mom say the f-word.
Eddie carried my bag into his house and dropped it on the floor in the bedroom. Then he went around the house, closing al the blinds and making sure al the doors were secure. I stood in the middle of the living room, turning in slow circles, watching him move.
His face was hard and I could tel he was barely hanging onto his control.
Once he was done closing us away from prying eyes and locking us in tight, he grabbed my hand and dragged me to the bedroom. There, he dropped my hand and turned away, pul ing off his sweater.
“Eddie,” I said.
He glanced at me as he sat on the side of the bed, tugging off his boots.
“I have something to tel you and you have to promise not to get mad.”
Or, more like, more mad.
His eyes flickered and something fluttered in my bel y.