The blood drains from my face as I read his message and feel as if he punched me in the gut again. No matter what I do or say, he won’t stop until I admit defeat and move in.
I send Everleigh a message outside our group text.
Gemma: Robert is getting pushier about me moving in. I tell him I’m not ready, but it’s not enough for him to stop asking, and things get more awkward every time I tell him no.
Everleigh: Stay strong. Enjoy your freedom while you can, because once you move in with him, you’ll lose it all.
I chuckle at her response. It’s so like her, too. She’s independent and fierce, always has been.
Gemma: Sometimes, I wonder if you’re a bad influence or not.
Everleigh: Oh, I absolutely am.
Chapter Five
TYLER
Everleigh drives me to Mimi and Pop’s house before she opens the boutique Friday morning. I need to borrow Mimi’s Cadillac so I can run errands today. Yesterday, I submitted an address change form at the post office, opened a checking account, and made a list of items I still need to buy. I have some money from before I got arrested, but it won’t last long.
“Send my love to Mimi, okay?” Everleigh tells me when she pulls into the driveway and parks.
“I will.”
“If she baked anything, promise to sneak me a pocketful.” She chuckles, and I shake my head before getting out of the car. As she backs out of the driveway, she lays on the horn, causing me to jump. She speeds off, and I’m sure she’s probably laughing her ass off.
Even though it’s not even eight yet, they’re early risers. I’m sure my grandmother has already drunk a pot of coffee and called a handful of friends all while Pops tinkers in his workshop in the backyard. As soon as I walk in, I’m surrounded with childhood memories. The smell of cookies wafts through the living room, and I hear Mimi chatting on the phone in the kitchen. When I enter, she immediately grins and waves me over.
“Susan,” she interrupts. “Susan, I gotta let you go, honey. Tyler just walked in.”
Seconds later, she ends the call. It’s hard not to smile when I’m around my grandmother. She stands and pulls me into a tight embrace.
“I was wonderin’ when you were gonna come see me again. Didn’t wanna have to beg.”
“Oh, Mimi, you know I had that interview a couple of days ago and then had errands to run yesterday.”
Her eyes light up, and I can tell she’s waiting for the news. I eye the cookies on the plate on the table and snatch one. A chuckle escapes me as I think about Everleigh wanting some as I eat half of it in one bite.
“You gonna leave a woman waiting?” she finally asks.
“I start Monday,” I tell her around another mouthful.
She looks relieved, but I’m sure she already knew. Nothing gets past her. Rumors wrapped in sprinkles of truth fly around here like mosquitos in the summer.
“Good, good. Jerry wouldn’t have been able to handle my wrath if he didn’t hire you,” she says matter-of-factly. Grandma can be scary, especially when she gets her entire knitting club together to wreak havoc on shady people. They’re equivalent to a mob in Lawton Ridge.
Mimi checks the time, then turns to me. “You hungry? Want me to make you some breakfast before you go?”
I shake my head. “Nah, that’s okay. Hopefully, it won’t take too long to update my license.”
She snorts. “Are you kidding me? You obviously haven’t been to the DMV here in ages. It’s an unorganized disaster. People line up at six in the morning and wait all day to be seen. Let me make you something, I insist.”
“I drank a protein shake for breakfast.”
“Then I’ll make you a sandwich for later.” She opens the fridge and pulls out some chopped rotisserie chicken and mayo. Mimi makes the fattest sandwich I’ve ever seen. It won’t fit even in a sandwich bag, so she places it in a gallon Ziploc, then stuffs cookies in another one before handing me a giant glass of sweet tea.
“Better get going if you want to make it out of there before dark.”
After I take her gifts, she pulls her keys from her purse, then hands them to me. Before I go, I kiss her on the cheek and tell her I’ll be back as soon as I can.
On the way across town, I can’t get Gemma off my mind. She looked at me like she wanted to murder me, and as far as I know, she might. Even though I begged her to come with me, I knew it was best to leave on my own. I needed to protect her from the emotional baggage I bear. Considering I’m a felon now, it seems like it was the right decision after all.