Chapter 113
FREDA WHITLOCK
I woke up feeling exhaustion that weigh me down to my bones. I had been sitting in my bed and I had not expected to fall asleep, but I had. It was still a little dark outside and I could not go back to sleep, so I fell back into thoughts.
The events of the previous day rushed to my memory and I let out a sigh. My heart dropped to the base of my chest as I remembered how upset Francisco had been with me. He had avoided contact with me or anyone for the rest of the day after he stormed off.
Today was the day of the event. It would probably cheer him up if I would be able to get Kaiden to go to the event as his father. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair as I climbed out of the bed and walked into the built in bathroom. I picked up my
electric toothbrush and let it do the work in my mouth, only directing it to another place when I was satisfied with the spot I was working on.
I stared in the mirror. There were dark circles under my eyes, my hair was all over the place in an frizzy manner and I looked like s*t, all in all. There was no way I was going to meet Francisco this way.
After brushing my teeth, I took off my clothes, dropped them in the hamper at the corner of the bathroom and stepped under the shower. The lukewarm water poured down my skin and it helped to wake me up completely. I was not sure if I liked that,
because being a little delirious from my troublesome sleep helped to escape the reality of the s***ty life I was living.
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Francisco and I had never stayed without talking to each other for so long except that one time when he was really sick. Back at home, in the state where I had run to and came back from to this godforsaken pack, we were best friends. I could not wait to see him after a long day at the coffee shop and he could not wait to see me when I pulled up at his school to take him home.
This- the way he was staying away from me- only told me how upset and betrayed he was feeling. I could not help hating myself more than I already did.
The water had turned cold at this point and when I stepped out of the bathroom, day had fully broken. And my dread for how the day would go started to weigh me down even more. I took a deep breath to stop the tears that sprung to my eyes, mercilessly stinging my eyeballs.
“Freda?” I heard Lyra calls as she knocked quietly and pushed my door open. “You’re up,” she said. Her smile was bright until she saw the look on my face and the fact that I was wiping tears from my face. Her smile dropped to a frown, showing that she understood my pain.
“Freda, it’s too early for this,” she said, slipping inside the room and s**g the door behind her. wanted to ask her to go away but I would not be being honest to myself because she was the only one that could really offer me good advice and make me feel better about this whole situation.
“I’m sorry,” I said. It was the first time. I was hearing my voice that day and it was broken. It sounded pathetic. “I’m pathetic,” I said and my eyes started to tear up. “Heyy, don’t say that. I’m
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the only one that gets to say that and if I’m being honest, you’re actually being pathetic. You can not wake up first thing in the morning and start to cry. That makes absolutely no sense,” she said, shaking her head.
I was stunned into a silent, frozen state by her word that were brutally honest. “W-wow,” I said, wiping my eyes and letting out a laugh. I put on a sports bra and then pulled a shirt over it. “Yeah,” she said in response, glaring at me in what I knew was a playful manner. “You’re such a b***h,” I said, shaking my head and laughing hard.
She joined in after trying hard to stifle it. Then she grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to look at her. “You’re supposed
be strong, Freda. Being a mother is nor easy, I understand that. But you have to be stronger. You have to try harder for Francisco,” she said, and I nodded, biting my lip.
“You better actually try to be stronger. I’m not playing around with you,” she said and I smiled. I will. I’m gonna go get. Francisco ready for the party,” I said she nodded. “I’ll handle breakfast,” she said as I walked out if the room.
Chapter 114
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