Toxic: Logan's Story (Torn #4)(74)

I crouched down next to her and poked her gently a few times.

Her eyes slowly opened, and she stared up at me. “Claire? What’s wrong?” she asked as she sat up.

“I have to leave, kiddo. My time is up.” I tried to smile at her.

“What? Why?” she asked, panic filling her voice.

“Rick is giving me the boot. I gotta go.”

“He can’t do that!” she cried angrily.

“I’m eighteen, so technically, he can.”

Her eyes filled with tears as she sprung off the bed. She wrapped her tiny arms around me. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

I hugged her back tightly. “I’ll miss you, too. Take care of yourself, and keep out of trouble, okay?”

“You know I will. Will I see you again?”

I pulled away and cupped her cheek. “I don’t know. Maybe someday.”

She nodded as her shoulders sagged in defeat. “Please be careful.”

“Always. I love you.”

“Love you, too,” she whispered.

I pushed her back into bed and tucked her in. I kissed her forehead before pulling away. I stood and grabbed my suitcase off the floor. I gave her one last smile before I opened the door and slipped silently into the hallway.

Rick was still standing by the front door when I walked into the living room.

“Did you get everything?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good, because you’re not welcome back here. Got me?” he asked.

“Yeah, I got you.” I shoved past him.

I didn’t look back as I walked to my car. I tossed my suitcase into the backseat before climbing behind the wheel. I backed out of the driveway and headed back toward the main part of town. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling as I realized just how screwed I was. I had fifty bucks to my name until I would get paid next week. There was no way I’d be able to afford an apartment, even a shitty one. I just hoped that I could make decent tips until then, or I’d be living on air. I had no money, no friends, no credit. I had nothing. I was completely alone. The only thing I did have was my car.

I patted the dashboard gently. “Looks like it’s just you and me now, ugly Christmas car.”

I drove back to work and parked behind the building. There was no way I was parking on the street. With my luck, a cop would come by and notice that every sticker on my car was expired. I didn’t need a tow bill that I couldn’t pay for. I shut off the engine and reclined the seat back so that I was looking up at the roof of the car.

At least it’s not cold out, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes.

My entire body went limp as I tried to control the emotions raging inside me. I tried to find the positives, but aside from the fact that I didn’t have to deal with Rick anymore, there were none. I tried to shut off my mind, so I could sleep. I was working the morning shift tomorrow. I needed the money too much to oversleep and miss my shift. Plus, I didn’t want to do that to my boss, Rob. He was a really nice guy, too nice for his own good sometimes.

I vowed to myself that I would figure things out when I woke up the next morning. I had no other choice. I had to make a plan, or I’d never survive.

***

Two days had passed since Rick kicked me out of his house. I’d accomplished nothing—unless I counted the tips I’d made. I was living off of dollar cheeseburgers and washing in the restroom sink at work. There was a Laundromat nearby, so I at least had clean clothes.

The first day, I’d left after my shift ended. I’d waited until the diner closed and everyone was gone before driving back and parking behind the building again. I’d made sure that I was up and gone before the diner opened up the next morning since I was on the night shift. The second day had gone much the same way, except I worked the night shift. I’d hidden at the local library all day, losing myself in the pages of not one, but two books.

It was the third day, and I was working the morning shift again. I was taking my daily sink bath in the restroom, and one of my coworkers, Junie, walked in on me while I was naked. Apparently, I had forgotten to lock the door, and now, I was caught.

“Oh my God!” I screamed as I tried to cover myself.

Junie looked like she wanted to die as she quickly mumbled an apology and slammed the door shut. After I dried off with paper towels, I walked back into the main part of the diner. I walked to the coffee pots and started making both decaf and regular, praying that Junie wouldn’t mention what had happened. Naturally, she cornered me while I was dumping coffee grinds into the filter.

“Claire, why were you taking a bath in the restroom?” she asked.

I glanced up to see concern in her brown eyes. Junie was older than me, probably in her late twenties or early thirties. Her hair was light brown. She was pretty but plain. She’d recently gone through a nasty divorce, and she had lost a lot of weight. I knew the stress from her divorce and trying to raise her two boys on her own was taking its toll on her.

“I didn’t get a chance to shower at my house this morning,” I lied.

“Cut the crap, Claire. What is going on?” she asked.

I debated on lying again, but I couldn’t do it. Junie had always been nice to me, and I couldn’t lie right to her face.

“Rick kicked me out of the house the other night,” I said as I looked away from her.