One of the Guys by Ashley Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

can do that. I can’t really lie either because it’s clear as day what’s happened and I can’t lie my way out of this one.
     
    I let out a groan and wiped my eyes before I could muster the strength to talk. My eyes roamed the room and fell on a picture of us at our senior prom. Him in his white tuxedo and me in my white dress that had the bodice covered in beads and a very small train. He was crowned king, I was so proud of him. Adryian Wilson was queen that night. I saw the way she looked at him, like she was preying on him but of course he left with me. He always left with me. That night was magical. Dad and Brenda made us pose by the mantle in all the corny ways you’re supposed to and then we were off to the prom. We were carefree, the way you’re supposed to be that young and right now I wished so badly that I could be that way again.
     
    With a river of tears threatening to spill down my cheeks, I looked at Marsh and whispered the three letter word I feared the most, “Yes.”
     
    I can’t count the times I’ve seen Marsh so livid he could light a fire with his eyes. Sure I’ve seen him angry or just simply upset but I’ve never seen him absolutely livid. Until now. He jumped off the bed and every vein in his neck throbbed forward. His warm brown eyes were now full of fury and rage and to be honest, I was scared to move.
     
    “You aren’t going home.” He barked at me. I flinched at his words and simply nodded. I don’t know what he was thinking. He knows my Dad is a cop and he will find me. It doesn’t take much to figure out who I’m with, the answer is simple. It’s Marsh.
     
    “Marsh, I have to go home. He’ll come looking for me.”
     
    “No!” He yelled. He seemed like a whole new person, a person who was angry and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
     
    “You can’t tell me what to do. It’s only a few more days ok. He probably didn’t mean to do it.” Ok I’m so full of shit right now it’s horrible. Didn’t mean to do it? Yeah ok. How do you not mean to kick your own flesh and blood when she’s helpless on the ground and then just walk away from it like nothing happened? Unless he was meaning to aim for my face or something and God I don’t even want to think about that.
     
    He dropped to his knees in front of me but his expression was still stone cold and when he touched my arm, he may as well have been standing in Antarctica “Sam, no you can’t go back. Stay here with me. Please I’m begging you; I can’t let you walk out this house. Not knowing he’s done that to you. I’ll talk to my parents, they’ll understand.”
     
    I jerked my arm away as the tears began their spill down my face. This was so hard for me and I wasn’t sure why. This was all new to me. I know this wasn’t my Dad and this has never happened before. Sometimes things freakishly happen and we don’t know why but they always return to normal. Right? Two more days won’t kill me and I need Marsh to understand this more than anything right now.
     
    “Marsh, this is the first time it’s been this bad. Let me talk to him. He’s the only parent I have left, I have no one else.”
     
    “Dammit Sam, this isn’t this first time? Why the hell haven’t you told me anything? You have me! Don’t you see that? Let me take care of you please. Don’t go back to that house.” His face was soaked from silent tears that steadily fell and I felt horrible for causing these. Why was he putting me in this position to have to choose?
     
    “Stop it Marsh. Just stop. I know I have you but you have to let me make this decision. I want to talk to him. I know he’s sorry and didn’t mean to do this.”
     
    Marsh grabbed my wrist and made sure he had my attention. His face was so close to mine, I could feel the moisture from his tears. “Sam I fucking love you more than anything in this world. You aren’t going back do you hear me? I’m not letting you leave. He won’t hurt you anymore. He’s a