Page 19 of Broken by my Bully

…agree to accept full financial responsibility…

…legally bound to pay all fees…

…failure to pay…

…signature of financially responsible party…

But the most gut-wrenching part of all is right under that.

The slot where my dad’s social security number and signature go.

I slump back in my cushioned seat and turn to stare out the tall, narrow-paned window beside me. I scored an amazing window seat in the library that overlooks another part of the college’s sprawling estate. There’s a stretch of lawn dappled with shade from atrio of ancient oak trees. The handful of students who chose this spot are seated at one of the concrete benches, or sitting on the grass.

One of them is even taking a nap under a tree.

Fuck. Why can’t I just enjoy this shit like that girl listening to music as she pages through a dense textbook and works her way through a bag of chips? Or the couple making out? I’d even swap places with the guy under the tree.

Instead, I have this form burning a hole in my head, and I keep having to look over my shoulder to make sure Kai doesn’t jump out of a bush and attack me.

I get it. I fucked up. But calling me names is just stupid and childish.

Which I’ll be sure to tell him the next time he’s choking me.

My life is such bullshit.

The willowy thirty-something librarian told me they didn’t have any spare copies of the textbooks listed in Professor Rooke’s coursework. There was a copy of The Lucifer Effect that should have been returned already, but it’s two days late. Then, the lovely Simone happily informed me that the books I needed for my other classes were available, and she’d find them for me while I waited.

Yay for that, I guess. And who knows? Maybe the idiot who forgot to return their books will get their shit together soon.

I’m one to talk.

Thankfully, I only have my Introduction to Social Work class left today. It’s barely noon, but I’m already exhausted. And I have a shift at the diner tonight, so yay for that too.

How dangerous could napping be?

I’m still staring wistfully out the window when a loudthumpmakes me jump in my seat. Simone gives me an apologetic smile when I spin around to stare at her in surprise.

“Do you have a trolley or something?” she teases, flipping her blond ponytail over her shoulder.

I stare at the stack of six books, each at least an inch thick. “Woof.”

She widens her eyes, nodding. “Exactly, yeah. Woof.” She lifts her arm, making her skinny bicep pop through the thin fabric of her sweater. “Great workout.”

There’s no way I’m carrying all those books around with me. I groan as I realize I’ll have to take them to my car.

The parking lot is a few minutes’ walk from the college. Just a large area of cleared land beside a row of pine trees. My sneakers crunch loudly over the gravel as I carry the books to my parked car. I guess a lot of students and faculty members take the shuttle from town, because there’s only a couple dozen cars parked out here.

The ones that are, though?

There’s a reason I parked right at the end of the lot, partially obscured behind a massive boulder someone left right the fuck where it lay. The contrast between my dented white clunker and the gleaming Audis, Land Rovers, Mercs, and Escalades was just pitiful.

Especially the sleek black Tesla parked next to my Toyota. I couldn’t help but admire it this morning, and my curiosity still hasn’t faded. The tinted windows make it hard to see inside, but I’m sure those are red leather seats.

I wrestle my car keys out of my pocket, arm shaking under the weight of all six books. Simone wasn’t kidding about getting a workout.

Predictably, I can’t juggle everything as I try to unlock the trunk.

Inevitably, everything goes flying.