Free A Curvy Christmas by Harmony Raines

me, told me I was a jealous little whore. My own mom. I asked her what she meant. He’d told her that when she was away I’d crept into his room and tried to seduce him.”
    He couldn’t hold back, he went to her and held her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her and kissing her head. “Shhh. Let it out. If you need to cry just let it out.” And she did cry, her body shuddering against his as wave after wave of pent-up misery escaped her.
    “After all we’d been through together she believed him, chose him over me. I wanted to leave, but I was still in school. So instead I practically lived at the library, or my friend’s house. But sometimes I had to go home. That’s when he cornered me, he laughed in my face, told me he could do whatever he wanted to me, and my mom would believe him over me. He even said he would rape me if I wasn’t such an unattractive thing.”
    She trembled in his arms, he wanted to make this right, to make it go away, but it was impossible.
    “I stole his credit card, booked a flight and left. I haven’t seen them since that day. I took every bit of cash I could get off his credit card before he cancelled it. I lived for quite a while expecting to be arrested. But mainly I just put myself in a state of oblivion.”
    “And Carl?”
    “He was so good looking and fun, I wanted to be with someone like that. I thought that if a man as handsome as him could want me, then it proved something. But all it proved was what an idiot I was.”
    “None of this is your fault, Robin.”
    “No. But it’s tainted me. I think it was the reason I had such a blow up with Max’s dad. And I ruined their relationship. So what if in some way I sabotage us? I don’t want to drag you into something I’m not capable of sustaining. I should never have come to see you yesterday.”
    “I’m so glad you did, Robin. There’s nothing we can’t work through together. Nothing.”
    “You're too good for me Greg. You’re just too nice.”

Chapter Thirteen - Robin
    Self loathing didn’t even begin to cover it. From that day to this, she had been consumed with guilt, although she had done nothing wrong. However, it didn’t take away from the fact she had lost her mom over it, and she had always feared that when other people found out they would disown her too, which is why she had never told Max.
    Greg simply held her, while she sobbed her heart out. It didn’t feel any better now someone else knew, it just felt sordid, leaving her with a sense of grubbiness that wouldn’t ever wash off.
    When he tears started to subside, he drew back from her, but when she tried to face away from him he firmly turned her to him, tilting her chin up and saying the words she had always needed to hear.
    “You did nothing wrong, Robin. If that’s the way it happened I don’t see why you should feel guilty. He was in the wrong.”
    “But I should have told my mom when I first saw him with is girlfriend. But I was too weak, and it gave him power over me.”
    “You didn’t want to spoil your mom’s happiness. You were a child, that is not an easy thing to deal with. Your mom had her own reasons for not believing you. Perhaps she loved him too much, if she had been on her own for so long, she might have been scared of losing him.”
    “But not scared of losing me.”
    “Kids grow up, they go and live their own lives, she could see you growing up. I don’t know. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but the one thing I am one hundred percent sure of, is that you handled it in the best way you could. I cannot imagine how scared you must have been. Now I understand.” He kissed her gently on the mouth. “Thank you for sharing your story with me.”
    She placed her head on his chest, listening to his strong heart beat. He made everything feel better, his words made her feel stronger. Or at least not so weak.
    “Don’t you ever worry that if you have a family of your own you’ll screw their lives up? I see Helen,