Free Say When by Tara West Page A

the most pitiful voice ever, as if she’s been victimized by her own stupidity.
    I shake my head. Even though I should feel vindication that she finally admits to screwing up, the disgust I feel for her leaves a sour taste in my mouth. “I should have told your mom a long time ago.”
    Karri’s eyes widen. “Don’t you dare. What kind of friend are you?”
    I clench my fists in a lame attempt to hold back my anger, but I’ve had enough of Karri’s bullshit. The pressure cooker inside my brain explodes, and I unleash a verbal assault. “This isn’t about us, you dumbass. This is about what’s best for Ty!”
    Karri doesn’t even blink. She looks at me with derision in her eyes, as if she knows this isn’t the real Christina yelling. This is that other Christina who’s still learning how to assert herself. That other Christina will lose her momentum and the real Christina will resurface, eager to please everyone and put up with being treated like a doormat.
    “You know what?” she says as her condescending glare travels the length of my body. “I’ve had enough of your bullshit.” She turns and clutches Ty’s carrier to her chest before marching down the rest of the stairs.
    Panic seizes my limbs, and I find myself rooted to the spot, unable to stop her as she reaches the bottom step. “Where are you going?”
    “Out of here,” she calls over her shoulder.
    I don’t know where I find the strength to move, but I sprint after her. “Leave Ty with me. You’re in no condition to take care of him.” I follow her through the foyer, determined to stop her.
    When she reaches the door, her shoulders and neck are rigid as she grips the handle with whitened knuckles. “You’re not his mom, I am,” she speaks on a low growl, not even bothering to turn around and face me.
    I vehemently shake my head as tears well up in my eyes. “You’re not a mom. You’re a user.”
    Karri slowly turns toward me. She plasters on a smile that doesn’t mask the hatred in her eyes. “Fuck off, Christina.”
    She jerks open the front door. The big greaseball is standing on the threshold. He’s got this dark look in his eyes, like he’s a bull waiting to charge. And just like that I lose my nerve because the guy terrifies me.
    Karri shoots me this smug look, and then saunters up to the greaseball and hands him the carrier. She stretches out a thin, bruised arm and shoots me the bird before sauntering off.
    When they settle the baby seat in the center of the truck, not even bothering to strap him in, my heart sinks to my stomach. I realize that my friendship with Karri is over. For some reason, that doesn’t upset me as much as it should. But when I think of losing Ty, a blade twists inside my heart. I clutch my chest with one hand while watching them drive off.
    How could Karri do this? How could I let her do this?

Chapter Ten

    My mom is standing at the bottom of the stairs, hands on hips, looking ten degrees of pissed off when I brush past her. “What the hell was that about?”
    “Nothing.” I heave a sigh as I turn toward her. I know she is still angry with me for dumping Jackson, and Karri’s intrusion is all she needs to rip me a new one.
    Her lips pinch together, and she slowly unscrews her face. I know it takes all of her effort to force a smile. “Jackson called me. He said you’re not answering his text messages,” she says in a haughty tone before looking at me as if I’m Prince, her little Shih Tzu, and I’ve just crapped on the carpet.
    “So?” I say, feigning indifference as I check for imaginary grime beneath my cherry candy-colored manicure. “We broke up, remember?”
    Mom’s lips twist again, the rage simmering beneath her plastic veneer. “Call him, Christina. It’s not too late to fix this.”
    I roll my eyes to the ceiling. “What if I don’t want to fix this?”
    Mom wags a finger at me like I’m an errant child. “You don’t know what you’re saying. Look at what Jackson is