Free Wrong Side Girl (The Girl Series Book 1) by Julia Goda

when my father left us before I was even born. Almost every day, she told me that if it weren’t for me, my father would still be there, would never have left her. That hurt. My own mother was telling me that I was the reason that he left us, that he didn’t love me and didn’t want me. That I was unwanted and that my existence had destroyed my mother’s life.
    “I should have never had you. If I hadn’t gotten pregnant, your father would have never…” That’s usually how far she got before she drowned her sorrow in another bottle of booze and I either locked myself in my room or hid in my spot for hours until I knew she would be out cold and it was safe to go back home.
    But the nights she had people over to get drunk and high with were worse. Lately I had noticed that some of the men she had over were giving me leering looks. I wasn’t stupid. I knew what that meant. I knew why they came here every week, sometimes more than once. I knew that my mother used her body to pay for her addiction to alcohol and drugs. Everyone in town knew. But until a few months ago, those men had left me alone. They knew I was up in my room, but didn’t pay me any attention. That had changed when I had started to fill out, when my body was starting to go through the changes that would turn me into a woman. I had mentioned it to Cole and he had instantly gotten mad and worried, and had made me promise to always make sure that my door was locked. Always. Not just when my mother had company. Always. Just to be safe. I had promised him I would as I reveled in the fact that there was someone who loved me and cared about me.
    I stumble but catch myself before I fall. I’m barefoot and in my pajamas. It’s cold.
    “Come on, sweetheart, don’t pretend you don’t like it. I’ve seen the way you look at me. You’re dying to give it up and I’m only too happy to show you what it’s like to have a good time.”
    Bile rises in my throat as I hear his words replay in my mind. I cough. Then I sob again. I can’t stop sobbing.
    I know I was lucky. Lucky that he had been too drunk and high to overpower me. That I got free and ran before he had a chance to pull my shorts all the way down.
    I shiver thinking of what would have happened. And in that moment, I hate my mother. Truly hate her. For not loving me enough to make sure I was safe. For not caring what happened to me. When I had stumbled down the stairs, intent on getting away as far and as fast as possible, she hadn’t even roused. I saw her lying on the couch, with two men, all three of them in some state of undress, passed out, just like I had seen her so many times since I was six years old.
    I shiver again.
    Disgusted.
    Heartbroken.
    Terrified.
    It isn’t far now. I’m almost there. Almost to Cole’s.
    Just get to him and he will make it better. That’s the only thought I want to hold on to.
    Get to Cole. He’ll make sure you’re safe.
    Through the woods. Around the pond. Up the small incline.
    There it is.
    His house.
    His window is dark.
    I have to wake him.
    I find small rocks and throw them at his window.
    One. Two. Ten. Twenty. I don’t know how many.
    All I know is that I need Cole.
    So I keep throwing rocks at his window until I hear him ask, “Lizzy? That you?”
    All I can do is nod. I don’t realize that it’s too dark outside for him to see me, but it doesn’t matter. A few minutes later, his back door opens and he is there. I run to him and cling to his body, my face in his chest, holding on tight.
    That feels so good.
    I start to sob again. Loud, body-wrecking sobs. They hurt my throat, but I can’t stop. Cole hugs me back and rubs my back, soothing me.
    Up and down.
    Up and down.
    It helps. I calm down a little.
    “Wait here,” Cole whispers, then lets go of me and goes back into the house. Not two minutes later, he comes back to me, a blanket rolled up under his arm. He takes my hand and heads towards the trees. I know where we’re going.
    To our