Free Family Ties (Hidden Secrets) by P. J. Belden Page B

down his arm, taking his hand that rested on the table.  A surge of jealousy ran through me fierce and suddenly I wanted to walk over there and knock her the fuck out.  Then it dawned on me, he wasn’t pulling his hand away either.
    What the hell?
    To my horror, she leans down and whispers in his ear and there was no mistaking the tongue that darted out and lined his ear. A camera flash went off as she did and anger surged through me, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the other feelings I had. In my head, I already knew that was going to be in the paper tomorrow. I wanted to run out of the restaurant, but my things were still on the table.  This wasn’t the first time that this has happened.  I came up with a nickname for the likes of these women; celebuckers, celebrity suckers.  They watch out for celebrity women with good looking men and then the game begins.  They work the men until they ‘steal’ the date from the celebrity woman.  I guess you could say it was like an equivalent to the guys’ notches on their belts theory in a way.
    No, I wasn’t going to show my hurt.  It amazingly did hurt.  Which was a whole new terror in itself.  Nevertheless, I was going to walk up to the table and pay the bill and leave. So I made my way over confident and smiled at the few people that said hello and shook my hand. When I reached the table, she pulled back and began to leave but I stopped her.
    “ Here. Tell Gregory that is his tip and thanks are in this as well,” I said as I handed her the cash.
    Without another word, I grabbed my things from the table and started to leave the restaurant.  It wasn’t until I was outside that I realized he had driven us here.  Oh well, it’s not like I didn’t know my way around here. Slipping off my shoes, I began to walk the long walk back to my parents’ house.  My mind wandered back to the restaurant and what I did.  It was the biggest insult for a man, I learned, to not only pay for a meal but to do it in cash.
    At this point, I just didn’t care anymore.  I’m used to being alone.  Unfortunately, my logic didn’t work this time.  There was something about Tobey that made this hurt and against my will tears began to form in my eyes.  They may have formed, but I will not let them fall.
    Soon I heard a vehicle approaching and I prepared for the conversation that was just about to take place.  Praying to God that he gives me the strength to tell this man to leave me the hell alone and move on with my life.
    “Mary? Mary! Why’d you leave?” He shouted from his truck.
    Just as he finished asking my phone rang, I almost dropped my phone I was so thankful for the distraction.  It was Nate.  I looked up at the sky. Are you punishing me? I answered the call only because I didn’t want to talk to the guy that still crept next to me in his truck.
    “ Hey, what’s up?” I greeted him friendly, after all we are friends.
    “ Where are you?” He asked almost panicked.
    “ I’m walking home right now why?”
    “ Mare, where are you?” I could hear vehicles honking.  “Kyle is looking for you and he seems angry.  I don’t feel like you’re safe right now.” He said in a rush.
    I stopped walking when he said that. “I ’m just down the road from Fortress …”
    “ I see you,” he said, cutting me off.
    I hear a vehicle stop behind me and slowly turned to see Nate get out of his car.  What I was feeling right now was terror.  Not fear, but complete and utter terror.  I forgot that Tobey was in the truck next to me, forgot about having been on a date with him.  The minute I saw Nate, I ran to him and into his arms.  He held me tightly with his face in my hair as he asked if I was okay.  All I could do was nod my answer.
    Nate walked me to his car and helped me in and once he climbed in we were off to my parents.  When we pulled up to the house, my brother Jackson was on the porch pacing back and forth.  I jumped out of the car and ran directly to