Page 33 of Unmistakably Us

“Hardee-har-har, very funny, sis. Could you have a little sympathy? I was avoiding losing a finger, for your information. Tripping was preferable to being maimed.” January indicated her wrist.

“Child, please. It’s a boo-boo. You won’t die from it,” Francis said humorously. “However, I have been meaning to talk to you about possibly getting you a giant bubble.” With that, everyone seemed to be having a grand old time at her expense. It didn’t really bother her; she was an accident looking for a place to happen.

“I know, for someone with the grace of a swan when she’s dancing, she sure can’t walk and chew gum at the same time when she’s not.” Gus got into the car and started it up. They watched Stacy disappear inside as they backed out of the drive. “This is your what, fourth trip to the ER in as many months?”

“Five, but who’s counting. Most of it has been minor, you know, tripping on air and spraining something.” Gus and Francis exchanged a look, and it gave January pause. “Wait, there isn’t a betting pool on me getting hurt, is there?” It hadn’t taken much time with the Reids for her to realize they bet on absolutely everything. So it wouldn’t surprise her.

“Of course not, dear. That would be cruel and in poor taste. Betting on someone getting hurt, pish-posh.” Francis tried to sound offended, but that wasn’t exactly the vibe she was getting.

“However,” her sister added, “buying a block of next general, but minor, trip to the county wouldn’t be.” Gus snickered and cast a sneaky glance in the rearview.

“Wow, just…wow.” It didn’t really bother her even if it were true, which she was sure it wasn’t. January was confident Francis would draw the line at that.

“Gus, cut it out,” Francis admonished. “We would never do that, dear, but you have to admit, a lot of money would exchange hands because you are always hurting yourself.”

January tried to pout and seem irritated, but she wasn’t. It was who she had always been. Nothing about it had ever bothered her before, but the thought of it being used against her had been eating away at her.

It was an overheard conversation she had tossed out as a worry for another time, but now, she realized it could be a worry as early as next week.

She remembered her mother had been drinking, alone, in her father’s office for a few hours and fielding phone calls.

January didn’t have a clue who she was on the phone with, but she assumed it was one of Chadwick’s parents based on the one side of the conversation she’d heard. Her loving mother mentioned if he needed to keep January in line here and there, it wouldn’t be a problem since the whole world knows how accident-prone she was and that her ER record would remove any suspicion from her devoted husband.

January had stormed down the hall rather than stay and listen to more or confront her mother. That was a turning point for January. One of those moments she realized how truly horrible her parents really were.

Her mother was perfectly fine with her being disciplined by her husband so long as it looked like just her normal clumsy self and didn’t reek of anything unsavory.

That bitch didn’t care if it were in fact unsavory or illegal, as long as it didn’t appear to be. January would do her decade, but she’d be damned if she’d let him lay a hand on her. And she’d be double damned if she would have a child who would be in any of those people’s lives.

It wouldn’t be a breach of the agreement if she couldn’t conceive. She would work out all those details later. Her concern for now was how to exit, stage right, without hurting Logan or this family.

All thoughts of her mother and Chadwick and leaving fled as they arrived at county. “A place where everyone knows me by name,” she mumbled. Once inside, Francis took command and was fierce in her protective actions.

Somehow, January needed to amend her exit strategy. She not only needed to be concerned with Logan finding someone, and Gus never finding out how little her parents cared for her, but she couldn’t damage this family on the way out. Geez, if leaving weren’t already damn near impossible, this is seemingly more and more complicated.

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