Page 102 of Clint & Ivy
“I believe he’s been cremated. You living uncle tried to use the death of his brother as a reason to drag out the court case. I guess he must have gotten a call from his loan shark friends because he changed his tune quickly.”
“I don’t know how much I’m supposed to get a month, but I want some of it to automatically go to the Sabine Women’s Center.”
Bebe made a little gasping noise and reached for Shay’s free hand. I knew the center was named after her murdered sister.
“I want to do more than live in Little Memphis,” I explained. “I saw how Shay got things done when I needed my tests. If I have the money to help pull strings and make things better, that’s where it should be spent.”
Lula watched me like she was shifting gears. I knew she wasn’t sure what to make of me. I cried a lot the first time we met. I was goofy when we talked at the Sorority House. Now, I seemed self-assured.
“Your uncle sent a video message. I wasn’t sure if I should show it to you. He likely hopes to manipulate you.”
This moment was when I chose to listen to my instinct. Of course, my heart wanted to hear Linus’s voice and hoped for an apology. Deep down, I wished to forgive him. We were always close. I had no other family left. I might be able to rebuild our relationship.Didn’t I remember all the times when he was nice to me? Could I be so cold as to turn my back on him?
My mind insisted I should listen to his video message because the pain of seeing him would make me stronger.Didn’t I want to face my fears? Could I be strong enough for Clint if I were afraid of a little video message? Was I choosing to be weak again?
My instincts weren’t swayed by either argument.
“I don’t want to see it right now,” I told Lula, holding her gaze. “What happened is too fresh. I also don’t trust I won’t fall for his bullshit. I would rather focus on detangling his life from mine. I need to become financially secure, so Clint will always know I’mchoosingto stay with him.”
The words felt right. I’d probably second-guess myself later, wanting to keep that connection I had with my family. For now, I’d created a protective barrier between a man capable of manipulating me.
While Clint remained out of town handling his club errand, I enjoyed lunch out with Shay, Bebe, and Lula. We talked about how Shay was planning to teach me to drive.
“I barely ever crash into anything,” Shay assured me. “I have mad skills. Super talented.”
“You crashed into me once,” Bebe stated.
“That was on you. Why didn’t you move when you saw me coming at you?”
As they broke into their usual “who’s ditzier” game, I smiled at Lula and enjoyed our afternoon out.
By the time Shay and Bebe dropped me off at the condo, I felt confident. This was the first time I walked up to the unit alone.
Soon, I’d be driving. Last night, Clint talked about what kind of car might suit me since I said his truck was too big to handle. We discussed getting another assigned spot in the garage. Everything was coming together!
Entering the condo, I smiled at Hanzee running over to see me. I took him down to the courtyard to do his business. None of the Crimson Guard members were around, but I noticed Tricky with his dog. We’d met a few days earlier. Clint warned me afterward not to speak freely with Tricky despite his genial demeanor.
That was why I lied about Clint’s whereabouts when Tricky asked in passing. I looked right into his bright blue eyes and sold my bullshit about how Clint’s motorcycle needed to be fixed.
“I didn’t understand what he said was wrong with it,” I babbled like a dumb blonde.
Tricky smiled warmly, buying my bullshit. Returning upstairs with Hanzee, I decided the waiting was over.
I walked into the smaller bedroom and stripped out of my clothes. Hanzee sat nearby, providing moral support while I faced my fully naked body in the mirror.
“This is you,” I told my reflection. “It was you yesterday. It’ll be you tomorrow. It’s time to stop hiding from Clint and yourself.”
The words felt very empowering, but I still hated to look at myself with that long scar down my chest. The other scars weren’t as noticeable. I could get used to revealing them. And showing off the top of the scar—or even the bottom—wasn’t horrible. But to see the entire thing was jarring.
This was my body. For years, I pretended the chest scar had disappeared. Now, I looked at it with fresh eyes.
Soon, Clint would see me exactly like this, stripped bare with nowhere to hide. My gaze finally peeled away from the scar and noticed my perky B-sized breasts. My skin was pale but not wholly unappealing. My belly was reasonably tight from the kickboxing I got into years ago. Yeah, I wasn’t hideous.
Breathing easier, I started posing in front of the mirror. First was my pinup look with my ass tilted upward. Second was my strongman pose as I showed off my biceps.
Next, I tried a few nudie magazine stances. My tattoo looked really hot during those poses. I finally wore myself out after I danced through two Taylor Swift songs naked in front of the mirror.
Finally, I walked around the condo naked with Hanzee strutting behind me. My plan was to surprise Clint by welcoming him at the door naked.
