One Day at a Time (Starting Over Series Book 4)
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Authors: Evan Grace
One Day at a Time
Book 4 of Starting Over Series
By Evan Grace
One Day at a Time
Copyright © 2015 by Evan Grace. All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: January 2015
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1506106311
ISBN-10: 1506106315
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To anyone who has ever struggled with demons and are taking it one day at a time. Don’t ever give up the fight.
So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key.
~ The Eagles
Table of Contents
Chapter One
“You’re a stupid moron! You are worthless! Even your brother couldn’t stand to be around you.” The leather of the belt bit into her back as silent tears slid down Tessa’s face. All she did was accidentally break her father’s coffee mug while she was doing the after supper dishes. She never understood why her dad hated her so much. Even before her mom died he wasn’t the nicest person, but he usually just ignored her. Her brother, Jonathon, had left home as soon as he turned eighteen. He promised her that he’d come back to get her as soon as she turned eighteen, which was in two weeks.
After what felt like forever she could tell her dad was tiring. The lashes weren’t as hard as they were before, and her back felt numb and wet.
“Pleathe, Daddy, thtop,” she cried, knowing it was useless.
Pulling her up by her hair, he slammed her against the wall. “Listen to you. You talk like a fucking retard! Had I known what you were going to turn out like, I would’ve made your momma abort you!”
Tessa’s heart was pounding in her chest. She tried to stop the tears that fell, because her father never cared that his words tore her apart. He slapped her across the face and then dragged her down the hall until they reached her room. As if she weighed nothing, he tossed her onto her bed. Bouncing off, Tessa’s forehead connected with the corner of her nightstand.
“You’ll stay in here until I think you deserve to come out!” She heard the door slam shut and the distinct sound of the lock he installed engaging. Feeling warmth slide down her face, Tessa reached up, and when she pulled her hand away it was covered in blood.
Tessa Brooks shot up in bed, clutching her chest with one hand and reaching for her forehead with the other. The small scar was a constant reminder of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. From the time she was twelve until her eighteenth birthday she had been her dad’s punching bag. Of course he had hit her brother too, but when Jonathon turned seventeen he was bigger than their dad, so he never touched Jonathon again, and he would only hit Tessa when her brother was at work. Her dad knew she wouldn’t tell her brother out of fear that her dad would hurt her worse than usual.
She shook her head to clear all of those thoughts. Tessa didn’t dream about the beatings as often anymore, but when she did it was always the worst ones she dreamt about. That beating had happened right before her birthday. He had kept her locked in her room with no food or water for two days. Luckily, after the first time he did it she kept bottles of water and granola bars hidden in her closet. He loved keeping her prisoner and taunting her from the other side of the door. His favorite was her lisp. He’d make fun of her something awful and knew kids teased her about it, but when her mom tried to get her help when Tessa was eleven, he flat-out refused. The man was always very cheap and spent most of the money that came into the home on drugs and booze.
Looking at the clock, it was only six in the morning. Since Tessa knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to bed, she got up. Throwing on her robe, she went across the hall to the bathroom to shower. She slipped her robe off, looked down at herself, and frowned. She was what others described as a willowy figure, but she always described it as almost boyish. Cupping her breasts in her hands she prayed they’d get bigger, since she was only a B-cup, but at twenty-seven she knew her body was done developing. Her favorite feature was her eyes. They were a rich chocolate brown with flecks of gold in them. They were a little on the large side, but they were still her favorite feature and reminded her of a doll.
She rolled her eyes as she turned the shower on, stepping inside once the water was warm enough. She showered quickly and then got out, drying herself off and throwing her robe back on. After brushing her teeth, she made her way out to the kitchen to start coffee. Once it was brewing, she started breakfast. She was just putting the sausage and eggs on the table when her ten-year-old niece, Josie, came stumbling out to the kitchen.
“Good morning, baby girl. I made your favorite.” She handed her niece a tall glass of orange juice.
“Morning, Aunt Tessa,” she mumbled as she scooped a huge helping of eggs onto her plate. “Is Daddy already gone?”
Jonathon was a police officer with the Charleston PD, and had been since he was twenty-two. Tessa had lived with her brother since the day he came and took her out of their dad’s home. Josie looked just like her. They both had thick, wavy hair that hung down their backs. She was tall for her age and had an athletic figure. Her hair was a light brown, and she had the same brown eyes. Her mother passed away when Josie was only four. The cancer had spread so fast there was nothing they could do except keep her comfortable. Jonathon still hadn’t gotten over losing his wife, but Tessa couldn’t blame him. Alex had been the best thing that ever happened to both of them. She didn’t balk when Jonathon brought Tessa to live in their home after she turned eighteen. Instead, the woman had embraced her and treated Tessa like her own sister.
After she graduated from high school, Tessa decided to do college classes online, so she volunteered to become Josie’s caregiver. She enjoyed spending time with her niece and taking care of their apartment while they both worked every day. Tessa even started to see a speech therapist for her lisp at her brother’s insistence a year after she moved in with them.
Sitting down across from her niece, she filled her plate. “He’s still here. I think he’s working second shift today.” Josie sat and ate her breakfast, and Tessa thought about her life. Even with her lisp gone, she still had trouble talking to people, especially men. That’s why she was an anomaly, a twenty-seven-year-old virgin. She had trust issues regarding men, a walking romance novel cliché.
Even her brother, who was still mourning his wife, was out having sex. Sure, he didn’t bring them back to the apartment or even talk about it, but sometimes he’d get twitchy telling Tessa he was going out and asking her to keep an eye on Josie. He’d come back hours later, take a shower, and then hide out in his room for the rest of the night. Hell, they were both a mess.
“Morning, baby girl.” Tessa smiled as she watched her brother enter the kitchen and kiss Josie on top of her head. He came around the table and did the same to her. “Morning, Tessa.”
“Morning, Daddy,” Josie chirped.
Tessa got up, grabbing her brother a plate and a cup of coffee. She rejoined them at the table and shook her head as he piled his plate full of food. She had no idea where he put it all. He was six feet four inches tall and had a long, lean body. He was a good-looking guy, sweet, loyal, and she just wanted to see him happy again. Tessa would love for him to meet someone and fall in love again. She had loved Alex so much, and she knew Alex would want Jonathon to be happy. Maybe someday he’d find someone.
***
After Tessa cleaned up the kitchen, she went to get ready for work. She was the manager of a little book store and café called Java Drama. She started working in the café almost a year after she moved in with her brother. Because of her lisp, she chose to work in the kitchen. She helped the cook and did the dishes. She couldn’t stand the thought of having to talk to people back then. When she started getting help for her lisp, the owner, Pauline, convinced her to work out on the floor with the books so she could practice her speech. The first few times she spoke to customers she ended up with tears in her eyes.
None of their regular customers made fun of her. Even when she spoke slowly so she could move her mouth the way the therapist showed her, they would just smile and wait for her to finish speaking. Over time Tessa’s lisp wasn’t as noticeable, and she constantly talked to customers. They had a lot of regulars she loved to chat with over coffee or while showing them the newest releases.
She grabbed her normal work uniform, a long, flowing, black skirt, with a red tank top covered by a short-sleeved white button up shirt. They didn’t really have a dress code, but Tessa liked to look nice when she went to work. She braided her hair until it fell over her shoulder in a thick plait. Securing the end with a rubber band, Tessa slipped her feet into a pair of jeweled flip-flops. Making her way out to the living room, she knocked on Josie’s door.
“Come on, sweetheart. I’m taking you to school.” Tessa heard her muffled reply and stepped into the living room, checking her purse to make sure she had everything.
“Tessa, I can take her to school,” Jonathon said as he shoved his feet into his tennis shoes.
“I don’t mind, Jonathon. It’s right on my way.” She could tell by the look in his eyes that he wanted some time with his daughter. His hours were always so crazy, and sometimes they wouldn’t see him for days. They tried to make things easy for him so he could focus on his job and studying for the detective’s exam. If he made detective, his hours could possibly be a little better, but more than likely they’d be just as bad. Still, they could hope. “Okay, well, I’ll see you guys later. Love you both!”
