Sara had finished her ice cream in the car, but Audrey nursed hers slowly, taking it down to the basement as she followed Sara.
Abby passed the waffle cone she and Chris were sharing back to him.
“Don’t give me any more,” she said.
“Abby, you could stand to put on a few pounds.”
“The only place Mickey wants me to put on weight is my boobs,” she said, walking into the living room to pick up a blanket from the floor.
“What do you mean, implants?” he asked, incredulous.
“Yes. I’m straddling a B and a C, and he wants me to be a D. He harasses me about it all the time.”
“Don’t do it,” Chris said, looking serious. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
“No, I won’t…” Abby’s thought drifted away as she saw Tim, her former stepfather, walking down the hallway toward her, buttoning the fly of his jeans.
“Abby,” he said when he got to the living room. “This the new sugar daddy?”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, the color draining from her face.
“I came to pick up my girls for a visit. I was killing time with Kathy while I waited. Audrey, Sara!”
Abby’s eyes widened in horror as her younger sisters pounded up the stairs.
“Dad!” Sara called happily, running toward him. Audrey stood back cautiously.
“Girls, get back downstairs,” Abby said briskly. “Right now.”
“Nah, how ‘bout coming home with me for the night?” Tim asked Sara.
“Get downstairs!” Abby said, a note of panic in her tone. “I mean it, you guys.”
Audrey grabbed Sara’s arm and pulled her toward the stairs as Sara looked back forlornly at Tim.
“But we haven’t seen him in so long,” Sara said sadly. Abby listened to the thud of their feet on the stairs, waiting until they were gone to turn back to Tim.
“Get out of this house,” she hissed.
“My family lives here,” he said congenially.
“They’re not your family anymore,” Abby said.
“Kathy and I will always have a connection.”
“Yeah, as long as she’s desperate enough to screw you for drugs,” Abby said icily. “This is my house. I own it. I pay the bills. And I will not have your dysfunction here.”
She felt Chris standing behind her and was comforted by his presence, but also embarrassed by the scene he was witnessing.
“I’m taking my daughters,” Tim said levelly. “Kathy’s passed out, anyway.”
“Over my dead body.” Abby was shaking with fury, and Chris rested his hands on her shoulders.
“Come on, it’ll give you a night alone with loverboy,” Tim said, growing agitated.
“You will never take those girls anywhere, and you will never be alone with them, and you know damn well why!” Abby said angrily.
“Are you still whining over that? It was years ago.”
“Get the fuck out of my house or I’ll call the police right now and report it,” Abby threatened.
“Bet the statute of limitations is long over on that.”
“Only one way to find out. And there’s no statute of limitations on child support, which you’re years behind on.”
Tim glared and moved toward her, and Chris stepped around Abby, pushing him back.
“You heard her. Get the fuck out of here,” he said.
“You want some, big boy?” Tim scowled. “You big dumb jocks are always slow.”
“Yeah, let’s go outside and see how slow I am,” Chris challenged, shoving Tim again. When he bounced back up, Tim’s eyes blazed with fury.
“Chris, don’t,” Abby said, laying a hand on his arm. “He’s not worth getting in trouble over.”
“This piece of shit needs to be taught a lesson, Abby.”
“Not here and now, okay?”
Chris looked at her and nodded.
“Okay. But I am throwing his ass out.”
Tim beat him to it, heading for the door.
“I’ll be back. You’re not here all the time, Abby. And when Kathy’s awake, she’ll let me take them.”
Abby glared at him furiously, saying nothing.
“Hey, you know what?” Tim leered, grinning at Chris. “You may be hitting that now, but I hit it first. And it was fucking sweet.”
Chris’ eyes darkened as he shook his head and looked at Abby, who turned away in shame.
“Go downstairs with the girls,” he said.
“Chris…”
“Go, Abby.”
He strode purposefully toward the door Tim had just vacated, and Abby felt bile rising in her throat as she turned for the stairs.
She was grateful Audrey and Sara were absorbed in the movie they were watching. Abby sat down on the floor with them, clutching a pillow with worry. Chris was much bigger than Tim, and she knew he wouldn’t be hurt. She was more upset about the revelation she had unknowingly made to Chris.