Crazy For You by Sandra Edwards Page A

him.”
    “What...?” Panic scratched her voice.
    “I never wanted you to be a whore.” Frank’s
anger became a scalding fury that almost choked him. “How could you
do that?” He realized the blue jeans he’d been trying to put on
were Roxanne’s, and hurled them across the room. Finding his own
pants, he dove into them. “How could you do that to us?” He
snatched his tee shirt off the nearby chair, pulled it down over
his head and then stopped long enough to toss her a glare that he
hoped would project all his anger and humiliation onto her. “How
could you, of all people, turn into a whore?” Frank snatched up his
shoes and walked out.
    Roxanne chased him down the stairs. “Frankie...” She
reached out to him. He jerked away. “Please...let me explain.”
Tears blurred her eyes, but it didn’t stop her from seeing that his
accusing glare was glued to her.
    “I’ve gotta get outta here,” he ripped out the
words. “You’re a whore!” He gave her a brutal scowl just before he
turned and stormed away.
    The sound of the slamming front door echo through
Roxanne. She jumped. Slowly, she sat down on the stairs and let the
tears fall.
    Well, now she knew where she stood. Nowhere. Frank
had made it clear exactly how he felt about her. She saw no use in
pretending differently. Not anymore. In his eyes, she was nothing
but a whore.
    You’re a whore … you’re a
whore … you’re a whore …kept running through her mind like
a scratched record. Her worst fears had come to life. It was
over.
    The next morning, it took every bit of energy
Roxanne had to push aside the mentally-draining anguish and drag
herself downstairs. Downstairs, she would have to face Candy. And
when that happened, she’d have to face the fact that Frank had
walked out on her.
    Listlessly, she headed into the kitchen and grabbed
a glass from the cabinet. She plucked the o.j. from the fridge and
focused on pouring herself a glass. Wrapped up in her sadness, she
barely noticed Candy coming into the room.
    “Good morning,” Candy said.
    Roxanne nodded, but didn’t speak.
    Her lack of chatter surprised and puzzled Candy.
She’d expected Roxanne to be in a great mood now that Frank was
home. “Frank still sleeping?”
    “He’s gone,” Roxanne said vaguely. Her red and
swollen eyes never left the carton of juice as she put it back in
the fridge.
    “Where’d he go?” The thought that he could be gone,
for good, made a fleeting appearance in Candy’s mind—just not long
enough to get stuck there.
    “I don’t know,” Roxanne said easily, as if it didn’t
matter. “My guess would be Rich’s place.”
    “Rich’s place...?” Candy was confused. “When’d he go
over there?”
    “Last night.”
    “Last night?” Candy repeated Roxanne’s words in a
quick, bewildered tone. “What happened?”
    “It’s over.”
    “He found out.”
    “I thought he would appreciate my help,” Roxanne
said as if he should. “But instead…he hates me now.”
    “He’ll calm down,” Candy said. “He’ll be back.” She
wasn’t even sure that she believed what she was saying.
    “It’s too late for that.” Roxanne shook her head.
“He made it quite clear what he thinks of me now. He thinks I’m a
whore.” She needed more time to ease the pain. “I don’t see any
reason to continue this farce of a relationship.”
    Clearly, Roxanne had made up her mind. In her eyes,
Frank should be thanking her for what she’d done. Instead, he’d
condemned her and walked out. As far as she was concerned, he ended
their relationship when he did that.
    The telephone rang, startling Roxanne. She knew it
was Frank. He probably just wants to tell you you’re a whore,
again . She looked at Candy. “Get that would you?”
    Without argument, Candy answered the phone. She
listened to Frank’s repartee as she looked at Roxanne. “It’s for
you,” Candy said to her.
    Roxanne shook her head. “Tell him I’m not home.”
    “She’s not here,”