Is this woman for real? A little tenuous? Try it’s fractured and splintered with little chance of salvation. And she’s the nerve to ask something of me? Not fucking likely. Still, curious minds want to know. “What is it?”
“Stay out of the house as much as you can over the next few days.”
“Why?”
She knots her hands in her lap. “Just stay out of Neo’s way, sweetheart.”
He definitely suspects something.
“Why?” I repeat even though I know she won’t tell me anything.
“Just do it, honey. Please. Do it for Daddy.”
And that was totally the wrong thing to say. My jaw hardens, and I glare at her. “If that’s everything, you can leave.”
Her mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, and she runs her hands through her unbrushed hair. Tears well in her eyes, but I’m immune.
She’s reached a new low now.
Putting that bastard’s needs before mine.
Coming here to try to extract information from me to pass on to him.
I am so done with her.
She swipes at the moisture spilling down her cheeks, standing and walking toward the door. She falters, turning to face me one final time. “And you should stay the hell away from those boys too,” she adds, as if she cares. “I don’t want to see you throwing your life away.”
So, my day is off to a great start with that awesome conversation, and it only goes downhill from there.
At school, I come close to stabbing Beth purely because I need to vent my rage in someone’s direction and she’s the most likely victim. I sit with the guys in the cafeteria at lunch, toying with the knife in my hand as I glare at her across the tables.
“Put that away,” Saint says, staring straight ahead as if he’s not speaking to me. Things are even weirder than normal between us. He’s building walls around himself, and with every passing day he appears to grow more and more frustrated with me.
Is it because he resents what’s happening between us too or there’s more to it?
“Eat shit and die,” I retort, stabbing my knife into my apple and slicing it into wedges.
Galen slouches in his chair, folding his arms and crossing his ankles as he shoots Saint a knowing look. Saint ignores him, and Theo watches the interactions with the cunningness of an expert spy. Caz looks troubled, shoveling pasta into his mouth, looking like he’s not even enjoying it.
“Hey, you want to get out of here?” Emmett asks, no doubt feeling the horrid tension too, and I’m grabbing my bag before he’s even finished asking the question.
“We’re ditching to hang out at the hospital,” Sean adds, crumpling his uneaten sandwich up as he stands.
“I’m there.” I clean my knife on the back of a paper towel and sheath it. “Let’s go,” I say, walking away from the table without looking back.
_______________
Grandma Lorna envelops me in a giant hug the minute I step foot in Sariah’s hospital room. Sean immediately goes to Sariah’s bedside, taking her hand, while Emmett walks to the window, looking out over the bleak landscape outside. “You look like someone who needs a hug,” she says, squeezing me tight.
She’s not wrong. It’s been a shitty week and a particularly shitty day. But compared to my bestie, things are all rainbows and unicorns for me, so I tell myself to snap out of it and quit feeling sorry for myself. “Is there any change? Has the doctor been around to see her yet today?”
“No change,” she replies, letting me go. “And he was here an hour ago. Her vitals are the same.” She slumps down in the chair, looking sad and tired. Lorna is Sariah’s mom’s mom. She had kids early, as did her daughter, so she’s young for a grandma and still in her fifties. Yet looking at her now, she looks like she’s aged twenty years overnight.
I sit down beside her, patting her hand. “Why don’t you take a break? Get something to eat in the cafeteria and maybe take a walk. I’ll stay with her.”
Sean takes a long hard look at Sariah’s only remaining family and obviously agrees. “That’s a great idea. I haven’t eaten either. I’ll come with you.”
Sean takes Lorna’s arm and escorts her out of the room.
“This must be so hard for her,” Emmett says.
“I know. It must’ve almost killed her losing her daughter, her son-in-law, and her other grandkids in such a gruesome way. Seeing Sariah like this must be breaking her heart.”
“How are you holding up?” he asks, moving to sit beside me.
“I’m fine. Worried, obviously, but I’ve had lots of practice at blocking shit out. I’m not thinking about the what-ifs. I’m just focusing on being here.” I lean forward and take Sariah’s hand, comforted at the warmth radiating from her skin. “Time to wake up, babe. I know you’re going to because you didn’t survive all those years ago to give up now.” I kiss her brow. “C’mon, Sar. Wake up.”
I need you. You’re the only one who can help me sort through this mess.
I send those thoughts out to the universe, hoping someone up there hears me and takes pity.
_______________
I ignore Mom’s warning, returning to the house shortly after nine p.m. The downstairs is empty, so Mom and Neo must be out again. The sound of the TV wafts from the basement, and I’m guessing the guys are in their den, as usual. I’ve no desire to see any of them, so I trudge up the stairs to my room. Raised voices in the upstairs hallway root my feet at the top of the stairs, and I press my body into the small alcove, peering around the curve of the wall.
Sinner is jabbing his finger in Saint’s chest, his mouth twisted into a cold sneer, as he threatens him.
“I told you I have it covered,” Saint says, standing his ground and refusing to be intimidated. It helps that he’s a couple inches taller than his dad. “You are freaking out over nothing.”
Sinner stares at his son as he scrubs a hand over his jaw. “I hope you’re right. For all your sakes.”
“I’ve got this, Dad.”
Neo’s sinister smile slips off his face, and he nods. “You have the instincts of a natural born leader.” He slaps his son on the back. “That’s why I don’t want you to get distracted by pussy even if she is one hot piece of ass.”
“I’m playing Harlow perfectly.” Saint’s smug grin rubs me the wrong way, and pain rips across my chest.
Sinner squeezes Saint’s shoulder, digging his fingers into his flesh in a way I know hurts. “I wonder if the daughter is as good a fuck as the mom.” A sly sneer spreads over his mouth. “I might have to test that theory.” He waggles his brows, and I puke a little in my mouth.
“Maybe, we can swap some time,” Saint suggests with an equally matching sneer. “And compare notes after.”
Neo roars out laughing, grabbing his son into a headlock. “That’s my boy!” He lets him go before thumping him in the arm. “Come with me.” He lifts one shoulder. “I’ve something in my room I want to give you.”
I watch them walk off as the tornado brews to epic proportions inside me. I slip into my room, lock the door, and dump my backpack on the bed, kicking off my boots and throwing my jacket on the floor.