Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“I felt more comfortable here with him,” Ally says.
“How? You don’t even know him. I need you to start making shit make sense around here. I’m not buying any of the bull you’ve been selling me since I walked in that door.”
“I’m not telling you anything until you calm down. I’m not a child, Chloe. Stop talking to me like one.”
I turn to look at Gregor to make sure I’m not being punked. She must have lost her damn mind. I turn back to my sister with my mouth hanging open.
So many emotions war on the inside of me. We’ve only been home for a few hours, but I’m ready to knock some sense into my sister because clearly, she has lost what good sense she once had.
I look at Cane and glare at him. While he looks like he could be related to Gregor, he looks more like a younger version of Clayton. I don’t miss how my sister could have lost her mind, but I’m questioning the job I’ve done for her to arrive at this point in her life.
“I’m your sister. I’ve always had your back. If you have a problem, you need to talk to me. I don’t understand what’s going on with you. Why can’t you come stay with us now that I’m back?”
“Because I don’t want to. I’m fine here with Cane. We understand each other.”
“Hello, this is my apartment, and I’m still in the room.”
“So, what’s your point? I’ll break my foot off in your ass right after I’m done with her if that’s what you want. Sit tight, I’ve got you.”
“Chloe,” Gregor speaks up.
I spin to face him. At some point he moved from standing to take a seat in the accent chair behind me. I’m too pissed to sit.
I only came here to get my sister so we could talk about her situation. I wasn’t expecting for her to tell me she’d prefer not to talk, and she wants to stay here.
“Don’t Chloe me. This is your little brother. You better get him. I don’t play when it comes to my sister.
“You’re about to meet another side of me, Gregor, and trust me, I don’t think you’re going to like it”—I point to Cane—“I don’t like him. Look at him, he moves like a damn junkie. You may not know about that life, but I know one when I see one.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ally stands and shouts.
“Girl, who you talking to? I bet he has a stash of white powder right here in this apartment.”
“Enough, Chloe,” Gregor bites out. “She said she wants to stay here. We’re right down the hall. If she needs you, she can come to you. Cane means her no harm and his demons are his own to deal with. Let’s go. We need to get settled into our own place.”
I scoff and fold my arms over my chest. “You want me to leave my sister with him? You’ve lost your mind too.”
“Chloe, let this go. I’m not asking you a bunch of questions. Give me the same courtesy. When I can give you answers, I will. Tonight isn’t that time,” Ally says.
I work my jaw. My mouth tastes like I have ash in it. I don’t like this, and I have a ton more I want to say.
“At least tell me when you plan to go back to school. Doesn’t your new semester start in a week or so?”
Ally rolls her eyes as if holding back tears. My heart stops and so does my breathing. I’m going to kill this girl.
“I… I’m not going back. I’m dropping out,” she whispers.
“What the fuck did she just say?” I bark as I kick my heels off.
I’m going to bust her ass. All of the sacrifices I’ve made, and she’s going to sit here and tell me she’s dropping out. Sid and I could have been killed fighting those gang members to keep her safe.
I’ve eaten so many cans of beans so she could have full meals or school supplies or a new flute or so she could go on some school trip.
Gregor catches me around the waist before I can fully lunge at her. I struggle in his hold. Tears spill down my cheeks. It hits me like a ton of bricks. I’ve failed my mother.
All she wanted was for me to get Ally through college. I thought having my baby would keep me from doing that, but Ally has fucked her life up all on her own and I don’t know where to begin to fix the mess she’s making.
“Brodi, put me down and mind your business,” I hiss.
He drops me like I’m on fire. I pause and close my eyes. I haven’t called him Brodi in weeks. This is bursting the fragile bubble we’ve created.