Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“Well, I’m sure she has a lot on her mind. She informed the office of your grandmother’s passing. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you. That’s nice of you to say.” Grabbing a notepad and pen out of the kitchen drawer, I sat back down at the table and scribbled that information down so I wouldn’t forget it. “My brother will definitely be there Friday. I’ll make sure of that,” I said, keeping my eyes on Dominic, who was refusing to look at me.
“Okay. That sounds great. Have a good night, Ms. Perkins.”
“You too.” Disconnecting the call, I dropped my phone on the table and sat back, staring hard as silence filled the apartment. “Is there a reason you didn’t tell me you had tutoring today?” I asked Dominic.
He shrugged and kept looking at the table. “You were there to pick me up.”
“So?” I sat forward, the movement lifting his eyes. “You could’ve told me you had to stay after, Dom. I would’ve just gone to get Eli and waited for you. Why didn’t you just say something?”
“Why didn’t you know?” he asked, voice growing louder. “Shouldn’t Mom have told you?”
My lips pressed together.
I understood my brother’s argument. I couldn’t fault him for it.
For the briefest moment during that phone call, I had allowed myself to wonder the same thing, shamefully putting blame on my mother, but then the reality of the situation made it obvious.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe she just forgot, Dom, since she has so much going on right now. What with Nana dying and everything happening with Dad. Maybe she expected you to say something to me, since it’s your life.”
His jaw started clenching the moment I mentioned our father. “Whatever. This isn’t my fault. It’s his fault,” he spat. “I wouldn’t even need tutoring if it wasn’t for him. Nobody helps me anymore. If I’m stuck, it’s on me. Mom doesn’t care I’m failing. Nobody cares! And you know what? I don’t even want your stupid fucking password anymore. I’ll run up their bill. I want to.” Dominic shoved back from the table and stood with such force, he knocked the chair over. Then he turned and stalked away.
“Hey!” I yelled after him. “Don’t say things like that! What’s the matter with you?”
The bedroom door slamming was his only response.
I sat back, feeling angry but also completely understanding where my brother was coming from. And that was why I stayed in that chair.
I’d never wanted to shake and hug someone to death simultaneous before, and I wasn’t sure which urge would dominate if I went after him.
Looking to Eli, I watched him pick at the corner of his crust.
“Hey. You okay?” I asked, reaching across the table and putting my hand on top of his.
“H-He’s mad about D-Dad,” Eli said. “H-He g-gets s-so m-mad at h-home, S-Shay. H-He’s…s-s-s-” Eli shook his head, his face growing red with frustration.
I squeezed his hand, hating the pain and embarrassment he was feeling and wanting more than anything to take that away. “I know. That’s just how he’s dealing with it,” I said. “If he acts mean or gets mad at you, he doesn’t mean it, okay?”
Eli nodded and looked into my face with the one eye not covered by his hair. “Is D-Dad g-gonna get b-better?”
“I don’t know, E. I hope so.”
My stomach tightened into a knot.
I didn’t know which was worse, saying those words or being on the receiving end of them. I felt terrible. I hated adding to Eli’s worry. And Dom—I didn’t want him thinking I didn’t care. I just wanted to do everything I could to make this easier on everyone, especially my brothers.
And I was off to a shitty start with it, that was for damn sure.
“I’m f-full,” Eli said, pushing away his plate gently.
“Okay. Get started on your homework. I’m here if you need any help, okay?”
He smiled softly before leaving the table.
Okay, so dinner hadn’t turned out the way I had hoped. But I wasn’t discouraged. I had a plan. I could help with homework. I could make sure Dom got to his tutoring. And I could do everything in my power to make this easier on them.
Tearing off a piece of notebook paper, I scribbled the wi-fi password down, crossed the apartment, and stuck the paper halfway under the bedroom door.
Eight seconds later, I watched that paper disappear, and I turned away, smiling.
Chapter Four
SEAN
The cold metal of the cuffs pinched my skin as they tightened to the point of pain.
“Please,” I rasped, breathing erratically, my cheek pressed to the hood of the squad car as I got searched and read my rights.
I couldn’t hear a damn thing the cop was saying. I could only hear the high-pitched, terrified screaming coming from the car my body had just been dragged out of.