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My eyes flutter shut, hugging her close to me. She feels skinnier than usual.
“I thought I was never going to see you again,” she mumbles against my shoulder.
“Yeah, that crossed my mind too,” I chuckle. “Let me in.”
She steps back, and I climb the two steps to get in.
“Your dad here?” I ask as I look at the place.
She shakes her head. It’s a shitshow in here, as usual. Empty bottles of cheap beer are scattered everywhere. It smells of cold cigarettes and stale alcohol.
I put my hands on my hips. “How is he?”
She shrugs and looks away. “Same as usual. I’ve been using all my savings to repay some debts he owed, and anything I earn from the shop, I give him to play with.”
“Nyx.” I take a deep breath, trying to stay nice. It’s not her fault her dad is ill. “Don’t give him too much. Just enough.”
She nods. “I know. Not enough for him to get out of control, but enough so he won’t steal from me if he wants to play. I give the same amount you usually give me.”
Nyx’s dad is not just an alcoholic. He’s also a gambling addict. The illness runs in their family, and her mom left to find herself a rich man when she started owing too much money to loan sharks. One of them was me. When I met Nyx, I cleared her debt, paid the other collectors, and took her under my wing. Every month, I give her enough money to keep her dad out of trouble, and then enough to eat. There’s not much else I can do to help. I can’t do shit for her dad, and I couldn’t take her into my home either.
“You’ve lost weight,” I tell her. “Have you been eating?”
She shrugs again. “Whatever I can buy.”
Being with Nate meant that Nyx has had no one to support her. And the worst thing is, I know where her mom is. In Stoneview with her new husband, enjoying the billionaire life while her daughter deals with an addicted dad. She doesn’t care about her. She has a new family now.
“Here.” I pull two stacks out of my duffel bag and give it to her. “This is for your dad. Anyone coming to collect, you give them anything they want, okay?” I snatch a pen from the table, and grab her wrist, writing my number on her forearm. “This is my new number. If they ask for more than you can give, call me. If you need more time, tell them I’ll take care of it. Always mention my name if you’re in trouble.”
She nods, taking in all the info. I finish writing the number and throw the pen back on the table. I don’t know when exactly I’ll be able to come back to help her. Nate will be looking for me, but I’m hoping this will help for now. Pulling out another two stacks, I give them to her.
“This is for you. To feed yourself, get yourself to school, anything you need.” Glancing around the room, I search for her instrument. “How’s violin going?”
Her gaze darts to the side.
“What? What happened?”
“The last guys who came to collect…” She hesitates, unable to meet my eyes. “They took it, said they could resell it. I told them it was a worthless one, but they didn’t listen.”
I bite my inner cheek, feeling my lips twist. Fuck.
Then I dig into my bag, pulling out another five hundred dollars. “Is that enough to get a new one?”
Her eyebrows just about reach her hairline. “Uh…y-yeah.”
I add the bills to the ones in her hands. “I can’t stay. But promise me you’ll contact me if you need anything.”
She nods, eyes watering. “Are you… Are you going to be gone for long? Where were you? People in high school are saying you got, like, kidnapped?”
I shake my head and smile to reassure her. “I was with someone who’s even more trouble than me.”
She laughs softly, sniffling as she tries to stop the tears from falling. “No one is more trouble than you. You’re Kayla King. You’re the baddest bitch around.”
How I fucking wish I was.
“I’ll be back soon,” I lie, wiping a tear making its way down her cheek. “You’re not alone, Nyx. I’ll always take care of you, even if sometimes it takes me longer to come to you.”
She nods as a sob escapes her. When she jumps in my arms again, I hug her tightly. “It’s been lonely without you.”
