Page 44 of Crossroads

“How the hell did you get here?” My heart thudded against my rib cage, my brain trying to keep up with the fact that my sister stood in my cabin. Bodhi’s cabin.

“You left the gate partially open when you left last time. Stupid Kiera. Always thinking that she knows better. Always thinking that she’s smarter. And she can’t even lock a gate. Well, now I see where you’re spending all your time. You can’t spend any time with me, but you can spend the night in this hovel? I guess being a rock star doesn’t pay much these days, does it?”

My heart hammered in my chest as I blocked another lazy swipe of her hand.

“What are you doing here, Brigid? What on earth would you want from me?”

“I want everything! You abandoned me. You left me to be some stupid rock star, and now you don’t even care about me. You left just like Mommy and Daddy did.”

Each sentence was like another kick, another set of shame, but I knew it was all a lie. Her pupils were dilated, her breath coming in pants. The track marks down her arms were evident, and she shook as she tried to speak.

“Brigid. Let me just get you some water or something.”

“I don’t want water. I want you to take care of me like you promised. You stupid whore.”

She shoved at me again as the door behind me burst open. Bodhi was there, axe in hand, and my little sister screamed. She shoved me at him before reaching for the lamp. When she tossed it in his direction, he slipped out of the way and stomped forward.

“Who the hell are you, and how did you get here?”

“I’m okay. It’s okay,” I said, and I hoped to hell that he was listening to me. Not that I would blame him for hurting my sister at this point. She’d trespassed; she’d tried to hurt me. And this was his place. Once again, I had brought my damage, my past, and my issues to his doorstep. Just like I had when Teagan had let me stay in this cabin without asking.

“Your sister?” Bodhi asked, risking a glance at me. Embarrassment crawled over my skin, and I took a step forward, past Bodhi, and toward my sister. She looked at me with wide eyes, her mouth parting.

“Brigid. Please. Let me think.”

“Why don’t you love me anymore?” Her voice broke, and it felt as if the quicksand I’d been so afraid of as a child had finally come to take me down to the depths of hell.

“Of course, I love you. But you can’t do this. You broke in here.”

“It doesn’t matter. I always thought whatever you had was mine, just like what I have is yours. But that’s not the same, is it? You left me behind.”

I held back tears, moving another foot forward.

“No. I didn’t. You’re sick. You need help. Don’t you see?”

“I don’t need anything from you.”

The lies that she told herself contradicted one another, and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. My spoiled little sister never took any consequences for herself, never did anything other than use our parents’ money, and fell into an abyss. And I had helped her along for too many years to count. Because I tried to protect her.

And I hadn’t been enough.

“Just give me what you owe me, and I’ll leave. I promise.”

“Let me help you.”

“No. Fuck you.”

She reached back and tossed a vase toward us. Bodhi pulled me out of the way as it shattered on the wall behind me, and I knew enough was enough. Bodhi didn’t need to deal with this. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to take care of my sister.

I took two more steps forward, and as my sister was far too gone in her own drugs and waste, she didn’t notice until my arms were around her, pinning her arms to the sides.

“Will you call the police?” I asked. Brigid shook, trying to kick me off.

Bodhi scowled. “I’ll hold her down. She’s going to hurt you. You call the cops. If that’s what you want.” There was such understanding in his gaze that I wanted to curl in a ball and die. And hide. Why did he have to notice this? Why did this have to happen on his property?

Well, I knew that answer. It was my fault.

I once again brought trouble to his home. His safety.