Page 55 of Bloody Quarter

My lower lip trembled as the wildly complex emotions that were always overwhelming took control. My eyes stung as Greyson smashed through the damaged walls around my heart.

“I love you,” I blurted out, tears slipping free.

“I crave you like my last breath,” he said, placing a sweet kiss on my lips, and yet I felt his love through the light touch. My heart was officially his.

Alora

I looked over at Evie as we sat on a picnic table in the park. This was one of my favorite places in the city, with the stables right in the middle. You got to see the horses exercising all the time. I’d volunteered there off and on when they advertised they needed extra help, but as much as I loved the horses, I was terrified to work with them. There were none out today, but I wasn’t surprised with the heat warning. Everything smart was hiding in the shade.

I sipped on my milkshake and glanced at the road as a car drove by, honking its horn. I tensed until it drove on. Stupid nerves. I knew why I was jumpy. I kept having this recurring dream where Evie was in trouble and calling out my name, but I couldn’t get to her. Glancing at my sister, I couldn’t get over how much she’d changed and grown up in the last year. Her looks still had her stuck between pre-teen and teen even though she was thirteen, but in every other way, she’d stormed past me.

“Lora, why does Mom hate Mardi Gras,” Evie asked. I took another sip of my shake. I chose chocolate today, and the creamy, rich flavor was really hitting the spot. I shrugged. “Like, did she have a bad experience?”

Mom started complaining about Mardi Gras a month out from when it hit, and we had to hear every day not to go near the areas flooded with activity. She seemed convinced that we were going to get stolen or be corrupted into a wild party lifestyle. It was tough to tell what actually worried her during the long rants. She’d pointed her finger at us and said, “If I catch you down there, so help me, I will lock you up and throw away the key until you’re twenty.”

“I don’t know, but the tourists kinda ruin it for everyone, well…everyone but the bars on Bourbon Street.” Evie’s face scrunched up in confusion. “They take over and make everything expensive and dirty. Mom says that all the evil people come to party and we’ll be stolen, but I think that’s a lie.” I watched the fancy sports car with the pounding music drive by. “I think there is just as much chance of us being hurt by someone local as a tourist, but what do I know.” I shrugged.

Evie sucked the last of her shake, the slurping sound loud, before she sighed. “I like them.”

“The tourists?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Her slim shoulders lifted and fell as she looked around. “Because tourists see this place as magical. They come with an open heart and unjaded eyes. They see what we’ve forgotten, which makes it special. We take the music, food, history, and everything else for granted, but they don’t. One day, I want to be a tourist and travel the world. Then come home and hope that I see this place with brand new eyes.”

My mouth fell open. “I swear sometimes you’re like a hundred-year-old just trapped in thirteen-year-old body,” I said, smiling at my sister.

“Is Mom still mad at you,” Evie asked, and I rolled my eyes. This was dangerous territory. My mother and I were like oil and water or maybe a powder keg and an open flame. We couldn’t get on the same page about anything, and I hadn’t said anything to Evie, but I was thinking of running away. I’d rather make it on my own than constantly be screamed at and made to feel like I didn’t belong. The thought of leaving Evie behind was a knife to my heart and the only reason I chose to stay.

“When isn’t Mom mad at me? I’m used to it.” I leaned on the picnic table and stared at the greying wood. “It’s our default setting.” Oh to be more like my sister with a clear vision of what I wanted to do with my life, but I felt like I was a leaf on the breeze, blowing wherever the wind was taking me. There was no telling where I would land or if I even wanted to.

“I’m sorry,” Evie said, grabbing my hand. My throat clogged up. “She is always extra hard on you, and I’m sorry I get you into trouble. Don’t bother denying it. I know Mom thinks you corrupt me.” I snorted and tugged my hand away. The roles were all reversed. I was supposed to be looking out for her, not the other way around.

“Seriously, it’s fine. You know I always have your back. Besides, I don’t care if she yells at me or blames me anymore.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I love this hair color on you.”

I smiled. “Thanks, and don’t worry. I didn’t expect her to understand why I stole a box of hair dye.” I swung my legs over the edge of the seat and stood. “It’s not like she’s wrong. I shouldn’t have done it, and I did feel bad for stealing. I hate that no one will hire me because I’m only sixteen. Loretta’s Greenhouse said they would give me a job but at half pay.” I shook my head. “That’s not fair. I have to walk an hour to get there.”

“I know, but I still don’t get why she grounded you for a month. It was only a box of hair dye. It’s not like you robbed a bank or stole a car.” I laughed. That was exactly the road my mother thought I was on. I had an aversion to prison and tiny boxes, so I’d never do anything that stupid.

“Electric blue hair dye definitely screams I’m on the path to hell,” I said cheekily, making Evie laugh.

“It looks so cool. We should do me pink next, or we should get matching tattoos,” she squealed, brimming with a cheery version of defiance. “I want a butterfly.” Laughing, I tossed my empty milkshake cup in the garbage.

“I would definitely be kicked out of the house if I dyed your hair and took you to get a tattoo. If she knew I left the house and took you with me for a milkshake, she’d have me burned at the stake for trying to rot your teeth out of your head or some shit,” I said, crossing my arms.

I nodded toward the sidewalk. Evie took the hint and tossed her cup before joining me. As soon as we stepped out of the shade, I lifted my arm to block my eyes from the intense rays of the sun. I should’ve been a vampire. Being fair meant that the sun and I didn’t get along. Even though I didn’t burst into flames, no amount of sunscreen could save me. I envied everyone who could tan and not look like they belonged in a horror movie as the ghost.

Evie took me by surprise as she raced up beside me, grabbed me, and wrapped her arms around my waist. “You’re the best sister, Lora. Even if I give you grief, I love you.”

And this was why I couldn’t just pack a bag and hit the road. My heart belonged here with her, at least until she was eighteen, then…well then, we would see. I loved it here, but I wanted to explore the world.

“Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we plan to take off for your eighteenth birthday? We can backpack around Europe or something for a couple of months.”

Evie’s mouth dropped open, her eyes wide as she barely contained her excitement. “Are you screwing with me?”