Page 53 of What About Us

“Nope. You won’t apologize for her. I’m going to be honest with you, Red, I don’t like leaving you here with her.”

Please don’t leave me.

I want to beg him to stay, but I don’t want to subject him to any more of her drama, so I shake my head and let him hug me. I lean into him, soaking up his warmth, and build my walls up so that woman who birthed me can’t hurt me.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll order her a few things from Walmart or something.” I sound so much more confident than I feel right now.

“I can⁠—”

“No, you don’t have to do anything else. I’ve got this.” I pat his chest. “Really, thank you for everything you’ve already done.”

He sighs and kisses the top of my head, and I want him to keep doing that. “Okay. Call me if you need me. I’ll get your truck over here this afternoon.”

“I appreciate it.”

“I won’t be able to meet until a little later tomorrow morning. I have to be at the ranch early for something. In fact, why don’t we take tomorrow off and you get a handle on things here too?”

I’d rather die than have to stay here with that nightmare of a woman all day tomorrow, but I understand.

“Okay, I’ll see you on Wednesday, then.”

I turn to walk away, but he grabs my chin and turns me back to him.

“You’ll call me if you need anything.” He studies me for a heartbeat. “I mean it, Red. Anything at all, even if you just need to scream into the phone.”

I nod and offer him a shaky smile. “I will. Thanks.”

Steeling my spine, I turn and walk up the path to my door and push inside, and immediately feel like I’m going to have a stroke.

“Cat ran under the fucking bed,” Mom says from the couch, where she’s smoking—where the fuck was she hiding those?—and channel surfing on my TV.

At least Cally is somewhere safe. I’d like to join her.

“You won’t smoke in my house,” I begin and walk over to pluck the cigarette from her mouth, then walk into the kitchen to run it under water and toss it in the garbage.

By the time I’ve turned back around, she’s lighting another. She’s smug as fuck when she blows out smoke.

“Fuck you,” she says.

“I’m calling the cops and having them remove you for trespassing. Go be homeless for all I fucking care.”

Mom rolls her eyes and puts her butt out on one of my coasters. “You’re so dramatic.”

“No, I’m not. Try it again. I dare you.”

“You’re awfully lippy. Being with that asshole seems to have made you brave. I’ll slap it right off your face.”

I shake my head and walk away, intending to lock myself in my bedroom for the foreseeable future.

I hate her so much.

CHAPTER TWELVE

XANDER

It’s early, about an hour before I need to be at the ranch to meet with my siblings and Indigo, and I’m fucking pouting.

Yeah, I can admit it.