Page 7 of Before We Break

I park my bike on the edge of the cliff and listen to the waves crashing against the rocks below. All it took was one phone call to turn my entire world on its axis, and fuck if I know how the hell I’m gonna turn things back around. I have a tiny person relying on me now, and I can’t let him down.

Jonah’s been in recovery for the better part of a decade. I thought things were looking up when he met Andrea, but like all romantic relationships, it soured. They were battling the same demons. Just before my nephew’s second birthday, Jonah relapsed, and we had a massive falling out that sent him to rehab. Last I heard, they were sober until Andrea overdosed on oxy last April.

I found out about it from my sister, Emma. Jonah was too much of a coward to face me then. I guess that hasn’t changed. Now he’s in jail awaiting trial on manslaughter charges for Andrea’s death on the basis that he may have provided her with the drugs that killed her.

I don’t want to believe it, but Jonah’s track record isn’t doing him any favors.

Whatever the outcome, Auggie’s in my care now, and he’s my priority. Maybe Jonah and I don’t have the best relationship, but the kid is an innocent bystander, and he deserves some normalcy. I’m not equipped to be a parent, but I’m willing to try for Auggie’s sake.

Jonah has his faults, but he’s a good dad, and he’s always done everything he can to make sure Auggie is taken care of, even if that means leaving him with an unqualified uncle, I guess.

I couldn’t help Jonah, but I won’t fail Auggie. Not now, not ever.

TWO

THE GHOST OF A VICTORIAN CHILD

♫ Espresso - Sabrina Carpenter

NOAH

At five a.m. like clockwork, Clio’s alarm blares through the paper-thin walls. It’s not a normal alarm—it’s one of those agitating ones that could revive Tinkerbell. Next comes what she affectionately calls her hype girl playlist, followed by the sound of pans clanking and the coffee maker gurgling and spluttering.

I smash a pillow over my face to drown out the noise and close my eyes, hoping to fall back to sleep. But now I see her, clear as day, wearing those overalls she wore when she moved in. Even my memories are determined to torment me into insanity.

We live above my tattoo parlor in my shithole hometown. I don’t know where Clio’s from, but if I had to guess, I’d say my own personal hell. She blew in on a breeze last year like Mary fucking Poppins, taking up residence in my apartment building and under my goddamn skin.

It used to be one big open-plan apartment up here, but it was way too much space for a single guy with no kids, so I hired my buddy, Miles, to split it into two units. I hadn’t accounted for how thin the walls would be.

When the incessant noise continues for longer than usual, I throw open my apartment door and charge across the hall to bang on hers.

As the wood panel swings open, Clio’s green eyes are sparkling, and she’s wearing that same bright smile that never seems to falter, no matter how many times we’ve done this back and forth.

“Oh. Hi, Noah. I just finished making breakfast. Want some?”

I cross my arms in front of me. “No.”

“Ok.” There’s a long pause before she speaks again. “What can I do for you?”

“You can keep it down. You know, like the last eight hundred times I’ve asked.”

“Right. Sorry. I’m still not used to living in an apartment.” She scrunches up her nose in that adorable way of hers.

No. Not adorable—this hellion is anything but. She’s annoying, loud, and fuck… did she paint those jeans on?

I shake myself out of it. “This is your last warning.”

She snorts and echoes the words back in a mocking tone. “This is your last warning.”

“Do you ever take anything seriously?”

She clears her throat and straightens her spine, her lips twitching as she fails to hold back her smile. “I’m very sorry, sir. I will endeavor to do better in the future.”

“You said that last time.” I rub at my temples to dull the oncoming headache. “Look, your lease is up next month. If this keeps happening, I’ll have to find a new tenant."

She rushes forward and grips my forearm, her eyes wide. “No. Please.”

I shrug her off, and the absence of her leaves behind a weird prickling sensation. I must be allergic to her lotion or something. “One month. If I have to come over here again…”