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WARNING:
Contains graphic violence and sex. This book may be a trigger as it contains abuse themes.
I stared at a black painted door. I’d traveled two thousand miles from Nowhere, Georgia to get to this place: a black door. Beyond this door was my fate. Beyond this door held the key to everything. Beyond this door my brother lived.
Or at least that’s what I hoped.
Did I hope that? My hand was up, fist curled ready to knock, but my brain wasn’t sending the right signals.
Here I was, having traveled all this way just to meet my brother, yet I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t knock.
I was fixing to turn around and walk my way back to Georgia, when the door opened on my frozen fist. A tall woman stood in the doorway. She was absolutely stunning. With red hair, blue eyes, and classically good looks, I suddenly felt unworthy.
“Oh!” The woman jumped back upon seeing me, a trash bag in her hand. I eyed the trash bag, my hand still posed to knock.
I coughed, brining my hand from knocking position to my mouth.
“Excuse me miss,” I said. “I’m lookin’ for Vic Wall. Does he live here?”
“Vic!” The woman yelled, turning her head back to the apartment. She dropped the trash but didn’t leave the doorway. “A woman is here for you. Do you have another wife I don’t know about?” Leaning casually against the frame, the woman brought her attention back to me.
“Do you mind if I ask how you know Vic?” She asked, smiling warmly.
I swallowed. I’d prepared myself for the inevitable confrontation with Vic, but not for this woman. I had no idea how to respond to her. Time ticked pass in slow motion as I thought of what to say. Do I tell the truth? Do I stall? Do I outright lie?
“I’m not his wife,” I said, trying to make a joke. The delivery was bland as I was nervous and scared.
“Oh of course not!” She laughed playfully.
Her laugh faded and we settled back in to an awkward silence. She smiled at me kindly. I smiled back, like a dumb mute. As I opened my mouth to speak, not prepared for what was going to come out, I was saved by the sound of another voice.
“Oh ha ha, Lenny. I only had the one hidden wife.”
My stomach dropped. Despite the constant slew of pep talks running in my mind, I still wasn’t ready to meet Vic.
My big brother.
My only sibling.
My last real family.
He’d abandoned me; left me all alone with Daddy and moved on to greater things. He sounded happy. He sounded fulfilled. No doubt he was, living with this supermodel and having the time of his life.
I realized then that I hated him.
“One is really more than enough,” The woman, or I guess her name is “Lenny,” replied dryly. I was barely paying attention to their conversation. All I could concentrate on was the inevitability of my brother’s appearance as she stepped aside to make room for him. I panicked. I tripped back, trying to exit before he appeared.
“You know what…” I started to form an excuse, any excuse so that I didn’t I have to see him. Even if it meant I had to leave and go back to my horrible life, it was better than seeing him that moment.
“Who is—”
Too late. Vic rounded the corner and upon seeing me his face dropped. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with filial hangups.
“Grace?” Vic spoke my name so quietly it barely registered.
“Grace?” The woman looked from Vic to me and back to Vic. “Who is Grace?” She looked at me, eyebrow raised. “You’re Grace? I’m missing something, obviously.”
“I am. I’m…” My tongue seized in my mouth. What was I doing here? I had no place to stay. No job. No lick of the kind of life I was interrupting. I wasn’t welcome.
