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“Remind me to lock my door next time.” I snap, and she rolls her eyes.
“Dramatic much?”
“Yes! Always! What do you want?” There’s no hiding my snarky mood, but it doesn’t deter my big sister.
“Gees Rhys! Can’t a big sister want to spend time with her little sister?”
“As if this is just a friendly visit. What do you want?” I sit up, facing Char, noticing the green in her hair has faded quite a lot.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t waste my time.” She flashes me a fake smile and steps forward, sitting on the end of my bed. “Fuck Rhys. Why haven’t you painted this room yet? White really isn’t your colour.”
“I haven’t decided what colour to paint it, or even if I should. I’d hate to make more work for Cin and Will when they’ve had enough of me and send me away.”
Char’s brows hitch. “Girl, they ain’t sending you anywhere. Any lack of progress in your relationship with them is all you. That cement wall you’ve built around your heart is pretty fucking tough to penetrate. They’ve let you choose the pace here, Rhys. I thought you knew that.”
Did I know that? Maybe. It’s hard to tell right now with this dark cloud hanging over my head. “Are you gonna tell me why you’re invading my space?”
Char sighs. “Fine. I wanted to give you a heads up. I think the olds are looking to bring a new puppy home.”
I frown at Char’s use of the word puppy. What she really means is a new foster kid. This is a five-bedroom house, so I guess another kid would fit, but damn, why are they so hell-bent on punishing themselves with all of these troubled kids?
“What makes you think that?”
“Well, I overheard them quietly arguing. Cin thinks it will be too hard onyouif they bring another kid into the works right now, and Will thinks it will be good for you. Then he reminded Cin of the dire situation this other kid is in.”
“Let me guess. She caved.” I shift to sit with my legs crossed in the middle of my bed as Charlotte nods.
“Pretty much. You know Cin can’t stand by and ignore a child in need.”
I nod, knowing as much. Cin and Will are good people. The best. If this kid is on their radar, then they need my foster parents.
“So, are you gonna fill me in with the whole Brian and Julie thing, or do I have to pretend I didn’t overhear all the drama when Will and Cin thought they were alone?” Charlotte grins as my brows shoot up. She already knows too much. I can tell.
“It doesn’t seem like I need to fill you in with anything.”
“You’re right. So, you’re going to the prison to see Brian? How are they gonna catch Julie?”
I shrug. “That part I don’t know yet. I don’t think the cops know. I think they are hoping she’ll be dumb enough to turn up to the prison.”
“Hmm. Julie doesn’t seem like the dumb type. She’s evaded the cops for years, so I’m guessing she’s pretty fuckingnotdumb.”
“That’s what I’m worried about. How do you find a ghost? How can I find her and make her pay for what she’s done to me and, apparently, some other girls? Fucking hoe bag is going down!” The pissiness comes easy since I’m already raring for a throw down today.
Char laughs. “I like this violent side of you. It’s way more appealing than the bubbly party girl that doesn’t stop having fun.”
“Are you sure you’re not a serial killer?” I smirk as she flicks her green tipped hair off her shoulders.
“No. Well, at least, not yet. There’s still plenty of time for me to perfect my craft.” She grins back and then stands from my bed. “When you’re ready to get payback on those fuckers, come and see me. We’ll make sure they never dare to mess with little girls ever again.”
“I don’t suppose payback will involve help from Angel Org?”
Charlotte’s brows hitch. “You know about them?”
Smiling, I fill Charlotte in on the bus trip home and the support Evie gave me. Char is royally pissed about Luke and Dion’s actions, but she beams with pride when I speak of Evie, and I realise they must know each other. Charlotte reminds me again that she can help me, and as she leaves my room, I know damn well she’s not joking.
Charlotte Kane had to fight for her life when she was younger. Literally. It was her, or the crazy arse foster mum, that was locking her in a broom closet for days on end. Spearing that lady through the chest with the sharp end of a broken mop pole was probably the best thing Charlotte could have done. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be alive now. At least that’s what the social workers said in the report I wasn’t supposed to read. Two weeks in the hospital is what it took to re-nourish her enough to re-enter the world outside. Then came the battle for her to learn how to trust again. It makes me wonder what hell she put Cin and Will through before they brought me into the picture. Maybe one day soon, I’ll ask Char.
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