AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Faye kisses my cheek and I fall asleep.
I listen to her light a cigarette.
I smell the tangy odor.
She goes upstairs and takes a shower.
I fall back to sleep.
The next morning when I wake up Faye is eager to do something fun.
She hurries to get me dressed and we’re out the door.
We go to the mall and she gets herself a coffee, me an orange juice, then she takes me to the toy store.
I find a cheap, small guitar that has no business costing what it does.
Faye says she’ll buy it for me!
I’m the luckiest kid in the world.
Even as we stand at the register and I watch her fumble with clumps of cash.
She’s rolling out one dollar bills and five dollar bills.
There’s even a ten dollar bill in there - Faye must be really rich!
The money has glitter on it.
Nurses get paid in pretty cash, huh?
We go home and Faye says she’s taking a nap.
I sit on the couch, strum the plastic guitar and pretend I’m famous.
I’m… happy…
I blink fast and touch the corners of my eyes.
I can’t believe how emotional I feel.
The thought of such innocence and now it’s all gone.
“Jaci, I don’t want to get in your way,” Cullen says.
“Then don’t.”
“We’re going to protect you. No matter what you want us to do.”
“You really don’t want me to do this, do you? What do you think is going to happen?”
“This place is filthy,” Cullen says.
“I lived here. Sorry it doesn’t meet your fucking standards.”
“It’s not about standards. It’s dangerous and unnecessary.”
“She raised me.”
