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“You know I caught your mom and dad at it more than once. He was a horny thing, always feeling her up. No respect around me at all.”
“Seriously, Grams, I don’t want to hear about that shit.”
I didn’t want to hear anything about my parents, period. My sperm donor had skipped out on us before I’d been born and my mom… well, the less said about her, the better.
Grams was my family—theonlyfamily who mattered.
“Sorry, my sweet boy.” She laid her hand over mine. “I know you don’t like it when I talk about them.”
“Whatever,” I murmured under my breath, pulling away to finish adding the last of her curlers to her hair. “There, all done. Do you need anything else?”
“It’s okay to talk about them, Zane. To remember.”
“I’m going for a run.”
She let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. I’ll make a start on breakfast.”
“I’ll have cereal when I get back. You rest.”
“Now enough of that. I will do what I can, while I can.”
“Fine. I’ll be back soon.” I dropped a kiss on her head before getting the hell out of there.
* * *
My feet pounded on the sidewalk as I jogged through the streets beyond The Row. It was quiet out. The odd car whizzing past, the occasional dog walker out for a morning stroll.
Sweat rolled down my back despite the cool temperatures. Winter was fast approaching, the leaves turning brown and crisp. Decaying. Much like this side of town. From the derelict buildings and graffitied walls to the rust bucket cars abandoned on driveways. No wonder my mom had fled, chasing dreams of a better life.
She just hadn’t cared enough to take me with her.
I’d spent years questioning what I did wrong. Why she didn’t love me enough? But I never got any answers.
Grams had been bitter back then. Blaming my mother’s own selfishness. Over the years she’d mellowed though. I think deep down, she missed her daughter. Hoped that one day, she might come back.
That was the last thing I wanted.
Isla Washington was dead to me.
Besides, you couldn’t miss someone you barely remembered.
Adrenaline coursed through me as I cut across the street and headed toward the reservoir. The aftermath of the party lingered. Empty bottles of beer, red cups, and trash littered the whole area. I’d seen this sight plenty of times, but something felt different lately.
It was senior year. The most important year of our lives, or so Principal Marston would have us believe. But the truth was, for most of us it was just another reminder of everything we wouldn’t achieve and would never have.
I followed the path around the reservoir to the other side. Technically, this was Old Darling Hill territory, but the res had always been neutral since it acted as the natural border between the two sides of town.
It was early still, so I didn’t expect to see anyone down there. Least of all a familiar face.
“Washington, didn’t expect to see you here.” Nate Miller slid off the hood of his car and made his way toward me.
“The fuck are you doing down here?” I slowed to a walk, eyeing the blunt between his fingers, and lifted a brow. “Bad morning?”
“Couldn’t sleep.” He shrugged. “You want in?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Suit yourself. Good time last night?” His gaze flicked over my shoulder across the res as if he could see the carnage left behind.
