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“What the fuck, D? What the hell is your problem?”
“I’m trying—”
“Sweetheart, this is for the best. Donnie will focus on school, and Sadie will stay behind.”
“What?” Irritation surges up inside me as I round the corner into the kitchen.
“Donnie!” Mom screeches, holding her hand over her chest.
“Calm down, son,” Dad warns, holding out both hands in front him.
“Calm down? I thought you understood. How can I calm down when you’re trying to keep Shorty and my baby from me,” I seethe.
“D—” Ash lays his hand on my shoulder, but I brush him off.
“You can’t just make decisions about my life without talking to me first, Dad,” I yell, unable to hold back my anger.
“You bet your ass I can if it’s going to protect your future!” Dad yells back.
“Are you kidding me?” I let out a humorless laugh. “Shorty is coming to live with me. I am going to be there when she hasmybaby. I’m not fucking leaving her behind!”
“Donovan!” Mom yells in shock.
“No, she is not!” Dad yells, stepping into my space.
I take a step forward, but Ash gets in between us. “You don’t have a say in what we do, Dad. She won’t stay behind.”
“She agrees with me!”
His statement halts me in place. I take a step backward. “What?” I ask, hoping what he’s saying is not true.
Dad sighs and runs his hands down his face. “Sadie and I talked the other day—we had agoodtalk, and we both came to an agreement.”
“What kind of agreement?” I feel myself unraveling. I need to get myself under control before I do something stupid like go back to the Pit.
“She agreed to stayherewhile you attend school in Tennessee. You’ll see each other over Facetime, breaks, and holidays. She cares about you and your future, Donnie. She knows how important it is to you. She loves you.”
No, she wouldn’t do that.
She knows how much I want her to be near me.
She wouldn’t take that away from me.
I look to Mom for some hope that Dad is full of shit, but when she turns away, I have my answer.
Anger.
Pain.
Betrayal.
It all spins into one emotion.
I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my hands into fists at my sides. Right now, the Pit sounds like a good fucking idea.
A wave of violent fury rises inside me. I run up the stairs and barge into the guest room. I rip the drawers from the dresser, then I yank the TV off the wall, followed by flipping the mattress upside down. I grab the lamp and fling it against the wall.
When I notice the nightlight in the corner, my legs give out and I collapse to the floor. With my head hanging down and my hands on my knees, I try to catch my breath and stich together the rip in my heart.
