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“Trust me,” Sierra says, interrupting my thoughts. “I’ve called him fifteen times. He’s not answering. My issue isn’t with Chloe particularly. It’s the fact that she came to our house and looked our mother in the eyes without caring about her hoe sister being a homewrecker.”
I toss my keys in the bowl and go straight to the fridge for a beer but stop myself. Tonight calls for something stronger. I snag a bottle of Jack, grab a Coke, and make myself a nice, strong drink. “I know. I know. Any advice?”
She blows out a frustrated breath. “It depends on how much you like her. Me? I don’t know if I could forgive a guy whose cracked-out sister’s boyfriend did what he did. Not to mention, the cracked-out sister’s boyfriend said that they’d been blackmailing Dad for money. That’s not cool. I need answers. Get answers from her, Kyle.”
I grit my teeth and grip my drink as I go to my bedroom to change out of my uniform. “I’m carrying too much anger to ask for answers from her or him at the moment.”
She releases a stressed breath. She’s as protective of our family as I am. “Understandable. I will blow his phone up all night and am prepared to sit in his office if need be.”
I put her on speakerphone to remove my gun from the holster. I slip it in the nightstand drawer and throw on a tee and sweatpants. “Doubt he’ll come home tonight.”
“He has to eventually.”
I down my drink. “Maybe I should join you.”
“Not happening. We can’t add the mayor’s son giving him an ass-kicking on top of the mayor having a love child all in one night.”
I make another drink when we end the call.
My next incoming call is from my mom.
I chug my whiskey and pour another when she asks me to stay on the phone with her as she cries and rants about how much she hates my father. I stop myself from throwing the glass across the room.
19
Chloe
Age Fifteen
I didn’t go to school today.
Inevermiss school if I can help it.
Today, I couldn’t help it.
Couldn’tmentallysurvive another day of the taunting.
I made it through yesterday, tears blinding my eyes as I walked home, and cursed Kyle Lane with every step I took. I ate lunch in the restroom and sped to my classes before anyone could see me in the hall. I haven’t seen Kyle once after I slapped him.
A few days off from school will prepare me for becoming the target of my bullying classmates.
Kyle has made everyone believe we had sex and that I wanted around two. Heck, I’m glad we never made it toround one.Giving him my virginity would’ve been a giant mistake on top of going to the dance with him.
No more dances or school functions for me.
I slapped him and he deserved it. He had taken me to the dance as a prank straight out of a ’90s chick flick—ask the geek to the dance as a joke and then publicly humiliate her.
I’m in my bedroom, reading to Trey, when I hear the front door slam shut. Fear spirals through me. My mother is at her boyfriend’s for the week, and it’s too early for Claudia to be out of bed. I drop my book at the sound of roaring footsteps and scurry to the corner of my room where a baseball bat is hidden. I settle Trey into the closet behind my clothes and tell him to shush.My sister hangs out with sketchy people, and I’ve prepared myself in case she pushes one to flip their lid and hurt us.
My door flies open, and Sam stands in my doorway.
“Chloe!” he shouts. “What were you fucking thinking?”
His face is red, fury in his eyes, and a vein in his neck is twitching underneath the skin.
This isn’t the Sam I know.
No.
