AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You sure?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. “We can totally get dressed up and go out to dinner.”
She lifts her shoulders and smiles. “Well, I’m not against getting dressed up—and we both know Rae isn’t either—but I really do want to just eat here with you guys.” Her smile dims. “Were you hoping we’d go do something fun outside the house?”
I chuckle. “No, Liv. I’m perfectly fine with whatever you feel like doing. Just making sure youwantto be the Broccoli Monster on your birthday.”
She chuckles, too, now. “I do.”
So the three of us head to the store to pick up ingredients. It’s a sunshiny day, which makes Liv’s hair gleam in the most awesome way, and even though it’s balls-cold outside, we appreciate that the temperature matches the season we’re in. Rae chatters the whole car ride about the birthday card she made Liv, which is allegedly the greatest one ever. We’re pretty excited to see what she came up with.
But when we get back in the building with our groceries, both of them suck in a sharp breath, grab me, and jerk me to a stop.
Before I can ask what’s wrong, the haggard and frankly scary-looking woman waiting by the elevator turns this way, dons an expression of recognition, and exclaims, “Oh! Is that my girl?”
And she…
…heads right for Rae.
Oh, fuck no—I drop the groceries and sweep Rae safely into my arms.
At the same time, Liv steps in front of us and commands the woman, “You back the hell up!”
She stops short, but she retorts, “Fuck you. That’smydaughter.”
Kelle.
This has to be Kelle.
I realize now that she’s a blue-eyed blonde like Rae and that other facial features of hers resemble Liv’s. She’s skeletal and heavy-eyed and rumpled, but of course she is—she’s had too much to do with drugs and alcohol. I think I can smell something strong on her breath here and now.
“You can’t be around her and you know it,” Liv is saying. “We have a restraining order against you.” She’s tapping at her phone. “I’m calling the police.”
Kelle rolls her eyes. “Who cares, Livie? They never come. Quit being a stupid bitch and just give me my kid.”
I can see Liv’s hands shaking as she starts rushing out details to 911. I happen to know the police do come when she calls, just too late, and she never has much proof that Kelle was around, much less an idea of where—
Kelle is walking around Liv.
Rae whimpers and clings hard to me, and I throw a rigid hand out just in time for her mom’s shoulder to ram into it.
“Stop,” I say warningly as she bumbles back a few steps.
She sneers. “Who—?Hey!”
Liv has stopped talking to the authorities to whirl around and drag Kelle from us with more muscle than I think I’ve ever seen her do anything.
“I told you to back up!” she shouts with fire in her eyes, causing my hairs to stand on end.
Kelle shrieks, “Rae ismykid and you can’t keep her from me!”
“Liv, give me the phone,” I cut in loudly, knowing she can’t talk on it and also keep Kelle at bay. She hands it off to me and I carry terrified Rae across the room to finish telling the operator what’s happening while the two sisters start arguing.
Just after I hang up, Liv screams, “No!No, you can’t take her tosome random guy’s house!” There’s something other than anger and protectiveness in her tone: horror. “I can’t believe you! You’d let some crack-headed bastard talk you into—?” Her voice breaks with disgust over something I’m glad I didn’t hear. “You want money so badly you’d put Rae in harm’s way? Do you remember nothing about our childhoods, Kelle?How can you be so selfish?”
“I’ll do what I want with her! I’m her mother! Give her to me!” She tries again to get past Liv.
And again she fails, this time because Liv shoves her several steps backward.
“You go for her again and you’ll be sorry,” she snarls.
