AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I ain’t got time for talking.” He drops the money he was holding onto the bed, then scoops up what’s on the floor, adding it to the pile. There must be thousands of dollars there. What was Ted planning to do with it? Was he just waiting until I was gone to spend it?
I’ve been living on peanut butter sandwiches and wearing torn sneakers while Ted’s been hoarding money. Money he took from my paychecks and from the checks he got every month that were supposed to be for me. How could he do that? How could be that horrible to his own grandkid?
If I’d known that money was there, I could’ve taken it and made a new life for myself. I could’ve moved to a new city, got an apartment, some furniture, and put a down payment on a car. But I didn’t even think to look for the money. How did my dad know?
He folds the blanket up around the money, forming a makeshift sack to hold it. “I ain’t gonna say it again, kid. Get out of here. This ain’t none of your business.”
I put my phone to my ear. “Yeah, I’d like to report a robbery.”
My dad’s face turns red from rage, his eyes narrowed. “This better be a joke.” He reaches for my phone.
I back away, dropping my phone to my side. “I didn’t call, but I will if you don’t listen to me.”
He huffs. “Hurry up. I ain’t got time for this shit.”
“I need to get out of here. When people find out Ted is gone, I’ll end up back in foster care.”
“Not my problem, kid.”
“Maybe not, but getting arrested could be a problem.”
“Arrested for what?” he scoffs. “I didn’t do nothing.”
“You don’t live here. You’re taking money that’s not yours.”
“I’m his son. Who the fuck else you think it’s gonna go to?”
“Maybe Ted had a will.”
“The old man was too cheap to pay some lawyer to write down where all his shit goes when he dies. And without a will, it goes to his son.”
He’s probably right. I can’t see Ted making a will.
“You broke into the apartment. That’s breaking and entering.” I hold up my phone. “If you still want me to leave, I could call from my room.”
“Just spit it out. What the fuck do you want?”
“I need a place to hide out until I turn 18.”
“Go crash at a friend’s house.”
“I can’t. And I can’t stay here. I need to leave town and go somewhere people don’t know me.”
“You ain’t living with me.” He leans down and shoves his hand in the mattress, searching for more money. “If that’s what you’re thinking, you can stop right there.”
“It’s only for a couple months. I turn 18 in January.”
He laughs. “No fucking way. I live in a one-bedroom that’s barely big enough for me.”
“I don’t take up much room. I’ll sleep on the couch, or the floor. And I can help out around the house. I can cook and clean up like I did for Ted.”
My dad pulls his hand out of the mattress and stands up, rubbing his jaw. “What else can you do? You good with kids?”
“What do you mean? Like babysitting?”
“My girlfriend’s got this fucking kid and she’s too cheap to get a sitter. We can’t ever go out.”
“I can babysit. I’ll babysit all you want. Does that mean I can stay?”
