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“Morgan, we’re friends. We’resupposed to bebest friends. And I want to know why you hate me so much.” Her pitiful, weak tone drives me more insane with every word.
I shove off my car and stand in front of her. “I don’t hate you. I hate what you are. Weak. Tragic. Useless.”
Her eyes drop to the ground as she rolls on her heels. “I was feeling guilty. But I don’t anymore. You deserve every bad thing that happens to you.”
“What the—” Before I can finish, something solid rams against my back. Stealing my breath, a hand immediately covers my mouth. Instinctively fighting against the strong grip, I quickly conclude it’s pointless. I can’t get free. My mind becomes blurry as I struggle to hold my breath when I realize the cloth over my mouth has a chemical or substance on it. Something that’s making me dizzy.
I have no choice but to breathe it in.
And the last thing I hear before I lose consciousness is Lenny. “That’s right. This bitch is about to get exactly what she deserves.”
22
CADE
“There he is,” Dustin says as soon as I push open the front door of our apartment. “I thought you forgot where we lived.”
“Nope.”Just wanted to forget who’s living here with us. But that’s impossible since he’s sitting on the couch by my brother.
“I made some chicken and dumplings. It’s on the stove. You can grab a bowl and come watchJumanjiwith us.” Dad’s acting like this shit is normal. Him cooking. Being here for a father-son movie marathon. None of it is normal. Even before he ran off, he was never even a decent father who participated in my life. Unless it was to put his fist in my face.
“Not hungry.” I keep walking past the fake happy-family scene, go into my bedroom, and shut the door. It’s about three seconds later when there’s a light knock and it opens. Thankfully, it’s my brother and not the jackass. But I know the conversation will still involve the latter.
“How was everything at the hotel?”
A clusterfuck.“Fine.”
“Sounds that way. Especially with that warm, fuzzy demeanor you’ve got going on.” I look to my brother, who has a pointed stare at me. “He’s trying, Cade. Give him a chance.”
“Yeah. Now that I’m eighteen, he wants to try to be a father. Perfect timing.” I didn’t need him back then. And I sure as fuck don’t need him now. “The only thing I need from him is for him to stay the fuck away from me.”
Dustin holds up his hands, signaling for me to lower my voice. Protecting the douche out there who beat the shit out of my brother too.
“I appreciate you. I do. And everything you’ve done for me, because you didn’t have to. But don’t ask me to protect that motherfucker’s feelings. Otherwise, you’re in for a huge disappointment.”
“I just want y’all to be able to sit in the same room and share a freaking bowl of food, Cade. That’s it. I don’t want to be in the middle.”
“Youput yourself in the middle. He put you in the place where you act more like a father to me than he ever did. So, no. I won’t be joining in on family dinner time.”
“Okay.” Dustin nods, then leaves my room. The hurt expression makes me feel a ton of guilt. But not enough to walk out there and share air with that bastard.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, I pull it out and see it’s Neil calling. Then I add more to the guilt when I decline the call before powering off my phone. I just need five freaking minutes to clear my head. Without Dustin asking me to forgive my father, without Morgan in my head telling me she hates me, without Neil paying for my damn station in life. Just quiet.
I drop on my bed, my face in the pillow as I close my eyes. So much for quiet. Morgan’s voice is the one that keeps echoing in my head. I don’t know how long I lay there. Maybe an hour, maybe three. Then the door swings open and slams against the wall. Neil rushes in in a full-blown panic.
“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call you forever.”
His panic is rising, and my heart jumps into my throat when I see Savannah behind him. Crying. The last time that happened, it was bad.
I’m off my bed and in front of them when I ask, “What happened?”
The only thing that scares me more than Neil’s expression is his silence.
23
CADE
“Tell me what the hell is going on.” I’m going to lose it if he keeps standing there like a statue.
