Adam's drunk and I thank God for it.
The girl with him is giving us a bored look while Adam tries his best to be intimidating. Cade walks over casually, digging a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.
When he offers it to Will, he tries unsuccessfully to knock it out of Cade's hand. "I asked what are you doing back here with my sister!?"
The girl with him huffs and walks back into the bar.
"I saw her come out here trying to get away from the creep inside, and I didn't think it was a good idea for her to be alone in a dark alleyway. Sue me."
Adam thought about it, looking over his shoulder, he notices that his friend left. "Great," he hisses. "Come back inside," he eyes me and then Cade. "And don't think about touching my sister, Cade."
I watch Cade's fingers curl into a ball at his side while he lets out a huff of smoke. "Why are you so worried about me hurting your sister, Adam? She was just inside with some douchebag that would
I look up at Jaden over the top of her car. She's talking to a customer about different prices on lube jobs, biting her lip and tucking her hair behind her ear. My knuckles turn white from my tight grip. The distance is killing me. I want to slam the hood and drag her back to the breakroom and lock the door. Her gaze moves to mine through the window of the door separating us. She smiles. I wink at her, loving the blush that tints her cheeks. "Cute girl," Johnny says. "Isn't she your friend's little sister?" he asks, wiping his hands on his uniform. I snarl, keeping my gaze on her car and my mouth shut. He chuckles and leans forward to see what I'm doing. "You're working on her car, giving her the eye all day and you live together? Doesn't take a genius to figure out you're screwing her—," Standing up, I slam the hood down, missing his fingers by an inch. He jumps backs, but doesn't lose his grin. "Well, looks like I've struck a nerve,
I'm livid. I can't believe my dad or Adam for that matter. Going through my stuff? Where is his dignity? Besides being completely humiliated in front of Cade, now he knows I haven't taken my pills and probably thinks I'm insane. I stare at my closed door wanting nothing more than my dad to fall down the stairs on his way out. Not to mention, I now have to pay all of my bills alone—I don't even care—I'll do whatever to be out from underneath his thumb. Instead of stew in my pot of my anger, I change into my pajamas and work my way through my homework. I assume Dad left, but Adam doesn't come into my room or try. Smart guy. I'd probably toss a book at his genitals if he did. I'm midway into an episode of Catfish when I hear someone—or something—peck on my window. Since we're on the second floor, I'm a little concerned, but I walk over and look out. At first I don't see anyone, but I hear him. "Open the window." It's Cade. I glance out a
She's dead. I failed her for good this time. I'll never be able to shake the image of her on that cool sterile table. Unfortunately, she looked better in death than the last time I saw her strung out and shivering in the heat. She looked at peace, which was more than I could say since I was a child. My phone beeps around eleven as I'm staring at my ceiling. It's Jaden. Her: I'm moving out. I lift a brow. Me: Oh yeah? Where are you going? I can imagine the frustrated look on her face. Her: I don't know yet. My dad wants me out unless I do what he says. I have money saved up, and the job at the garage, I'll find something. The thought of moving out of this apartment with her tempts me. I bite my lip gently, knowing it's too soon, I hardly know this girl. But I like her. I start to type out a text but stop. Adam would flip his lid if I moved out
My new apartment smells like water downed cleaning products and old wood. Not my first choice, by far, but something I can call my own. Plus, it's cheap and all I can afford. The boxes in the living room are filled with my belongings, but most of my furniture sits in the U-Haul parked out front. I expected Cade to be home by now to help me. I check my phone again, but there isn't any new texts or missed calls. I curl my palm around my stomach when it growls. Since I have no food, I order Door Dash and eat it on the floor of my living room. Music thumps from the apartment above me, and I try not to dwell on the fact that I have class tomorrow. And how Cade has disappeared. I gnaw on the corner of my fingernail, and send him another text which issues me no response. I don't want to be angry, but I need his help. I only have the truck until tomorrow morning or I'll have to pay for an extra day, which I don't have the money for. I throw my food away in th
My entire body is sore. Even though there were three of them, my pride is still hiding his head. I crane my neck to the side and groan at the pain that shoots down my back. For three old guys, they handed me my tail. It's not as if I'm surprised. You don't run with a rough crowd without being able to handle yourself. My gaze lifts from the hood where I'm single handedly changing the oil, to Dan and Jaden in the lobby. I don't like the look on Dan's face or that he's side eyeing me. I groan when he waves me to the front. He's leaned against the counter nonchalantly, a slither of his belly hanging from underneath his garage uniform. "How ya feeling?" I rest my elbows on the counter, watching Jaden avoid eye contact and scribble flowers on the side of the receipt book in front of her. I lift a brow, knowing she's avoiding looking at me for whatever reason. "I'm fine." Dan slides his tongue over the front of his teeth. "You sure? Jaden mentioned you hurting and taking extra pain kill
My heart is in my chest as we climb the stairs to my brother's apartment building. Cade is behind me, making snide comments under his breath about my jeans, but I'm too nervous to blush at them. We stop, and I turn to look at him. He grins. "Calm down, Jaden. It'll be fine. Your brother is out with some girl and Will always stays in the night before a baseball game. I'll go into my room and start packing. Just do what we practiced." I'm two seconds from throwing up. I feel it crawling up, and I'm not sure I can choke it down much longer. "I don't know how to do this, Cade." He gives me a yeah right look. "Do what? Flirt?" "Uh, yeah," I say. "Look how awkward I am. I didn't have too many gentlemen callers in high school, and I'm just not … sexy. I'm not that girl." Cade chuckles, sliding an inked arm around my waist, he pulls me toward him. "I beg to differ. You're sexy, because you're not trying. Will was trying to get with y
Jaden looks lost as she stares off into space. I can't imagine the images, the memories or thoughts that cloud her mind. I've been down before, lost, but never enough to want to kill myself. I move my fingertips against the slither of skin between her t-shirt and jeans. She doesn't seem to notice. Her mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out. I want to tell her she doesn't have to say anything, but I want to know so bad. How bad did Justin and Selena hurt her? What all happened? The scars are still visible on her wrist, the vertical marks tell me she really wanted to end it. They don't look superficial. She rolls over on her side and faces me. Her soft features look cloudy and distant. "You know what happened between Justin and I. How he treated me, and then the pictures circulating. I told you about overhearing Selena in the bathroom?" I nod. She frowns. "It only got worse from there. It took Selena minutes to find out who I was, and the ve
Dad doesn't call, but I know they've been busted because it's on the school's newspaper the next morning. Seeing my brother's face, bruised and sunken in makes my chest hurt. This isn't the Adam I know. I close the receipt book as soon as the clock turns five. I'm glad to be finished for the day, and even more excited to go home to an apartment that isn't Adam's. Cade doesn't look at the clock, never does, so I sashay over to the garage and knock my knuckles over the metal door. "Hey handsome, it's time to clock out!" I shout. Johnny sticks his head up from underneath the hood of a Mazda and smiles. "Alright, Sweetheart, I'm coming." Cade walks around and nonchalantly hits him in the back of the head with his sack of dirty rags for the day. "My bad," he says with a smile. He looks worse than the day before since his fight with Will and Adam. I'm thankful the random neighbor broke it up, because I knew I couldn't. But his garage uniform looks g