My phone rings for the third time in four hours.
Sawyer’s name flashes across the screen and I press the ignore button again.
As soon as I walked through the front door, I told my aunt I didn’t feel good and had no intention of talking about the visit with my father. Ever.
I’ve been holed up in my bedroom ever since. Barely holding it together.
My phone vibrates with an incoming text:
Sawyer: You don’t have to talk. I just want you to know I’m here if you need me.
Guilt prickles my chest. It’s not Sawyer’s fault he’s an asshole.
Putting the phone to my ear, I call her back.
She answers on the first ring. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I whisper. “I’m not ignoring you. I’m just…I’m in a really bad head space right now.”
One small nudge off the tightrope and I’ll go tumbling.
“I’m sorry.” I can hear the hesitation in her voice before she says, “I was thinking about making a midnight fast food run if you want to come with.”
I look at the clock on my nightstand. It’s only ten forty-five. “It’s not midnight yet.”
She laughs. “I know, but I’ve been trying a new diet this week, and I’m seriously going to rip my hair out if I don’t get a cheeseburger in my system soon.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “I guess for the sake of your gorgeous hair, I have to come, don’t I?”
“Yes. Trust me, I don’t have the bone structure to pull off bald.” Her voice drops a little. “We don’t have to talk about today if you don’t want to. We can just drive around, gorge ourselves on greasy burgers, and listen to your favorite rock music.”
“Sounds perfect to me.” I pry myself off the bed. “Mind if I ask Oak to tag along? He texted me on my way home from the prison and told me he broke up with Hayley for good. He could probably use a pick me up, too.”
“Wow…that’s…I mean, a blind person could see that coming from a mile away, but yeah. Tell him to come hang. I’ll be there in twenty.”
“Awesome. See you then,” I say before ending the call and texting Oakley.
After I put on a pair of Chucks and check my phone, I wander across the hall to Oakley’s room.
I knock four times but he doesn’t answer, so I head for the kitchen. Lord knows it’s his second favorite room in the house. The first being the basement.
There’s no sign of him.
I’m about to ask my aunt and uncle if they’ve seen him, but I remember my aunt mentioned something about going to some kind of charity auction tonight.
Lifting my phone to my ear, I call his cell. I’m lazy and don’t want to walk all the way downstairs and back up if he’s not there.
It rings a few times before going to voicemail.
Hmm.
A weird sensation tugs in my gut as I turn the doorknob to the basement. I hope he didn’t have a seizure.
I tread down the stairs, but stagger to a stop when I hear voices.
“I miss you,” Oakley says, his speech slurred.
I roll my eyes. Here we go again. Another round on the Hayley train.
I’m about to walk back upstairs, but the next voice I hear stops me in my tracks.
“I told you, it’s over. We can’t keep doing this.”
I shake my head, convinced I’m hearing things.
“It’s killing me,” Oakley says, his voice thick with emotion. “I can’t take it.”
They’re the very same words he said the night I found him drunk upstairs at Christian’s.
Oh, my God. Oakley wasn’t kissing me…he thought I was her.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” my aunt says. “But I love my husband.”
Bile works up my throat. No. There’s no way this is happening.
“You and I both know that’s not true,” Oakley grits out. “You’re just scared of losing your ATM machine.”
“How dare you. You know I’m not like that.”
“Then prove it,” Oakley says. “Run away with me. Just like we talked about.”
I have to cover my mouth so I don’t gasp.
“You’re out of your mind.”
“No,” he objects. “For the first time, I’m finally thinking clearly.”
There’s nothing but the sound of heavy panting and then, “We have to be quick. Wayne will be home any minute.”
“Good. I want him to see how good I fuck his wife while he’s gone.” My aunt moans as the sounds of skin slapping together assault my ears. “Show him how much she loves taking his son’s dick.”
The room spins and I grab the banister so I don’t fall.
This has to be a mistake. I know my aunt. She would never do something like this. She’s a good person. She would never cheat on her husband or use her teenage stepson to get her rocks off.
No. I don’t believe it. I refuse to. Shaking my head, I tiptoe down the stairs.
This is a sick joke.
A stupid, sick…
My stomach lurches as Oakley furiously drives himself into my aunt who’s bent over the couch moaning his name.
They’re so into what they’re doing they don’t even see me.
My mind wants to reject the entire scene as I dart up the stairs and close the door behind me. But I can’t. It’s too real. Too raw. Too…
“Hey, Dylan,” Wayne greets me as he walks through the front door. “Is your aunt upstairs?”
“My aunt?” I squeak.
“Yeah, I tried calling her on my way home from the auction to see if she needed anything, but she didn’t answer.”
“Oh?” It’s like my brain can’t form a cohesive thought to save my life.
“Yeah, last time we spoke, she said she still wasn’t feeling good.” He smiles. “Between me and you, I think the morning sickness is getting to her.”
My heart stops. “Morning sickness?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, I mean we haven’t confirmed it officially yet, but she’s been sick for almost a week now.”
Oh…she is sick all right.
And so am I. Nausea hits me with a force so strong, my breath catches. She’s destroying her entire family…just like my dad.
“Whoa, kiddo. Are you okay?”
No. No, I’m not.
I stagger to the front door like a drunk person. “I, uh. I need some air.”
The second my feet hit the welcome mat, big, ugly tears roll down my cheeks, mirroring the rainstorm outside.
She’s the one I go to for advice. The only adult I had left to look up to.
The last good piece of my mom.
I’m all alone now. I no longer have a family. I don’t have…
Something inside me snaps and I take off running like a bat out of hell…speeding toward the only person in the world who will understand.
The only person who can make it better.
The only one who can put me back together again.
