Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Mom shoots me another nasty look before wobbling down the stairs in her stupid high heels. She and Roux climb into Alejandro’s Maxima. The bitch peels out, making a mess out of Mike’s yard. I shake my head in frustration.
“Come on,” Hollis says, taking my hand. “You need a nap.”
I’m numb and broken and sad as fuck. Jordy is going to prison. Ten fucking years. My eyes are blurry by the time we make it to bed. Hollis is gentle as he strips me down to my underwear. He does the same and then we crawl into bed. My boyfriend holds me, allowing me to just blank out for God knows how long.
It’s dark by the time I decide to speak.
“It’s all my fault.”
He runs his fingers through my hair. “Nope. You can’t take this on your shoulders.”
“If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have felt like he needed to rescue us.”
“Jordy is a big boy. He knew what he was doing.”
I sigh. “Maybe I should have been more adamant about my reasons for going there. Maybe that would have somehow reduced his sentence. I don’t fucking know.”
“It was hard for them to prove he killed in defense when he killed four people,” Hollis says gently. “So even if you told them you were there to take Roux, it doesn’t change that. Either way, ten years was a good outcome for him.”
“Nothing feels good about any of this.”
“I know,” he murmurs. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s done.”
We lie in silence for a while longer until his stomach growls.
“You need to eat,” I state.
“Yeah. I can make us something.”
It’s weird seeing Hollis eat now. I guess if I had a bleeding hole in my stomach, I’d never be hungry either. I’m glad they fixed him. He’s healthier looking than I’ve ever known him. It’s one less thing to worry about.
Neither of us gets up.
“Roan,” Hollis practically yells. “Phone.”
I squint against the lamplight and take my phone from him. “Hello?”
“Roan, it’s Carol.”
My blood turns to ice. “Where’s Roux?”
“I have her with me. She’s safe,” she assures me. But her voice is off. Something is wrong. “Roan, your mom…”
“What?”
“She overdosed on heroin tonight.”
The line grows quiet.
“Hello? Roan, did we get disconnected?”
“Is she in the hospital?”
Carol sighs. “She passed away. I’m sorry.”
I’m not.
I don’t voice that. Barely.
“I’m bringing Roux to you,” Carol says. “I’ll stay as long as you two need me to.”
We hang up and Hollis frowns at me.
“What happened?” he asks.
“Mom’s dead. Roux’s coming home.”
He pounces on me, kissing me hard. “Thank fuck.”
“Thank fuck,” I murmur against his lips.
Finally, a win.
“Remember when Cal threw me in the pool fully clothed one summer?” Roux asks, a smile in her voice.
I chuckle. “Jordy broke his nose.”
“He deserved it,” she sasses.
“He did. If Jordy didn’t punch his dumb ass, I would have.”
“You were too busy rescuing me knowing full well I could swim,” Roux tells me.
“Aww,” Hollis teases. “Roan’s a hero.”
“I really did save your ass, brat,” I say to him with a smirk.
We all laugh. Laughing feels good. It’s been a few days since Roux came home and we’re still in shock. With Mom. With Jordy. With all of it.
“I’m going to get a Coke. Want anything?” Roux asks as she stands from the sofa.
“I’m good,” Hollis says and I nod.
She leaves to go into the kitchen. Hollis chooses the moment to crawl up my body and steal a kiss. Kelsey visits a lot lately because it’s the only way she gets to see her son. He and I have been glued to each other after all that’s gone on. It just feels good having someone to lean on.
“How are you doing?” he asks, his lips hovering over mine.
“Better now that Roux’s here.”
“Good.”
He kisses me deeply again and doesn’t pull away in time. Roux groans in exaggeration.
“Gross, Hollis. Stop mauling my brother.”
Hollis slides off me and shrugs. “I can’t help it he’s so hot.”
I laugh and Roux makes a sour face.
“Don’t tell him he’s hot. He’ll act like he’s the shit,” Roux tells him.
“Hey now,” I chide. “Don’t say shit.”
“Why not?” she demands.
“Because shit’s a shitty word, you shithead.”
She snorts. “I’m going to say shit only because you don’t want me to. It’s what you get for tonguing your boyfriend in front of me.”
Hollis cracks up laughing. “Oh, man, you have your hands full, babe. This one is a major brat.” He ruffles her hair, messing it up. “You’ve been hanging out with Charlotte too much. She’s a bad influence.”
Roux swats Hollis’s hand away. “Whatever.”
Hollis curls up against me and continues to pick at Roux by poking at her with his toes. She tries to mean mug him but ends up giggling. I almost feel happy. But in the back of my mind, I think about the cost my happiness came at.