My hand shoots out across the bed and disappointment surges through me when I find my bed empty. I have to remind myself to get the hell over it. After all, I was the one who told him he couldn’t stay, but having him with me all day after the shitty few days of not speaking was absolutely incredible.
The noise must have been Noah escaping and I briefly wonder if he made a show of it and snuck out the window. Nah, he wouldn’t. He’s normal. Sneaking out the window when there’s a perfectly good door is more Tully’s thing.
I close my eyes and try to drift back off to sleep as I listen out for the sound of Noah’s Camaro starting up. A smile flutters across my lips knowing he’s probably trying to be as quiet as possible with the world’s nosiest car.
When the sound never comes, I start wondering what the hell he’s doing just sitting out there when another loud bang sounds at the door.
My eyes shoot open once again. There must be a problem, and naturally, Noah locked the door behind him, trying to keep me as safe as possible. Maybe the idiot forgot his keys or phone.
I grin to myself as I drag myself out of bed. I reach across and light up the time on my phone before blinking a few times. One in the morning? Shit. Noah must have fallen asleep with me before waking and remembering that he was supposed to sneak out.
Throwing the blankets off, I blindly make my way across the dark room before feeling the wall for the light. I switch it on and squint against the unbelievable brightness before trailing out of my room, wishing I’d grabbed my robe as the cool night air forces shivers to take over my body.
I hurry towards the door and roll my eyes as he knocks once again. Though he should have been able to see that a light is on in the house, but then, Noah isn’t exactly known for his patience. “Alright, alright. I’m coming,” I groan.
I reach for the handle and give it a tug before remembering that it’s locked and groan once again. I unlock the stupid thing and laugh as I realize he even threw the deadbolt in. But then, if the deadbolt was in, how the hell did he get out? Maybe he did climb out the window after all.
I shake my head to myself as I turn the handle of the door with a wide grin. “What did you forget?” I laugh.
The door swings open before me and I’m hit in the face with my past.
My eyes rake over the person standing before me in complete disbelief. What the hell is this?
I fumble back a few steps as a gasp sails out of me. “Mom?” I question, looking over the woman I once knew; however, this isn’t her. This woman is thin. Her once shiny hair is now ratty and dull. Her dark eyes seem hollow, right along with her cheekbones, and her clothes are practically falling off her frame.
She almost looks…addicted. But to what?
“You got big.”
“Ummm… yeah.”
“Where’s your dad?”
“On a job.”
She steps forward with a frown when I notice her hand behind her back and as she moves into the house, she drags along a little golden-haired girl with dad’s bright blue eyes. “Oh, well,” mom says with a grunt, thrusting the little girl towards me. “Here. She’s your problem now.”
With that, the woman I once knew as my mother scrambles away from my front door, dives into the passenger seat of an old shitbox car, and not a moment later, disappears down the road, all while this little girl watches after her with nothing but sadness in her young eyes.
Chapter 10
What the actual fuck?
I stare down at the little girl who looks like she hasn’t slept in weeks, not to mention, it’s past one in the morning. Shouldn’t kids this little be so asleep they’re practically comatose?
I sit across from her, each of us just staring at the other in complete disbelief. Well, I’m in disbelief, she just looks confused and lost.
The poor little thing.
“Ummm…what’s your name?” I ask her.
She blinks up at me and I’m once again struck by how similar her eyes are to my dad’s. I mean, they’re the spitting fucking image of his. “Aria,” she whispers.
“Aria,” I repeat, testing out the name on my lips. “I’m Henley. Are you…? Was that woman your mom?”
She nods and I suck in a breath, instantly starting to do the math. How long ago was it that she walked out on us? “How old are you, Aria?”
“Five,” she tells me as her eyes flash around the room, trying to work out where the hell she is as I try to come to the terms with the fact that I possibly have a sister sitting on the couch before me. I mean, what the hell is happening right now? Dad never said anything about me having a sister. Does he even know about this?