Chapter twenty-five
“You’rehome?”sheasked,and I nodded before handing her the plated sandwich, her plate of grossness. She took it, placing it on the bench. I flinched and saw Jacob about to move out of his chair before relaxing when she finally hugged me. She wrapped her arms around me, and it felt odd. I couldn’t remember the last time she actually touched me while not angry. It took me a second before I hugged her back, patting her back gently. Her huge belly made the hug even more awkward, like hugging someone over a table.
When she let go, she nodded once and grabbed her plate, walking to the table. She would pretend everything was peachy and that she didn’t turf me out, and I was okay with that. Better than her wrath. We ate in silence, and Jacob was on his phone, ignoring us or pretending to anyway. When I was done, Rayan tugged my hand, wanting me to follow him. I got up, and my mother spoke.
“Are you staying or going back to your mates?”
“Staying if I am allowed,” I answered, and I saw Jacob watching her again, waiting to see what she said. She nodded, and I realized that was the only answer I would get before Rayan tugged my hand. I followed him upstairs and walked to my room when he pulled me toward his. I frowned, wondering why, when he pushed his door open.
“I saved what I could,” he said, and I saw one side of his room was full of boxes. He stared at his feet awkwardly.
“When she kicked you out, she went on a rampage and destroyed your room. After I brought you the clothes to school, I came home, and your room was destroyed. This is what is left, and what I could save from the bin,” he said.
I walked over to it and saw my sketchbooks and a bag of clothes, plus the school bag that I’d left in the car when I arrived. I rummaged through it, grabbing my wallet, to find my cards gone.
“She cut me off too?” I asked him, and he grabbed his bag to hand me the card that dad used to transfer his allowance. I shook my head.
“No, it’s fine,” I told him, though it hurt that she would cut me off completely out of everything, knowing I had nothing to begin with.
Rayan pulled out the trundle under his bed while I rummaged through to see what else was in my bag. I found my school books and my make-up bag, but my heart sank when I didn’t find my pills, until Rayan rummaged in his underwear drawer before tossing me the bottle.
“Was worried mom would come in and rummage through your stuff and throw them away. Figured you needed those when I found them. Why didn’t you tell me you were on antidepressants?” I shrugged.Not something I would tell anyone anyway.
“I can give you some money to get more. I noticed you were nearly out,” he said, but I shook my head.
“It’s fine. I will ask the pack doctor at Tyson’s pack. He will get them for me. I don’t want mom knowing, and she will ask questions if I go to our doctor’s anyway.” Rayan nodded before placing his hands on his hips.
“Oh, and by the way, I threw out your dirty box of secrets. No way I was salvaging those for you, but I got rid of them before mom saw them. You owe me big for that one. Some things I don’t need to know about you, sis.”
“What box of secrets?” I asked him.
“They are the buzzing type that live in your panties drawer,” he said before gagging. I laughed and threw his pillow at him before sitting on his bed.
“So, what are you going to do then? You have no school, or are you thinking of going back?”
“I don’t think I have a choice. I will enroll tomorrow at the high school across from you. At least I can finish the year out and see you during the breaks,” I told him, and he nodded.
“I will ask Jacob to enroll you or dad. Probably best if mom doesn’t go in, she might tell you not to bother. But you should finish. You are smart, smarter than half the morons at that school,” Rayan said. I nodded.
“Only a few months left anyway. I will just coast through the middle and be invisible,” I told him, and he chewed his fingernail nervously while nodding.Yeah, there is no coasting through the middle when you are a freak mutation like me, especially when you have no wolf.
Rayan helped me set up his room because he wanted me to share it with him. He said he was worried mom would lose it again, and he was right.I shouldn’t get comfortable here, nothing goes right for me even when I try, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before she found another reason to kick me out.
At dinner time, Rayan and I were playing video games when his bedroom door opened. My stepfather walked in.
“Hey kiddo, come here,” he said, and I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around his huge frame. He kissed the top of my head.
“How was mom?” he asked.
“Fine, I saw her earlier,” I told him, and he nodded before reaching into his pocket. He handed my keycards back that he must have stopped mom from cutting up. I shook my head.
“Lucy, take them. Please,” he said, but I refused.
“Having somewhere to stay is enough,” I told him. I wanted nothing from them and was nearly tempted to go live back in the woods just to get away from the guilt and pity in his eyes.
“You will need…”
“Leave her be, Dad. I already tried to give her mine. She doesn’t want them,” Rayan said. My stepfather pressed his lips in a line but nodded.