I cry into my pillow, trying to keep my sobs quiet. Dad doesn’t like it when I cry because it makes him sad too. He’s been so sad since Mom went away, and I don’t know how to make it better. I still don’t know where she went or why she left us, but I really wish she’d just come back. It’s been nearly a whole year since she left, and I still miss her every day.
I go still when I hear a tap against my window. After a moment I turn over to find Linc standing in the tree branches, trying to open my window. I rush from the bed and open it for him. He grins as he climbs in. “What are you doing here?” I whisper. He’s going to get in so much trouble if his mom finds out he’s not in bed.
“I knew you were sad; and I didn’t want you to be alone, so I’m here. Now get back into bed before your dad hears us.” He closes the window, and that’s when I notice he’s in his pajamas. I crawl back beneath my sheets, and he slides in beside me, lying so he’s facing me. “You don’t need to cry anymore. I’m here now.”
I smile at him as a tear runs down my face. He smiles back, a little sad too, and wipes it away.
“But if you need to cry, that’s okay too,” he says as my tears come faster again. He hugs me tight and whispers, “I’ve got you. I’ll always be here.”
I cry into his shirt until I can’t cry anymore. “Won’t you get in trouble for being here?” I finally manage to ask.
“Nah, East knows I’m here. He’ll cover with Mom.” Lincoln seems so grown up sometimes, and I just feel like a cry baby. He’s only nine months older than me, but sometimes he’s more of a grown-up than East is.
“I’m okay now. You can go home if you want to,” I tell him through my sniffles.
“Don’t be silly. I’m not going anywhere. Now go to sleep. We have a pop quiz in the morning.”
“Linc…” he cuts me off by putting his hand over my mouth. I lick it, and he narrows his eyes at me, making me giggle.
“Go to sleep, V,” he whispers before wiping his hand on the sheets and closing his eyes. I smile and close my own, happy that he’s here. He always makes me smile, even when I cry.
I believe him when he says he’s not going anywhere, so I drift off to sleep feeling happier and safer than I have since Mom disappeared.
Chapter Five
Feeling much lighter than I did last night, I practically bounce out of the pool house and over to the main house for breakfast. Nothing will bring down my mood this morning. Not even my dream about Lincoln. I’m marking that down in the ‘going back to the old house and shaking up my memories of a time lost to the past’ column and leaving it there.
I smile at Pattie as I skip through the kitchen, beyond happy to find I’m the first one here for breakfast. I pile up my plate with all of the breakfast goodness I can manage and dive in. Patti and her cooking skills are pretty much the only good things that came from being at the McMansion.
I eat happily until my phone buzzes. I pull it out of my pocket, smiling when I see Indi’s name popping up in the notifications.
Indi: Need a ride? I can swing by and grab you.
Me: That would be amazing. I’m at the house of horrors rather than where you dropped me yesterday though.
Indi: LOL! That’s fine, I remember where that is. I’ll swing by in 15?
Me: Sounds good. I’ll be ready
Indi: See you soon!
I take a bite of my toast and slam back the last of my coffee before jumping up from the table and escaping the McMansion without a run-in with my so-called family. Thank God. I change out of my pajamas and into my uniform, and despite hating this ridiculous outfit, it doesn’t put a damper on my day.
I pull my hair back into a high ponytail. It’s a little messy, with tendrils of hair surrounding my face, but I kinda like it, so I leave it as it is. I finish my look with eyeliner and a swipe of mascara, then slip on a pair of black Louboutin heels. I might usually be a Chucks kind of girl, but today feels like the kind of day where I’m going to need the boost these shoes give me. I grab my bag and dash out the front in time to see Indi pulling up the drive.
“Morningggg!” Indi grins at me like the alt sunshine child that she is as I jump into the Wrangler. She turns down the Midnight Blue blasting through her speakers as I buckle up, and she peels away from the McMansion like zombies are chasing us. I can’t help but laugh at her, and she chuckles along next to me. She slows once we reach the main intersection before looking over at me. “Coffee?”
“Hell yes. There could never be enough coffee in my system to deal with going back to this hellhole of a school.” She laughs, turning away from the direction of school and swinging into the drive-thru at the closest Starbucks.
“How was visiting your old place last night?” she asks, and I grin so freaking wide.
“Well, it turns out my old place is my new place. Long story short, my family are assholes and wanted access to my dad’s money, which is the only reason I was apparently ever with them.”
“Wait, don’t they have enough of their own?” she asks, eyes wide, and I shrug.
“I thought so, but there’s no such thing as too much with people like them. Either way, it turns out my house manager, Smithy, was also in my dad’s will as a legal guardian, so this bitch is escaping the house of horrors and going home. Also, before I forget, you’re invited over for dinner tonight—Smithy insisted. He’ll be serving up some mac and cheese goodness.”
She goes to answer when the speaker box crackles outside her window. “Good morning! Thank you for choosing Starbucks; what can I get started for you?”