And now he’s missing, and Kady’s always going to wonder what happened to him if I don’t say something.
“Nolan sent him away,” I tell her quietly, trying to be calming but probably failing miserably. “I don’t think you need to worry about Jaxson anymore.”
She sniffs and wipes her face with her hands. “What’s that mean, sent him away?”
“Exile. Nolan told him to get out of Georgia and never look back, or else he’d kill him.”
Color drains from her face. “And he actually left?”
“I think so. I mean, what else could’ve happened? I think he realized that if he stayed, his ORB friends were going to figure out he was the one that talked to Nolan sooner or later, so he might as well make his escape now. It was either run or die.”
“Jaxson wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t just run away.”
I shake my head. “Why not? Staying here meant the end for him.”
“But I’m here.” She chews her thumbnail. “He wouldn’t abandon me like this. He wouldn’t do it.”
“Kady. What is with you?”
She bites her cheek and turns her back on me. “It’s nothing, okay? I’m just feeling vulnerable is all.”
“Jaxson is a total creep. He’s a piece of garbage. He wants to use you and hurt you and you keep going back for more. Why can’t you break things off with him and move on?”
“It’s nothing, okay?” She turns around and a hint of anger flashes across her face. “Don’t tell me you understand anything about my relationship with him.”
I stare at her, at a total loss. I feel like I’m suddenly losing her again and I don’t understand why. “He was blackmailing you with a sex tape. You admit yourself he’s a dick and not worth your time. What the hell is going on with you, Kady?”
“Nothing’s going on with me. God, Cora, I’m so tired of being your little sister.”
That knocks me back like she punched me in the gut. I slowly sink back down on the couch and look at her like I’m trying to make sense of a total stranger, but the girl staring back is someone I’ve never met before. There’s so much hate and anger in her eyes and I’m not sure where it’s coming from. I try to find the words but I feel like my stomach’s been sucked out of my mouth and I’m sitting here bleeding to death.
Kady doesn’t seem to notice. Instead, she says, “I know that’s harsh but whatever, it’s true, okay? You’re always walking around like you can fix everything but you can’t fix my problems Cora. You’re just some girl from Marietta that barely graduated high school and never went on to college just like me. You’re just like a million other girls. You’re not better than me, you don’t know better than me, and you can’t act like you’re the smartest person in every room.”
“I never said I was,” I whisper, blinking rapidly to keep from crying.
“I’m not your responsibility, okay? I’m not yours to save. Momma didn’t want you to become my new mother, she just wanted you to try to be happy. Momma didn’t do what she did so you’d end up just like her.” She softens slightly, but her expression is still firm. “I love you, Cora. You’re my big sister and I know you mean well. But you have no clue what I’m going through.”
“Then tell me.”
She shakes her head. “And have you judge me? No thanks.”
“Kady—”
“Just leave me alone. Let me solve my own damn problems.”
She walks off and I watch her go. I hear the door open and slam shut and the truck engine turn over and she’s gone. I sit there, completely stunned, trying to figure out where the hell I went wrong in that conversation and not understanding any of that at all.
It’s like she’s got this split personality going on. There’s the Kady I know and love, my little sister, the girl that knows Jaxson is an asshole and an abusive piece of trash. But there’s also the other Kady, the one that’s been involved with the ORB and wants to stay with that motorcycle thug asshole all because he gives her a lot of attention. I don’t understand this and it’s like my head’s doing gymnastics trying to wrap my brain around what she’s thinking.
Slowly, I get to my feet and head to the stairs. I take them two at a time, working myself up into a frenzy, and hurry to Nolan’s bedroom door. I knock twice, throw it open—
And he’s standing in the middle of the room completely naked with a towel in his hands, drying his hair.
“Oh, shit,” I say, staring at his dick before turning around, my cheeks burning bright red. “Shit, fuck, sorry.”
“Cora.” Nolan opens a drawer. “What are you doing here?”