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And then, without a word, he retreats down the hallway to go with my mother.
I let out a sigh, staring after him with all manner of conflicting emotions hurtling about my head.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
One night to destroy a happy, fifteen-year friendship.
To make matters worse—a night I regret more than anything else in my life.
And then, I’m back to thinking about Missy’s illicit affair with Marcus Parker.
To my knowledge, she hasn’t stopped and in fact, he’s been doting on her more in the last couple months. Since she got a job working for him, she’s been gone a lot and I haven’t spoken to her about it any more than for her to tell me to “mind my own fucking business”.
I know it’s wrong, but . . . what can I do? Forbid her from seeing him? Like that will do anything. All I can do is try to show her how wrong it is, but she doesn’t care.
I thought about mentioning it to Mom, but God knows she can’t be trusted. For all I know, she could have put her up to it.
“Missy?” I tap lightly on her door, but she doesn’t answer. The silence is nearly deafening. “Missy, please let me in. Are you okay?”
“Fuck off, Hannah.”
I bite back the retort on the tip of my tongue. This is just her getting out her anger for our mother. I’m used to it. Fighting with her won’t make it better.
“Missy, I know you’re angry, but Mom was only trying to—” Before I can finish my sentence she flings the door open. Her hair flies around her face in a wild tangle, her eyes and cheeks red from crying.
“Don’tfinish that sentence,” she growls, fresh tears glistening in her hateful gaze.
I falter for a moment, stepping back from the venomous rage that seeps off her in waves.
“I’m sorry. I was only going to say she just wants us there. I don’t think she was trying to upset you. It’s Christmas. We always spend Christmas together.”
“That’s the problem,” she spits through clenched teeth. “You don’tthink. You just say whatever nonsense comes to mind and expect everyone to listen to it as if it’s gospel. Well, I’m not one of your little friends you can order around.”
It’s at that moment, I realize, I really don’t know my sister at all anymore.
All the times I’ve stayed to coax her out of her room. All the times I’ve tried to comfort her after a particularly bad fight between her and our mother.
All the punishments I endured to save her . . .
“Go to hell, Missy,” I snap, turning to march away from her. “Don’t expect me to save you this time.”
A hand clasps in the ends of my hair, yanking me back and I let out a startled cry of pain.
Missy pulls me backward until I fall to the ground at her feet, banging my head on the tile floor in the process. She crouchesdown over me, taking my chin in her hand and gripping my skin painfully until her manicured fingernails dig in.
“In case you forgot, dear,stupid, sweet sister, we were born in hell.”
And then she’s off me and slamming the door in my face while I lay there, sputtering and disoriented.
Mason
The annual Christmas charity benefit has got to be the biggest fucking waste of time.
That money doesn’t go to help people. Not most of it, anyway. Of course, they pay for the venue—the most expensive one they can rent—the staff to cater that event, the musicians in the live orchestra, and any high-ranking member they want to attend.
Laura Gaines will be giving a speech tonight. Probably another tale about how she’s saving the lives of millions as governor. But if Governor Gaines is. . . that means her daughter will be, too.
Of course, I’m not here to see Hannah Gaines, but if she happens to cross my path, I won’t say no.
