Page 57 of Hooked on Trouble

Raven beams at her. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I bought a bunch of stuff for breakfast. There’s two percent milk and almond milk. Tofu bacon and regular. Eggs. Cereal. Unless you prefer fruit and yogurt. I could go out and get that.”

Rose’s scowl transforms on a dime. Too quickly. She leans on her elbows and reaches over the counter to grab Raven’s hand. “Like I said, don’t go to any trouble. It’s nice enough that you gave me your bed.”

“I’m just glad you’re here.” Raven bites her lip.

And my gut churns. Raven’s cheeks are glowing, her skin practically sparking with excitement. If she notices Rose’s shiftiness, she probably assumes it’s nothing more than a woman turning her life around. A person like that would be worried I’d read into her past, scared I could mess up her second chance. There’s a chance that’s all this is.

I set the table while the two of them talk. Raven leads the conversation with stories of their youth, and Rose jumps in when a memory strikes her. During dinner, I eat pizza quietly. Watching. Taking everything in. They keep to the past, reliving the good times they shared.

“Remember Bobby Jeffery? That day he came to pick you up?” Raven tears off a piece of crust and pops it in her mouth.

“God, I almost forgot about that.”

Raven snorts. “I doubt he has. I bet he still needs therapy.”

“You gonna leave me in the dark?” I’m at the head of the table, the girls opposite each other, and I kick Raven’s foot.

She nudges mine back. “Our mother was wasted, and Bobby comes by the house dressed in his finest bell bottoms.”

Rose tosses her napkin at Raven. “Enough about the clothes.”

Raven throws it back at her. “So, Bobby goes to introduce himself, shakes Mom’s hand, and the woman passes out. Falls like a rock into him. Bobby was so shocked that he lost his balance and ended up on his back, her face in his crotch.” The girls cackle.

I force a smile. If I’m wrong about Rose, this could be the start of something amazing for Raven. A real family member to ground her. Her desperation to tell Rose stories and make her laugh is written all over her face, like Colin’s need to impress Josh. To be noticed. It’s such a simple thing, the swell of pride that comes from inspiring family. As rough as things are with Josh and Nikki, having them in my life gives me purpose. A place in this world. I want that for Raven, too.

I edge my elbows onto the table. “What do you do for work, Rose?”

“I’m between jobs.” She keeps eating, not a glance my way.

She doesn’t get off that easy. “What about before?”

Rose places her slice of pizza down and pushes her plate aside. “Different things. Retail. Waitressing. I did a stint on a farm.” She flexes her fingers, once, twice, then she shifts on her seat, scratches her nose, and angles away from me.

I keep peppering her with questions.

“So you’ve been handing out résumés?”

“Yeah.”

“No luck, then?”

She swallows. “Job market is rough.”

“Have you checked online? The Canadian Job Bank is a decent resource.”

“Yeah. But my timing must be off. They’ve always hired when I get ’round to applying.”

Her shoulders relax a fraction, my job questions repetitive enough for her to drop her guard. Time to shift gears. “That Russ guy, the one you were staying with, turns out he has a history of drug charges.”

Her body tenses, like a rod has been fused to her spine. Raven prickles with irritation, a steady glare aimed my way.

A beat later, Rose says, “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

We might not be in the interview room at the station, but I don’t let up. “I thought you dated.” At least Raven seemed to think so.

Annoyance flashes across Rose’s face, followed by balanced composure. “We had fun, and he gave me a place to crash for a while. Nothing more. I’ll find a job soon.” She focuses on her sister. “Raven showing up proves things have to turn around eventually.” A wide grin spreads across her face…a second later than it should. A delayed reaction. False emotion.

Raven returns the smile, hers sincere, then she shoves her seat back. The chair legs stick on the carpet before smacking into the counter behind her. Everything about this room is small: the tiny table and four chairs crammed between her living area and kitchen counter, the low ceilings. But there’s nothing diminutive about the scowl Raven directs at me.