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As I pull into my driveway, I can’t help but glance at Dom’s house in the rearview mirror. All his lights are off, and for a split second I let myself imagine what it would be like to curl up next to him. But then I let the thought fade.
In a month—maybe two—I’ll have enough cash to get out of here, and Dominic will be nothing but a memory. I’d go now, but we wouldn’t make it far. Not without new identities and a place to run to.
Soon. I’ll have it soon. Especially after this weekend.
Ashley is already asleep in the guest room, so after checking on Rosie, I take a shower. I barely have the energy to wash myself, and by the time I’ve toweled off and I’m in bed, I feel worse.
After I shoot David a quick text, I shut off my lamp and stare at the ceiling. There are very few people I hate. But my brother? Yeah, I hate him. He’s a heartless monster disguised as a normal man.
Maybe I should kill him.
It’d make my life a lot easier. And then Rosie and I would get to stay where we are. And maybe—
No. No, don’t do that to yourself. You know you can’t kill him.
Firstly, I have no idea where my brother is. I suppose I could find him if I wanted to, but that’s not the real problem. No, that’s Rosie. She was heartbroken when her mom died. And while she’s not nearly as close to David, I’ve seen how she looks at him. She’s desperate for him to care about her.
I’m not sure I’d be able to keep it from her if I killed her father. And if she found out, I don’t know if she’d be happy, or if she’d hold it against me.
It means I’m stuck with my original plan. Now I just need to keep Rosie from getting too attached to Dominic. I don’t want her resenting me for making her leave him, either.
With a discontented sigh, I pull my blankets over my body, searching for some warmth. Being in a bed this big by myself feels wrong.
While I drift off to sleep, I find myself hoping that maybe I won’t feel so lonely in my dreams.
. . .
As expected, I wake up in pain the next day. I knew it was coming, but it still puts me in a sour mood, especially since my dreams about Dom were so nice.
Once I get Rosie onto the bus, I step back into the house, and I’m immediately hit with how messy everything is. Between me trying to work, take care of Rosie, catch up on sleep, and do David’s bidding, any domestic activities have been sorely neglected.
The sink is full of dirty dishes, I can’t even remember the last time I did laundry, and every surface in the house either needs swept, wiped off, vacuumed, or mopped. Yet the most I’m able to do is make myself breakfast before a wave of exhaustion sweeps me off my feet.
Sometimes it’s like this. The fatigue always kicks me when I’m already down. And, well, I suppose it’s my fault for jumping down a flight of stairs when I know perfectly well that I can’t. Now I’m stuck with extra pain, exhaustion, and a disgusting house.
I’d try to clean, but I can’t afford to. I have to work tonight, and it’s already going to be miserable. Overdoing it today will only make it worse.
So I spend the morning and afternoon on the couch with my heating pad, binging movies. After lunch, I take some pain meds. They don’t work terribly well, but on my worst days, they at least take the edge off.
Honestly, it’s nice. I’m always so busy trying to take care of Rosie that I’m not able to let myself have a day off often.
By the time I find myself waiting on the front porch for the bus to drop Rosie off, some of my pain has faded. I’m still exhausted, but not nearly as much as I was.
Rosie runs up the driveway. “Auntie Jade! Auntie Jade! Can I ride my bike?”
“Let’s get you a snack first, honey. Do you have any homework?”
“Some.”
“We’ve gotta do that first. Then we’ll see how I’m feeling, okay?”
Rosie’s face falls. “Your body is hurting?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, hon.” I usher her into the house, hanging her backpack up by the door. Once she’s seated at the kitchen table, I start making her a sandwich.
My phone goes off. It’s David, and the thought of hearing his voice sounds like nails on chalkboard, so I ignore it.
Once Rosie has some food in her stomach, I settle next to her and help her with her homework. It’s pretty simple stuff, but it’s a struggle to keep my eyes open.
