Page 25 of Broken Prince
Her home life isn’t good, it’s why she spends most of her time here, why she has an open invitation to our place.
While her parents don’t hit her, they fight a lot. Sometimes it gets turned on her. Verbal and emotional abuse is just as damaging as physical abuse.
Maybe that’s why we get along so well. We’re unable to save ourselves from our trauma, so we try to save each other.
“So.” Winter moves to snuggle under my blankets. She places her head on my chest and blinks up at me. “Are we getting a new best friend?”
I huff out a laugh. Another reason we work is that we don’t care about what other people think about us. We don’t use our money to get by in life. But it also makes it so that not many people pay us any mind. We don’t care, we like it better like that. My life consists of Winter, school, work, family, and baseball.
That's all I need. All I’ve wanted. Until her.
“Yeah.” I nod slowly, thinking about the afternoon spent watching her try on dresses, the spark I felt when I placed my hand on her shoulder, and the look of want and need in her eyes. I’m not sure what made me blurt out my attraction to her, but it’s like I needed her to know. That maybe it would make a difference. I’m not ready to give up on the idea. Maybe being friends will be a good thing, or maybe it will just leave me hurting more. Or maybe I’m just a masochist who doesn’t care. Either way, I need Delaney Jones in my life. “We’re getting a new best friend.”
“Yay!” She grins, and I roll my eyes. “Now, I’m tired, let’s get some sleep.”
I shut my bedside lamp off, rolling onto my side as Winter faces the wall. I stare into the blankness, wondering how long it’s going to take before it swallows me whole again. And will I survive it, or will this time really be the end?
Chapter 6
Delaney
The moment I hear their voices fluttering up to me from downstairs, my face slips into a smile. I take off down the hallway and take the stairs two at a time.
Auntie Sylvia and Auntie Eden are standing in the foyer talking to Mom.
When they look up and see me, they both break out into squeals. I laugh as they launch themselves at me, pulling me into a punishing hug that I love and missed so damn much.
“Laney, baby, look at you!” Auntie Sylvia says, stepping back to get a good look at me. “My god, you’ve grown into a young lady.”
“Don’t remind me,” I sigh, rolling my eyes and making them laugh again.
“How have you been adjusting to your new life?” Auntie Eden asks me, her eyes drifting around the room, a glint of awe in her eyes.
“It’s been good.” I shrug. “Haven’t really been anywhere. It’s too long of a walk. I’m going to have to find myself a job so I can get a car.”
“Laney, you could have just asked to borrow mine.” Mom frowns.
“I would have, but you've been taking it to work.” I shrug. “It’s fine.”
She bites her lower lip, giving me a guilty look. “Oh, I know that face,” Auntie Eden says. “Spill.”
Mom sighs. “I haven’t been using the car.” She cringes.
“How have you been getting to work then?” I ask.
“James. He bought me a new car, an early wedding gift,” she admits.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mom and I don’t keep secrets. That's why it’s killing me to not tell her about my summer flings with the guys.
One of the things I love about my relationship with my mom is that I can be open and honest with her, and she’ll never judge me.
So her not telling me something as simple as getting a new car... that kind of hurts.
“Because you’ve been adjusting to the changes. Living like this...” She gestures to the house. “With money, big and flashy things. I just didn’t want you to freak out.”
“Why would I have freaked out?” I blink. “It’s a car.”
“It’s not just any kind of car.” She sighs. “It’s a Ferrari. A nice sleek black one.”