Page 22 of Dirty Monsters

I was surprised myself, but I was in this now. I simply had to resist the urge to strangle her in front of everyone.

“I have your file, and we need to talk,” I said as professionally as I could.

“Um, okay.” Her face fell a little, and disappointment crossed her features.

What the fuck did she think would happen? We’d have a big-ass family reunion? I’d ask how life’s been in the multiple years she’s been gone? Fuck that shit.

She set her tray down and waited for me to sit with her before I glanced back and locked eyes with Molly, who was watching the shit show.

“Not here.” I nodded toward the offices but had no clue where we could talk privately.

Wren bit her lip and looked around as well, trying to figure out what she should do.

Finally, she pulled away from the table and started making her way toward the offices because it was where I indicated we needed to head. But shit, I couldn't take her over there.

She was leading the way, and I followed, nodding to Molly before rounding the corner and out of her sight. Wren kept walking, and on instinct, I pulled her by the arm into a closet we were passing. It was the only “office” we could talk safely in.

“Ow,” she squealed at the surprise and force of my hands on her.

“Shut up,” I whispered, not bothering with being polite. Polite was for people who hadn’t screwed me over.

I shut the door before anyone else could see us together. It was dark and only about five feet of space to keep us separated. I frantically searched for a light but only found a small wall flashlight, so I clicked it on. It created just enough light to see her eyes but not enough for me to see her expressions or features.

“What the hell?” she finally snapped.

“What do you want?” I snapped back. “Why the fuck are you here?”

“Why the…?” She started shaking her head back and forth, confused.

“In Florida, why are you here?”

“Um,” she snarled, “my penchant for coke? Why the hell else would someone willingly come to this place?”

I didn’t mean that. I wanted to know why, of all the rehab facilities Theodore could afford, did she end up at mine? This was my chance to reestablish myself. Escape the darkness I grew up in.

“Why here?” I growled.

“What the hell is your problem?” she snapped.

She’d moved on from the meek soul who inhabited her body previously and was turning against me. Aggravation coursed through her veins, seeping into the space between us like wildfire, and for some reason, I was drawing myself closer to her.

Once I was close to her face, I stopped and calmly asked her again.

“Why are you in Florida? Why not California, Maine, Hawaii?”

“Did I offend you by getting sent somewhere I don't want to even be myself? Do you always get frustrated with new patients? Or am I special?”

I drew back and focused on her the best I could in the dark space. I tried to determine why she would ask those questions. This didn't seem like someone who knew me. Either that or she was smarter than I gave her credit for.

She had to know I wouldn’t forgive her. She couldn’t be so naïve to think I would be happy to see her here.

“Look,” she started, “I was introducing myself to be nice the other day. I knew you surfed because I can see you from my room every morning. The reason I came down to the beach is because I wanted to see for myself what it was like. Sorry if I shouldn’t have been on the beach yet. Sorry if I broke the rules. Sorry if I somehow offended you, but there’s no reason to be a shitty person about it.”

I stopped breathing for a minute as her words sank in. I had no doubt I was talking to Wren Carrington, my ex-sister of sorts and the person I blamed all my demons on. But I was starting to think maybe she didn’t have a fucking clue who I was.

I guess it would make sense. It was not like we kept in touch. She probably never even thought about me after the day Jeanine and Theodore sent us packing. She definitely didn't know I went by Ro now. I was two feet taller and had eighty pounds more muscle on me. I had a light dusting of facial hair and hard eyes.

I wasn’t a kid anymore; I’d seen too much bad shit to be so innocent.