Page 84 of Dirty Secrets
Of course I was going to help my mom.
“It’s complicated,” I replied, and Logan scowled.
“No, it’s not. She offers to work and we tell her not to. You fucking threw that in Raven’s face? What the fuck, Reid?”
“The little bitch deserves to be told the truth. Taking advantage of my boy like that is appalling,” Mom said bitterly, and Logan turned to glare at her.
“Raven never takes advantage of anyone. You, on the other hand, are always relying on a handout. What are you even doing here still? Reid gave you money, right?” he snapped, and Mom gasped.
“How dare you. I just wanted to spend some time with my baby. I thought I could stay a while.”
My stomach twisted with discomfort as I eyed her, slowly shaking my head. “You know you can’t stay.”
“Why not? Because of Raven? This is your house too, Reid! Your mother should be allowed to visit!”
“Let me guess,” Logan said slowly, crossing his arms. “You don’t have anywhere else to go. Forgot to pay your rent again? Got kicked out?”
“I’m just between houses, that’s all,” she huffed, and I winced.
“Mom, I’m sorry, but you can’t.”
“You’re really going to kick your own mother out? After everything I’ve done for you? You’re the reason I’m living like this. You were supposed to do something with yourself and help me!” she snapped, making Logan scoff.
“How was he supposed to do something with himself when you never had any money for food, let alone a decent education?”
“He went to school!” she argued, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
“I missed half of elementary school, middle school was all over the place, and I only finished high school because the teachers allowed me extra time to do my exams. You really think a kid from the Heights with barely over the line education is going to be a CEO or something?” I asked, motioning to Logan. “Logan and Rae only passed because I made sure we had books and money to go. Logan struggled with school, so I found him a tutor. That took money from our bills, but it got him topass. Raven didn’t want to go to school at all because she was so messed up from her brother dying, but you know what? I dragged her every damn day to make sure she passed. We all studied together, despite knowing none of us would ever go to college, but we did it to try to set us up for the future even a little more than most kids around here.”
I watched her, both loving and hating the proud look in her eye.
“That’s good. It means you’ll find a good job. We could get a house together again.”
“I love you, but I can’t live with you again,” I whispered. “Living with you means strange people in the house partying or fucking you on the couch. Drugs and alcohol scattered everywhere, and living in filth.”
“If I lived with you, then I wouldn’t have to fuck on the couch for money. Don’t you see? It would be good,” she said with a smile. “I wouldn’t have to work anymore.”
“He’s not your fucking husband. Don’t sponge off your kid,” Logan grunted, his voice not hiding his disgust. “Your job was to provide for him until he became an adult. To make sure he was clothed, fed, and educated. You were barely there, you know?”
“I had to work!”
“People do both every day! They work, raise their kids, and make sure they’re not fucking neglected!” Logan bit out. I wanted to tell him to mind his own business and leave her alone, but the words wouldn’t come out. I should’ve just let Raven send her packing in the first place, but she was my mom and I loved her. “Reid was six when he started coming here with Josh because you’d locked him out of the house. He was eight when he moved in permanently because you just didn’t come home one day. He still somehow went to school, helped cook and clean here since Raven’s parents are both deadbeats like you and had bailed by then. By nine, he was doing jobs after school every daywith Josh so we had money to eat, since the neighbor who’d been feeding us moved away. By thirteen, he was holding the damn household together after Josh died, making sure Raven didn’t disappear in her grief and ensured she kept up with school.”
“You listen to me?—”
“No, Isla. You can listen to me. Reid has been a better parent to us than you ever were to him. He worked, cleaned, cooked, and looked after us way more than necessary so we could be kids for as long as possible. He handled the bills and taught us how to live, even if that meant to steal when we had no money. You know who helped Raven when she got her first period and thought she was dying? Reid. When I failed my math exam in high school, who do you think went to my teacher and begged to let me take it again? Reid. If he could do all of that as a kid, as well as make money and get an education, then you have no excuse. I don’t care that you got on your back for money, I care that any money you made went to fucking meth instead of food for your damn son.”
His phone beeped with a message, stopping his rant as he pulled it from his pocket to check, relief filling his face instantly as he wrote a reply.
“Is that Rae?” I asked hopefully.
“Lopez. He’s with her and taking her for some food.” Another message came through and he replied again before looking over at me. “I’ll let them know when your mom’s gone so they can come home.”
I hated this. I wanted to help Mom, but there was no way I was going to even humor her staying a few days. She’d never leave, and Raven wouldn’t stay here with her either.
Despite what I’d said to Raven, this was her home, and I wanted her comfortable in it.
“Reid?” Mom said sharply, getting to her feet. “Tell him I’m staying.”