Page 32 of Strong and Wild
Me: Hey, can you give me Rhys’s number?
Lonan: Good morning to you too. Somebody hungry for a Rhyses Pieces? Why do you need his number?
Me: Yup. I want to bang him.
In the face. With a chair.
Lonan: Fine. Don’t tell me.
Lonan: 207-555-6767
Here goes nothing. I save his number in my phone and shoot off a text.
Me: Hey. It’s Micky.
Rhys: Hi Freya.
Asshole.I let it slide. The next thing I text him will make him feel bad enough.
Me: Sorry to do this over text, but your sister came around looking for you. She’s coming off of something pretty heavy. You’ll want to check on her when you get in, but I’m keeping her at my place till then. Text me when you land and I’ll unlock the door.
Rhys: Fuck. We’re boarding the plane now. Should be home in 2 hours.
Rhys: I’m sorry.
I lock my phone, and sprawl out on the floor.Just two more hours.I’m so tired, but I can’t fall asleep. I need to hear if she throws up, and truthfully, I don’t trust her, not because she’s Rhys’s sister, I don’t trust any addict. I brush my teeth and get ready for bed, even though it’s eight o’clock in the morning. Today is my day off, I was hoping to go to IKEA. I need a desk and a new sofa.And a new shower curtain.Lonan helped me get my broken couch into the dumpster last week, and I miss having somewhere to sit.
My plans to sleep half the day will have to be postponed.
TWELVE
Fuck.
After I throw my bag overhead, I pick a spot and pull the seat belt tight on my hip. The faster we can take off out of Chicago, the better. My stare burns a hole into the headrest in front of me. With a bouncing leg, I clench my fist over and over. I want to punch something.
Don’t lose your cool in front of the guys. Don’t panic. It will be fine.That’s a load of bullshit.It won’t be fine. I can’t believe Anna showed up. I always tell her when I will be out of town. If there was something she needed, she was supposed to ask me before I left. She has my schedule.
Moving her with me to Minnesota was supposed to be good for her. I thought if she got away from those assholes back home, got sober, maybe she’d straighten out. It hasn’t done shit. If anything, she’s gotten worse. Times like this make me happy our parents aren’t here to see this. They’d be disappointed in me. It’s my fault she’s addicted. But I don’t know how to help her, nothing seems to work. And now Freya’s with her...
TheFollowersthing was messed up, but I was prepared for that fallout. If Anna came around, there’s no telling what condition she was in, and what Freya has had to deal with. What’s she going to think of me now? God, she probably thinks we’re a family of fuck-ups. She wouldn’t be too far off either. Doesn’t matter. I’m sure any chance of forgiveness is long gone.
Now I’m the one that feels humiliated. This is karma. Anna showing up—and likely asking Freya for money—is a rotten game ofI’ll show you my shame if you show me yours. Something neither of us wanted to play.Fuck!
“You good, man?” Lonan asks, brows furrowed.
“What?” I snap. My eyes soften, and I shake it off. “Sorry. Yeah. I’m fine.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Micky texted me for your number. You’re into her, right?”
I almost laugh, he has no clue how far off base he is right now. But he hasn’t mentioned my family, which means Freya probably didn’t divulge why she needed the number.
“Yeah. She say why she wanted it?”
“I asked, she said she wants to bang you. I assume that’s a lie. No offense.”
“None taken.”
I owe her. If the league organization found out about my family drama, it wouldn’t look good. Anna can be a liability, but I love her. She’s my baby sister, we’re each other’s only family. I couldn’t be there for her then, but I can try now. Although, damn, she makes it difficult sometimes.