Page 17 of Fighting the Odds

“Whoever the prick is who turned her in accused her of hurting Sam. Don’t worry, I’m getting it taken care of. Just like I’m going to handle that aunt of hers as soon as I find her.” Rico’s deep voice booms from behind us, causing me to jump farther into Cyrus’s arms.

He comes around the couch and kneels down in front of me. “I’m sorry I didn’t step in sooner. In my defense, I thought I was doing the right thing by you. I know I was wrong now. Just give me some time and I will clear all this up. You’re going to stay here, go back to school, and try to live as much of a normal life as you can. I’ll be in and out, but if you need anything, just let me know.”

“I need to work. Can I come back?” I pull at the frayed edges of my shirt, not wanting to look him in the face. It’s still so hard to see him as my uncle when he’s been my boss.

“You don’t need to work there, Sierra.”

“Yes, I do. I need money to survive and I’m not taking handouts. If I want custody of Sam when I turn eighteen, I need to be able to show I can take care of her.” My voice hitches, the pain of being separated from Sam still so new and raw. Cyrus just holds me tighter, sharing a little bit of his strength with me.

“Fine, but you’re not coming back until you feel better and some of the bruising has faded. I know you still have the gentleman that wants you for a private party and I had told them you’d be ready in a week. You still wanting to do it? Also, Liza said someone else had called in about wanting a private party with you. Seems like your little Miss Popular.”

“Yes, to both. I need to save some money. Sarah took everything I had and bills are going to be coming due.” I lower my head, not wanting to look them in the eyes.

“You don’t have to worry about bills right now, or even work. I only want you to focus on healing and school. I’ll handle everything else. As far as work, I know how independent you are, and I’d never try to stifle or tell you what to do. You’ve been raising yourself since your mother’s death, and I realize I’d be an ass to try to butt in now. I’m not going to step in and try to dictate what you do. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He leans in, giving me a kiss on my forehead, and heads to the door.

Just as he takes hold of the doorknob, he turns back to us. “Cyrus, make sure she eats, and stay with her tonight. I don’t want her to be alone.”

“I planned on it.” Cyrus’s hot breath skims across my face as I look up at him, not waiting to let go of him but needing to.

“Good. Sierra, I love you.” With those words, he opens the door and steps out into the hallway, closing it behind him.

“You don’t care if I stay, do you? I probably should have asked you.”

“Please don’t leave me. I don’t want to be alone.”

“Then let’s get you something to eat. What sounds good?” He shoots me a wink, but I can’t think straight. I don’t even know if I can eat anything without throwing it up.

“I’m going to order a pizza,” he tells me as he pulls out his phone and places an order online.

I snuggle closer to him, soaking in his familiar scent. My eyes grow heavy, the weight of the day finally hitting me. Cyrus is talking, but it sounds muffled. I can barely make out what he’s saying before there's nothing but quiet.

My eyes flutter open, and I feel as if I’m in a sauna. It takes me a minute to register that I’m in my bed. The last thing I remember is sitting with Cyrus on the couch as he comforted me. The room is dark and there’s a heavy weight across my stomach. Looking down, I see it’s an arm, and I jerk a little before catching sight of Cyrus out of the corner of my eye. My heart rate slows, only to be hit with an urgent need to pee.

I take hold of his hand and try to lift it off of me, only for him to grip me tighter, pulling me against his body.

“Don’t leave, Sierra,” his husky voice growls into my ear.

“I need to pee,” I whisper softly.

“Okay, just come back. Wait, are you hungry? You fell asleep before you could eat.” He moves his arm off of me, and I sit up slowly. My stomach chooses that moment to growl.

“Umm, yeah. Just a little,” I confess.

“Go to the bathroom, and I’ll warm us up something to eat.” He sits up, then scoots across the bed until he’s sitting beside me. “Everything is going to work out, Sierra.” He leans in and kisses me on my cheek before standing and leaving the room.

My cheek. Why did he kiss me there? Has he changed his mind about me?

My need to pee wins out over my curiosity. It doesn’t take long to take care of my business, and I wash my hands before heading to the kitchen. Cyrus is standing at the stove, warming up some pizza in the microwave.

“You know I can eat it cold,” I tell him as I step over to the fridge, taking out two cans of soda.

He turns around to face me, his mouth open and eyes wide. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Winking, he turns back to the microwave and pulls out the plate. My stomach does somersaults just from the way he looks at me.

“What? Cold pizza is amazing. It’s mine and Sam’s favorite.” My words grow softer as I speak, the thought of her not being here with me hitting me right in the heart.

He sets the plate on the table, then takes the seat beside me, putting his arm around my shoulder.

“Listen to me baby, she’s going to be back with you soon. This is just a tiny bump in the road. It will be patched up before you know it. Just stay positive. Now eat up.” Cyrus removes his arm, picks up a slice of pizza and takes a large bite.

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