Page 249 of Tell Me Something True

He had a sister. He’d always had a sister, he just hadn’t known it.

He had a sister. One who’d been abused and neglected when she was a little girl. Who was sold to fucking perverts and then abandoned in a motel room by her own mother.

By his mother.

Rage burned through him, hot and fast, a wildfire hellbent on destruction.

Just like it used to.

He used to feed that fire. Fighting and stealing and breaking laws. But after his last stint in juvie, he’d realized that if he didn’t straighten out his shit and get his head out of his ass, he was going to end up in prison one day in the not so far future.

Worse. He was going to end up like his old man.

It had taken time, but he’d taught himself how to control his anger.

How to contain it so it didn’t get away from him. Didn’t put his future at risk.

Didn’t hurt anyone else.

He’d tried. He’d walked the straight and narrow. Had done what was right.

But nothing had changed.

None of it had mattered.

Might as well let that fire burn.

If only so it’d turn the sick, helpless sensation in his gut to ash.

He tossed a few pebbles at Verity’s dark window. Heard them connect with the glass with a soft click, click, click. He waited, staring up at her room, heart pounding.

Come on, princess. Come to the window. Give me just two more minutes even if it’s for the very last time.

Please…

There was no movement. No flash of light from the lamp she had on her bedside table. No twitch of those frilly curtains.

No Verity staring back at him in that way that had him all amped up and on edge.

Had him thinking he was actually worth something.

If only in her eyes.

Reed squeezed his hand into a fist, the jagged edges of the remaining stones biting into his palm. Fuck. He was such an idiot. Eighteen hours ago, he’d been read his rights and handcuffed in her bedroom. Had spent the rest of his morning being processed then sitting in a holding cell until his arraignment hearing that afternoon.

Where Reed’s attorney—Patton’s wife, Lily—had told him Verity had also spent time at the police station. Giving them a statement about what had happened when he’d showed up at her house last night.

She’d gotten into trouble. Had to give a fucking statement to the cops. Would, more than likely, be brought in as a witness if his case went to trial.

Because of him.

All because of him.

He shouldn’t be here. He knew that. But he couldn’t sit in Patton’s office any longer. Not when Tabitha started to spout some bullshit about how she knew this was a big change for both of them, but she was hoping they could get to know each other better. That she’d always wanted a brother.

He’d walked out.

No I’ll think about it. No I can’t handle this right now.

---