Page 24 of Deceit

Light pink walls with dangly star lights hang above the windows. A full-sized bed with some Disney princesses that I don’t know the names of covers the pillowcases, and comforter. A bunch of dolls, Barbies, a small desk for coloring, a purple castle tent, and this little girl is officially hooked up.

Scarlett took care of picking it all out. I just bought and put it all together. It’s about time this house is utilized for something other than me brooding aimlessly around with a cold beer and warm blunt in my hands. Having my family reside here gives it a welcoming and fuzzy feeling while actually being used for something good.

I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop out of habit.

But it’s been nice learning about my sister during the week and what things she likes to do. She still lives in Chicago and works at a blog that covers numerous things ranging from how to give your life balance to quick recipes for dinner, money-saving tips, and spreading your time while doing the things you like to do. She was actually visiting when Madelyn and her mother had the accident.

“Kace, this is fucking amazing.” Hardy stands next to me, still gawking inside the room. “She’s going to love this.”

“Scarlett picked out—“ My brother quickly turns and hugs me, catching me completely off guard again. I’m gonna have to watch him a little more closely or get used to this whole hugging thing because I stiffen as my brain computes that he’s not a threat.

“Sorry—” Hardy breaks from me, immediately allowing me back my personal space. “—this is just…Maddy is going to be in heaven over this.”

I nod. “Good, she’s still scheduled to come home tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Her grandparents have all her things packed up, and…with Abigail’s funeral, I wanted to give her some time to spend with them. I didn’t want her whole world to be flipped upside down even though it will be anyway.”

“How about you sell your place or break the lease and come live with me,” I transmit, trying to alleviate some of his burdens. Hardy has been all over the place for the last three weeks. He’s been running around with Madelyn so much and letting her spend time with his ex-girlfriend’s family that I barely see him.

Now that he’s going to be a single parent full-time, he’s gonna need every break and piece of help he can get his hands on.

And I can be those extra set of hands.

I think.

Hardy gapes at me with furrowed everything. “Huh?”

I motion for him to step out of his daughter’s newly decorated room and pat myself down in a quest for my cigarettes. Hardy needs to have a nice place to raise Madelyn, and I’m not here much like I said. It’ll also give me some time to get to know them. Living in an actual house with four walls and not having to worry about what your neighbors are doing sounds like a nice way to go to me.

We walk outside, filling the unfinished conversation with a simpler one. Apparently, Hardy has my pride. “What does she like to eat? I gotta go into town.”

“Macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly. Normal kid shit. Not the radiation-filled shit they fed you in the military.” I cut a glance over my shoulder at him, and he shrugs. “You’re fucking huge, man.”

“Mhm.” Finding my box, I pull out a fag and tip the book to offer him one. My brother holds up his hand.

“Nah, I’m good. I like to go more green.”

“Weed?” He bobs his head, to which I pull a rolled blunt out of my leather jacket that I just finished before he got here.

Hardy’s lips curl like I offered him an unlimited AMEX card, plucking it from between my fingers, and draws his own lighter out of his sweats.

Talk about looking at a version of myself. Fucker came prepared and everything.

“I’m sure Mom would love seeing us do this—“ He lights the end and inhales to get it to stay lit. “—her two sons doing drugs.”

I lose my cigarettes, dropping them back into my jacket as my brother offers me the blunt. “I’m sure she’d be high-fiving as she snorted up snow.”

Hardy shrugs as I take a long hit. “Eh, you took care of us. I wanted for nothing.”

“Because I stole everything.” I hand back the weed, blowing out smoke and watching his face fall from memories, I’m sure.

There were nights that we fled Mom’s double-wide trailer because Bubba or one of his cronies would try to sneak up on us when we were sleeping. We spent many cold nights in the woods, hunkered down with blankets and pressed up against each other for warmth.

There was no peace.

Not when the fight was what they wanted. It is a game of predator versus prey, chasing the weak and young that couldn’t protect themselves, so they feel more inferior and powerful.

Chasing children.

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