Page 52 of Better Hide

There’s silence. I feel Jayden’s anger at my back.

I smile. “Is Ralph home?”

“Hey Mom, who is that?” a young voice asks.

I blink.

Mom flinches. “I’ll be right there.”

“Mom?” the voice says.

My ears start ringing. The voice sounds like a young child. Who the hell is calling her mom? I don’t have any siblings.

“Who is that?” I breathe.

A little head pops up under my mom’s arm. A boy, probably eight or nine, with brown hair and dimples, smiles up at me. “Oh, hey!”

“Cole, this is Sam.” Mom’s mouth is tight.

“Who is Sam?” I grit.

“He’s our son. We’re adopting him.”

My ears start ringing. Son? Their fucking son?

I’m her son.

I take a step back. The world sounds fuzzy. Now I notice the blue and red kids’ shoes by the front door.

I take another step back. I see Mom’s mouth moving, but I don’t know what she’s saying.

My mom replaced me. Just like that.

25

JAYDEN

I could gut this bitch.

Cole looks like he just got hit with a baseball bat. I step in front of him and up into Marian’s face. She immediately averts her watery blue eyes.

This woman has no business adopting a child. She has a rap sheet as long as any hardened criminal, and she’s married to Ralph. He’s a piece of shit who used to be best friends with Pat. I have no doubt he’s also a twisted fuck.

“Marian,” I sneer. “Long time no see. Think the last time was…what? Second grade?”

Her eyes harden, and she goes to say something, but Cole steps in front of us.

“We just wanted to talk to Ralph.”

I feel Cole shove me back. He knows I’m about to lose my shit.

“He’s not here.”

I look around Cole’s shoulder. “We weren’t asking.”

Marian sneers, but I know she won’t call the cops on us. She hates the cops. She got arrested too many times and madeenemies of too many of them. Plus, now she apparently has an adoption going through, and she needs to stay off their radar.

“Jay,” Cole warns.

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