Page 51 of Risking it All

Pure annoyance and exhaustion caused me to sag, yet I tickled my younger sister as I placed her feet on the floor. “Go take a bath. It’s late and you should already be in bed. School’s taking you to the zoo in the morning, which means an early day.”

School was what we labeled it, since calling it daycare made her feel like a baby.

Camila jumped like I’d jolted her with caffeine. “I love the zoo!” She ran to the bathroom like tonight hadn’t been a traumatic event she’d have to work through in therapy in twentyyears. She shut the bathroom door behind her and sangWe Don’t Talk About Brunoas water hit the tub.

Crises one averted. Camila’s phone sat on the kitchen counter. I picked it up and flipped the button so that it was no longer on silent. How to explain to a six-year-old to silence the device at school and daycare then switch it to as much volume as possible for the rest of the time? I rolled my neck then glared at Dad. As if understanding every thought of how much I hated him, he stood. “Looks like you have company, so I’ll give you space.”

As Dad walked to the door, part of me felt like I should thank him, but I stayed silent. He could have been high, could have been drunk. Could have brought over people who had guns and drugs on them. He could have been the man who brought those drugs and loaded guns into my home. I knew who Dad was. Dad knew I knew. I wanted to say thanks to him more for his voluntarily leaving than for watching over Camila.

Dad stopped in front of Macie and gave her an easy smile. “Are you the one taking care of my son? If so, thank you. I’m grateful for him to have a good woman in his life.”

Fuck Lyra for telling Dad anything about me.

“Um…I…” Macie stuttered through the answer, and I did my best to save her when I said, “Good night, Dad.”

Dad gave me a tip of his chin as if he appreciated the effort it took for me to speak any words to him not in anger, and he left, closing the door behind him. Feeling exposed, like a fallen live wire after a storm sparking off in the rain covered street, I lifted my arms out to my sides and said to Macie, “Welcome to my fucked-up life.”

Chapter twenty-two

Macie

On the counter in the kitchen was a stack of bills, all of them with a notice in large red lettering: “Overdue” or “Last Notice.” One bill had: “Shut Off Notice.”

I never had to think about money. My parents both worked successful, high-earning jobs. Sure, I paid toward car insurance, and when I was a kid, they gave me chores to teach me the value of money, but I neverwantedfor anything. I never thought about how electricity and water could be turned off. Never thought about not having a phone or car insurance. Until this moment, I never thought much about how people who didn’t make the same income as my parents survived.

Watching the time on my phone, understanding that my parents were probably checking the driving app to see where I was, I turned off my location services. To soften that blow, I sent a text that I was eating dinner with friends.

As soon as Relic’s dad left, Camila called out that she had soap in her eyes and Relic had retreated to the bathroom. Since then,I listened to the nonstop, heartwarming banter between the two. She complained that he was too rough combing her hair. He explained she needed to brush it better because it was all tangles. Camila wanted a specific nightgown. Relic tried to convince her to wear the one she had, but Camila persisted. Relic stalked into the living room to rummage through a clothes basket to find it. Camila wanted a drink of milk and a cookie. Relic gave her water and a cracker. She complained about brushing her teeth. Relic didn’t even respond other than watching over her as she did it. Camila wanted three books read to her. Relic stood firm on two. Relic asked if the fan was just right. Camila wanted the air conditioner on higher. Relic apologized that he couldn’t. As he left the room, Camila called out that she loved him, too, which made me assume he had told her he loved her as he tucked her in.

Relic went into another room, flipped on a light, and when he didn’t come out, I took the few steps. My heart flew out of my chest at the sight of Relic shirtless and zipping up his jeans, his work clothes thrown into a laundry basket on the floor.

“Enjoying the show?” His eyes met mine, a sly smile crossed his face, and fire flamed out from my cheeks.

“Sorry,” I stuttered, and as I moved away, Relic called, “Stay, Mazie.”

So, I did. I expected him to throw on a shirt, but instead, he stared at me with that shadowed expression he had right before he kissed me. My pulse thundered through my body as I realized how alone we were.

“Lyra’s on her way, so I can drive you home. She said it’ll take her forty minutes. Do you have the time?”

Until this moment, I had never felt like a burden to Relic. Now, I did. Even though I knew I would have a panic attack that involved vomiting and passing out I said, “I can try to drive myself home. It’s not that far.”

Relic studied me and slowly raised an eyebrow. “Did all your blood drain to your feet, or is it pouring out of your body and into your shoes? Because your face went death white.”

Pinpricks of light danced in my vision, and I had gone cottonmouth with fear. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, you are. Why don’t you take a seat before you pass out?” Relic gently took my hand and guided me to a mattress on the floor that must have served as his bed.

“Sorry,” I said weakly as I leaned forward to increase circulation to my brain. Crouching beside me, Relic pulled my hair off the back of my neck and the cooler air helped.

“Don’t be. I’m the one who reneged on our deal by racing here at a hundred miles per hour.”

Feeling human again, I sat up. “You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. Thanks for taking care of me.”

“Thanks for not saying a word as I broke every traffic law.”

“She’s your sister,” I said. “I get it. I have two younger brothers I’d do anything for.”

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