Page 6 of Ruthless God

I stand up straight as much as I possibly can, ignoring my throbbing stomach.

“How the fuck is it my fault that they were in a car accident?” I say through gritted teeth.

Stepping back, the vein in his forehead throbs, and his face turns tomato red. “Lyrical was driving high and they had Molly in their system, you fucking idiot! How did they manage to get a hold of ecstasy?”

No one knew they had a habit of popping Molly except for me. But this time, they didn’t get it from me or anyone at the party. Unless they took it before they showed up.

My father eyes me, frowning. “You’re still going to marry Lyrical. You need to be married to run the club.”

Typical. My father never cared about anyone or anything but his precious business, and he doesn’t care about Bailey’s death because to him, she was a business deal, a liability, unless she got married.

Without another word, he leaves me in the bathroom, and I rush to the faucet, turn the knob, and splash icy water on my face. I grab a paper towel and scrub until my skin is raw.

I’m so fucking pissed off at Lyrical for driving under the influence and killing my sister. When are her reckless ways going to end? Why would she pop a Molly and get behind thewheel? I could have driven them home—hell, I could have gotten my driver to take them both home.

When I leave the bathroom, I head to the ER’s waiting room, and Lyrical’s mother wraps her arms around my shoulders, kissing the side of my temple.

She has always been a second mother to me. Also, she accepted me as the son she never had. I don’t like how guilt creeps inside of my chest. Her father pats me on the back, nods, then frowns at me with thinned lips.

When I glance at my own mother, she looks away, casting her eyes down to the tiles, as if she agrees with my father. My mother never had a backbone when it came to my father, always siding with him even when she knew he was wrong.

“It’s not your fault,” Lyrical’s mom whispers in my ear, and her words catch me off guard. Those are the words I want to hear frommyparents. “Things happen for a reason. I know my daughter, she’s reckless, and Bailey was too. I’m so sorry you lost your sister.”

It feels like a nightmare that I’m never going to wake up from. I can’t believe Bailey is gone. My baby sister that I spent years looking after. No more having Bailey’s back and going to her about my problems.

The doctor strolls inside the waiting room, tells us they need to speak to the coroner about Bailey’s body, and he lets Lyrical’s parents know they are allowed to see their daughter. I have a few words to say to Lyrical myself, and pure rage hums inside of me, waiting to overflow like a volcano.

Lyrical’s parents disappear down the hall while I pace the floor like a madman.

What will I say to her?

An hour later, my parents leave without sparing me a glance, and Lyrical’s parents tell me she wants to see me.

Once I make it to her room, I suck in a breath as I bang my knuckles on the door.

My gaze snags on her form and her face looks dirty. We stare at each other for several moments, but it feels more like an hour.

Anger burns in my chest at the sight of her, and I look at her in disgust. Tears fall down her puffy face.

“I can’t believe Bailey is gone.”

She fists the sheets, grits her teeth, and I fight every fiber in me not to choke the shit out of her.

“I’m so sorry, Snow. It’s all my fault. I was feeling funn—”

“Why the fuck would you get behind the wheel after you popped a Molly?”

I’m trying to keep my cool, but my sister died because of her.Sheshould have been dead, not her. Bailey shouldn’t have had to pay for her choices, and neither should my family. The love I had for my best friend quickly goes out the window, replaced with hate.

Confusion laces her face. “What? I didn’t take any drugs!” She rubs her forehead and closes her eyes, but I don’t give two shits about her. This is not the girl I fell in love with and she’s not the person who I thought she was. “Fuck, my head hurts.”

I ball up my fists and shove them in my pocket, fighting the urge not to punch the wall. “Just because both our parents turned a blind eye to your foolishness doesn’t mean I will. Your and Bailey’s bad habit caught up to you tonight.”

My sister turned to street drugs when her medication wasn’t strong enough to fight the hallucinations she suffered from. Sometimes, Lyrical would get high, too, so she wouldn’t feel alone.

I hate the sight of this girl, the girl I was in love with all these years. And, what’s worse, I’m stuck with her for the rest of my life. If I don’t marry her, I don’t get my father’s business, andthat’s the only thing I want right now. To graduate and inherit what belongs to me.

She sinks her two front teeth into her bottom lip as she shakes her head. “Snow. I’m telling you the truth. Bailey and I didn’t do any drugs before we came to the party. We made a pact that we wouldn’t take it anymore.”

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