Page 117 of Unsteady

Not anymore.

“Can I hold you?” I ask, before I can stop myself. “Please.”

I wait for the rejection, for the wall of frustration—and I’m prepared to fight for her. I always will.

But, she only nods, exhausted as she slinks towards me and tucks herself back into my side.

It isn’t until she’s fast asleep, drained but so beautiful that I whisper, “I’ll never leave you. Happy birthday, Sadie.”

I swear she smiles in her sleep, but I’m borderline delusional when it comes to this girl.

“I love you,” I mouth, pressing the words into the skin of her forehead, hoping that somehow, she hears them. Somehow, she knows.

* * *

I jolt awake.

The clock on her bedside table is blinking 3:47 a.m. in bright red font. My brow furrows as I rub my eyes a moment, trying to figure out what woke me. Did I have another nightmare? I haven’t had one in months, but sleeping somewhere foreign I absolutely could—

Something slams again, loud, making Sadie shift and curl tighter against me.

She’s barely opening her eyes, when I press her back into the mattress.

“Stay asleep, baby. I’m just gonna check on the boys.”

Her body rolls pliantly to the other side, and I shuck my sweatpants back on before heading out.

It’s icy cold in this house, which Sadie explained was, in fact, an issue with their house being quite old and their astronomical gas bill last year; they’d planned to avoid it until they absolutely had to.

A problem I’d already planned on solving as soon as possible.

Liam is fast asleep, not moving an inch as I shut back his door. But Oliver is awake, standing at the top of the stairs, listening.

“Hey bud,” I whisper, worried about the angry look on his face. “What’s up? Can’t sleep?”

His brow furrows. “You didn’t hear that?”

“I did. Did it wake you?”

He snorts. “Dad always wakes us. Liam will sleep through anything.” He eyes me up and down again. “Surprised Sadie’s asleep though.”

“I tried to keep her from waking up.” Except now, I feel ridiculous. I’ve never had to handle an alcoholic, except in the context of drunken college or high school friends. Not an adult. “Does he… is he violent?”

“Not usually. But Halloween makes him angry.” Oliver shrugs his shoulders and crosses his arms. “Usually he just breaks a few things, and then passes out on the couch. But…”

“What is it?”

Oliver has that same look again, like he’s not sure if what he’s saying is allowed or right— like someone will be upset with him. A little like confusion mixed with anger.

“You can tell me anything, remember?” I try to remind him of my words from earlier.I won’t leave you.

“It’s Sadie’s purse. I know it’s downstairs still. She usually remembers to hide it, but she…”

“I distracted her.”

He nods.

Fuck. “Does he steal from her?”

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