Page 59 of Destroying Everleigh

She was silent for a few moments. “You’ve really been running that household, haven’t you?”

“Pretty much. Mom has been too sick to do anything,” I admitted.

“Your mother is lucky to have you.” She paused, the tension in the air becoming thicker. “Was,” she corrected. “I love you, Everleigh. Let me know if you need anything. Herbert will be on his way shortly.”

“I love you too, Grams.”

The line went dead between us, and I placed my phone on the table beside my drink and closed my eyes. My chest was rattling with silent sobs, and for a moment, I wondered how we’d get through this. But then I remembered, I’ve been doing it all on my own this entire time. This didn’t change anything. As much as it hurt, that was my reality.

The door to the front of the house swung open, putting me on high alert. My posture went rigid, expecting some gang banger from the northside to storm in here with guns blazing. When I realized it was just a few EMT workers, my shoulders slouched in defeat. They rolled a stretcher down the hallway, their voices carrying through the air. Within twenty minutes, they were retreating with my mom’s body, a sheet draped over her.

Throughout most of the day, it was a revolving door of cops. It was easy to see that she died from an illness, so the investigation was closed as fast as it had opened. My grandfather picked up the youngest kids during the commotion and gave me a tight hug. He offered to let me and Briley come, but we decided against it. We both needed to be alone right now.

The house felt weird without the kids here and without my mom. It was almost…ominous. My chest was tight with pain and tension as I cleaned up after breakfast, seemingly in slow motion. My eyes were raw, and I wasn’t sure how long I’d cried for. Briley had shut herself in the room we shared, and I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt her.

Mom had once been my closest confidant. It was heartbreaking watching her morph into a person I didn’t even recognize. She was in so much pain, fighting for her life, which proved to be pointless in the end. Even though Mom didn’t approve of some of my choices growing up, she never faulted me for them or made me feel bad about them. She just gave me advice and tried to help guide me the best she could. Aside from her little freakout when she first caught me and Ashton together in the maze. A sad smile tugged at my mouth at the memory. In her eyes, I was still her little baby back then. She didn’t even know I’d paid any mind to boys at that age. She came around more quickly than expected, giving me the safe sex talk which I still practiced to this day. I knew there was no way in hell I could afford a baby right now.

A sigh fluttered past my lips as I washed the dishes, the warm water seeping into my hands. Life used to be so easy. I had both parents, sure they bickered frequently, but it usually wasn’t over anything major. I had two close friends and a boyfriend who I loved immensely. My siblings were happy and thriving. Watching the light slowly fade out of their eyes as time went on broke me more than anything ever could.

I tried my hardest for them. But it never felt like it was enough. Somehow, despite my efforts, I kept failing. Maybe they would be better off with a family who could financially provide for them and make them happy. Tears stung my eyes as that thought lingered in the back of my mind. My only fear was that they’d be separated, and I wasn’t sure I could stomach it if that were to happen.

Briley stepped into the kitchen with round puffy eyes. Her face was red from how many times she rubbed her palms across it to rid herself of the tears. I turned off the water, dried my hands off with a towel hanging from the hook, and then made my way over to her.

“How are you feeling?” I asked gently.

She glanced away, her shoulders shaking on a ragged breath. “Like death.”

I nodded, my heart aching for my younger sister. She’d been close to Mom too like I had been. She was old enough to hold onto those memories. “There’s a bar around here that doesn’t ID,” I told her. “The guys used to take me there. Do you want to go?”

I didn’t necessarily condone drinking your problems away, but Mom just died today, and we had cops and EMT workers running in and out for hours. If it would help ease the pain, even temporarily, then I was willing to do that for her.

“Sure.” She sighed. “Can Angie come? I really need a friend right now.”

“Of course. I’ll call Amber and we can make it a girl’s night.”

Amber and I were sitting side by side in one of the booths with Briley and Angie opposite us. Bry had cleaned up well, fixing her hair and applying some light makeup to hide her red, puffy skin. I preferred to be alone when upset, but Briley was the opposite. She liked trying to distract herself from the pain by going out and doing whatever she could, so she didn’t have to think about it. Because of that, she’d been known to make reckless decisions, but it was her life. I didn’t want to take Mom’s place or try to coddle her. She was an adult and could make her own choices.

Angela shifted forward, toying with the straw in her fruity drink. She had light brown skin and dark brown hair that was naturally curly, but she usually straightened it when going out.She used to get Briley in all sorts of trouble growing up, but she’d stuck by her side regardless, and I had to appreciate her loyalty. We all sat in silence for a while, letting the alcohol fill our veins before any of us dared to speak. I had to tap into my savings container for the occasion, but it was worth it.

“I’m starting to feel better.” Briley laughed with glassy eyes. She had ordered a martini and had already nearly finished it off.

Angie smiled over at my sister, sympathy shining in her dark colored eyes. “Good. Because I’ve been dying to spill the beans on something I just found out about.”

Angela went to Northbrook University, too. But I think her classes differed from Briley’s. I didn’t see them together often. They were both incredibly smart when it came to academics and yet, neither one of them contained much common sense.

“What is it?” Briley asked.

“You know that old sorority house that had been shut down due to some girl killing herself in it?”

I’ve heard that story a lot. There were several different rumors floating around about what happened there. Some people claimed she was pushed off the balcony over a guy, others said she was drunk and was dared to walk on the outside of the ledge and fell, and some stated that she just jumped because life had gotten too difficult for her. It was sad that I could relate to that feeling. The one of hopelessness, of never knowing if things would get better or not.

“I’ve heard of it.” She nodded. “Alexis was telling me about it last week.”

“Yeah. Well, apparently someone’s turning it into a fraternity.” Angela glanced over at me with pursed lips. “Jameson and Kash actually. They just moved in on Friday. I saw them carrying their stuff over.”

Amber raised her eyebrows in surprise. They were the last two people I wanted to hear about. Anytime someone said one oftheir names, my heart started racing and my breathing thinned. I hated that they had such a hold over me, and I hated that Jameson got to touch me. What I hated even more, was the fact that I enjoyed it. I took another drink of my long island iced tea, allowing it to slide down my throat slowly.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Amber said, turning to me. “Come with me?”

---