Page 10 of Corrupt Idol

“Youhaven’tchanged,” she retorted.

He said nothing. He just stared at her. She couldn’t decipher what was going on behind those blue eyes and was too fucking tired to try. When she walked past him, his hand brushed over her hair. She recoiled and raced to her room. She locked the bedroom and bathroom doors and listened. She couldn’t hear him, which meant he stayed in the main living area. Hopefully he would watch TV, leave her the hell alone, and pass out on the couch.

She spent her time barricading the entrances into the room. She put her desk chair under the knob in the bathroom and pushed her drawers in front of the bedroom door before she changed into pajama shorts and a college tee. She was thirsty but not about to risk leaving her haven for water. Drinking from the sink would have to do. She washed her face before she climbed in bed and collapsed on the plethora of pillows. She took a deep breath. Someone had washed her sheets. They smelled fresh.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Reese’s number. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Reese’s voice was soft and subdued. “I’m so sorry about your mom.”

She put on a brave smile even though no one was there to see it. “Me too.”

“Are you okay?”

She blinked rapidly to stop the tears. “No.”

“I’m so sorry, Vi. Is there anything I can do?”

“No.”

“Me and Meg were talking,” Reese said slowly. “We sprung this move on you out of the blue and now this thing with your mom… Meg and I can stay longer to give you time to figure everything out so you don’t have to worry about moving on top of everything else. We know money’s tight so we’ll pay your share of the rent this month. Don’t worry about it.”

Her heart swelled. “You guys are the best, but you don’t have to do that. I’m going to move home.”

Reese’s voice changed. “Home? To Texas?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to or you feel you have to because of your mom?”

“I was thinking about it before I found out Mom has cancer and now that I know, I want to be here.” She sighed. “I dropped out of college years ago and haven’t been able to find my feet. I don’t want to go into more debt and I should be here after…” After Lynne was gone. She swallowed hard.

“How soon are you going to move?”

She rubbed the space between her brows as she tried to think. “I’ll be back within a couple days. Right now, she’s stable so I want to do this before she declines even more.” Her chest ached. “And I know you guys are trying to move out and everything.”

“Meg and I can get your stuff sorted.”

“That would be awesome. Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll keep you posted.”

“Let us know if we can do anything for you.”

“Thanks. You guys are the best.”

“We love you, Vi.”

“Love you too. I’ll be in touch.”

“Okay. Bye.”

She hung up and stared at the ceiling as tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes. When her breath hitched, she flipped onto her stomach and wrapped her arms around a pillow. Her hands fisted as she fought for control, but in the end, she couldn’t hold back the tide. She wasn’t sure if she was sobbing for what she had lost in the SUV today or the impending death of the only mother she’d ever known.

A part of her mind registered the smell of sausage, but she ignored it as she focused on her inner storm. When it passed and her head felt as if it was going to explode, the door knob rattled.

“Vi?”

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