Page 85 of Broken Deal

Hoping can only get me so far. It’s not real. I’m not delusional enough to think I’ll be able to open my heart to him. When I’m older and think back to this time of my life, I’ll remember it for what it was—the summer of my life, with the most wonderful man who, in a perfect world, I could have fallen in love with, if destiny were a real thing.

A nurse walks into the room and announces, “Visitor hours will be over in about ten minutes.”

We all nod and mumble our thanks.

“Will you be okay?” I ask my mom with a frown etched on my face.

“Yeah. You heard the doctor earlier, it’s going to be one more night. You kids go home and pick me up tomorrow.”

The doctor came in earlier today and said everything was looking fine and that they wanted to keep her one more night as protocol. Relief took over me when they said that. I want her back home where she can be comfortable and get back to her routine.

“Yo-hoo,” a voice I recognize anywhere says, opening the door.

And there she is, in the flesh, my fucking sister.

Lorenzo shoots a look my way, and all I can manage is to thin my lips before I say something in front of Mom I’m going to regret.

Before Amelia can walk into the room, I stalk toward her and stop her. “Hey, little sis,” I manage to say with a light tone I don’t even recognize. “Let’s go outside and talk, yeah?”

She gets out of my grip. “I came here to see Mom.”

“Visitor hours are over, anyway. You can always come back tomorrow.” I grip her arm tightly, my eyes widening as I push her out of the room. “Mom, we’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Looking over my shoulder, I see Lorenzo standing, deliberately blocking my mom’s view so she doesn’t have to see the tension between Amelia and me. When my eyes meet his, silently thanking him, he simply nods in understanding. This man is something else. And damn, my heart is picking up on these small things and making up a mind of its own.

Over my dead body is Amelia going to get anywhere near Mom. Once we walk out of here, we’re going to have some words. Bailey told me everything and why my mom ended in the hospital. Turns out, Miles showed up at our doorstep completely drunk, begging Mom to speak to Amelia. He and Amelia had a screaming match outside. I’m still unsure of all of the details since this is the only thing Bailey was able to get out of Mom. But she witnessed everything, and the fight must have triggered her somehow, and this is why we find ourselves here.

Once we’re completely out of the room and out of earshot, I stop dead in my tracks. “You have some fucking nerve showing your face around here,” I snap.

“Oh, so you’re the only one allowed to see our mother? Just because you take care of her? Get over yourself, Sophia,” Amelia retorts, crossing her arms.

“She’s here because of you,” I say, jabbing a finger in her direction. “Did you think I wasn’t going to find out? What were you thinking, staying at Mom’s? No—worse—what were you thinking bringing Miles around her? Did you even stop to consider that for a second?”

“I didn’t think he was going to show up drunk in the middle of the night!” she exclaims, exasperated.

“That’s the point. You don’t think! God, Amelia. You’re so fucking selfish!” I yell, not giving a fuck that everyone is currently casting glances our way. “You think the world revolves around you. Wake the fuck up and look at where Mom is because of you,” I seethe, widening my arms with a humorless laugh. “You need to leave.”

She shakes her head. “I just want to apologize.”

“I don’t care—” Before I can continue, I look over her shoulder and see none other than Miles walking our way. “Did you seriously bring Mileshere?”

“We got back together, not that it’s any of your concern. He’s supposed to be waiting for me in the car.”

“Hey,babe,” Miles says, dropping his arm around Amelia. “Oh, hi Sophia, long time no see.”

I’m going to lose it. I think this is it. I’ve hit my limit. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve been over Miles for a very long time. There was something so cathartic about grabbing all his music equipment and throwing it out the window of his apartment the day I decided to leave work early and drop by and, to my oh-so-fucking-merry-surprise, found these two fucking. The perfect way to get over my trashy boyfriend.

Yeah, that’s right. You heard it here first,folks. Miles is my ex. The guy I spent four years of my life with, all while he was screwing my sister behind my back. As Rachel Green fromFriendswould say,Isn’t-that-just-kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?

Yet, you haven’t opened yourself to love ever again. Are you sure you’re over him?

More than sure. Iamover him; I just haven’t forgotten about the betrayal. There’s a difference. I don’t open myself to love anymore, because how can someone hurt me if I’m always the first one to leave? It has been the perfect way to protect my heart.

“Both of you need to leave, now,” I say, my voice flat and emotionless. I’m exhausted—tired of them, tired of everything. Can’t a girl get a moment of peace?Jesus Christ.

“Aw, come on,” Miles says, his lips curling into a sly smile as he gives my shoulder a playful tap with his fist. “Isn’t this a nice little reunion?”

“Donotfucking touch me,” I hiss, recoiling. “And for the last time, leave. I better not see either of you lurking around Mom again.”

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