Page 54 of Castle's Cards

“What’s wrong?”

I blink. How did she clock it that fast? I only said four words.

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. Everything is fine,” I say quickly. Too quickly. Izzy narrows her eyes at me and crosses her arm.

“I thought we already went over the fact that I’m not a baby and I can understand adult issues last night. So why are you hiding something from me?”

When I look into Izzy’s eyes, I consider fibbing again. But I can’t muster up the energy to lie to her a second time. That’s why I smile and sit down on the couch, patting the spot next to me. Izzy regards me suspiciously before sitting next to me, dropping her book bag between her feet.

“Izzy, you remember when you said that you believed I could figure things out?”

“Uh, yeah. If I didn’t remember that, then I’d recommend you evaluate me for memory loss,” she comments.

“Right. Well, I figured something out.”

Izzy perks up and grins.

“I knew it! What are we doing?”

“It’s less what we’re doing and more whatyou’redoing.”

“What I’m doing…?” She smiles and shakes her head. “Oh, I get it. You want me to get an after school job. I can do that.”

“No!” I shake my head. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be abrupt. It’s just you’re not getting a job. You’re going back to live with Mom.”

The smile instantly drops from Izzy’s face and she stands up indignantly.

“What the fuck?” she says.

“Watch your language.” I stand up and put my hands on her shoulders. “I know it’s not ideal, but it’s the best option we have at the moment. You can’t stay in a homeless shelter. That’s unacceptable. Mom has a big house and room for you to stay with her.”

Izzy shakes her head and throws my hands off of her.

“I’m not going to live with Mom. I’d rather be homeless.”

“You don’t mean that, Izzy! It won’t be that bad. You…”

“‘Won’t be that bad?!’ I have alife. I have friends, a boyfriend, ahorse. I’m not freaking leaving in the middle of my senior year of high school.” Izzy throws her hands up in exasperation.

“You’ll have those things there, too!”

“Mom isn’t going to pay to have Dragon stabled.”

“I’m not going to be able to afford to keep Dragon stabled, either. At least if you’re with mom then I can stay in the shelter and continue to pay for things like that so you have something to come back to. You don’t have to stay there.”

“You know as well as I do that mom won’t let me leave once I’m there. It was like pulling teeth getting her to let me stay with you the first time. Besides, I hate her husband. You can’t make me go.”

I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

“I don’t want to force you, Izzy.”

“Good.”

“But I’m not going to let you be homeless. So if I have to tie you to the plane seat to make sure you get there, I will.”

“Just ask Carter for help! I know he will. He bought Dragon. He’ll buy us a house.”

“I’m not going to ask Carter to buy us a house! Are you insane?”

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