Page 58 of Castle's Cards

Izzy looks at me skeptically before sighing.

“Fine. Whatever, you win.” She frowns. “What is your plan, anyway?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t even know what you’re going to say, yet? You’ve had the whole car ride!”

“Hey, this isn’t an easy situation to navigate, you know. Your sister requires delicate handling.”

Izzy rolls her eyes. “Don’t I know it. But she’s not made of glass. Come on, you have until the front door to come up with something.”

We both get out of the car. Izzy walks faster than I do, apparently eager to get home. I’m less enthused. There’s a distinct possibility that Addy will get even more pissed off and throw me out again. And if that’s the case, then Izzy will be inmoretrouble than less. But what choice do I have? She came to the club begging me for help. I couldn’t turn her away.

The closer we get to the front door, the harder my heart thumps in my chest. Thoughts are flying through my mind at hyper speed, coming in and going out so quickly that I barely have the time to register each one. I steady my breathing so the thoughts slow, and by the time I approach the door I think I have something solidified.

Izzy and I look at each other. I see my hesitation reflected on her face.

“Ready?” she whispers, glancing to the door.

“As much as I’ll ever be,” I respond. Then she steps forward and presses the doorbell.

Chapter Twenty

Addy

Thesmellwaftingthroughthe kitchen from the pot on the stove makes my stomach rumble. When I was going through the cupboards and trying to decide what to make for dinner, I realized that we need to use the vegetables in the fridge. They won’t last much longer, and I’m not going to be able to have them in the shelter.

After Izzy stormed off to her room I went down to the landlord’s office in hopes that I could convince him to prorate the rent by one week. It wouldn’t be a big difference, but there’d be a little bit extra money in my pocket.

But of course he wasn’t there. The note he taped to the door said that we could reach him by phone anytime, but the three times I tried to call him went straight to voicemail. As much as I don’t want to be a Debbie-downer, it’s obvious to me that I’m not going to get a single cent from him.

“Izzy!” I call from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready!”

I wait for her response but it doesn’t come. Her door doesn’t even open. She’s obviously still angry at me, and I can’t pretend that I don’t understand why. I just wish she knew that I didn’t come upon this decision lightly.

Living with Mom won’t be a cakewalk for her. I know that more than anyone. But does she really think it will be worse than the alternatives? At least she’ll have a home and a place to keep her things. I’ll still pay for Dragon to be boarded down here. But yeah, it will suck for her to finish her senior year in a new place away from her friends and Nate.

But she can come back for the summer before college. Or if she doesn’t want to go to college she can move back down here. I move the soup off the burner and pad out of the kitchen.

“Izzy!” I shout at the same time the doorbell rings. Who could that be?

My stomach puckers. What if it’s my landlord, telling me that the sale moved up and we have to move out tomorrow? I take a deep breath and shake my head.

Get yourself together, Addy. That’s not going to happen. I stride to the front door and lift my chin before opening it to reveal…

Carter and Izzy?

“Izzy? Why aren’t you in your room?” I ask. Then the initial shock wears off as I realize what she did. Red hot anger creeps up my neck. “You snuck out again, didn’t you?”

Izzy stomps inside.

“What was I supposed to do? I’m not going to lay in my room while you get ready to ship me off to Belgium!”

I can’t stand this attitude. She’s so dramatic. Was I this way when I was her age? God, I hope not.

“It’s not Belgium. It’s not even that far. Only a couple of hours by plane.” I glance up at Carter as guilt washes over me. This is the perfect time to apologize.

“She came to the club and begged me to convince you not to ship her off,” Carter says, shoving his hands in his pockets.

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