Page 7 of Bound by Desire
If I didn’t answer, though, she will just call and call and call to the point where I want to reach through the phone and rip herheadoff.
“That’s no way to answer the phone, Rylie. Have you nomanners?”
“No,” I answer instantly, having lost manners a long damn time ago when it comes to her. The only reason I deal with her is because she’s the only family I have left, being my mother’s sister and all. I’ve felt stuck for a very long time because she’s the only connection I have to my parents’. But that’s about to stop because she only calls for one reason and onereasononly.
I’m not a fucking ATM machine, and my mother’s sister or not,I’mdone.
“I see.” She clucks her tongue, the same fucking sound she made when I was a teen and did something she didn’t approve of. Fucking hated that shit. She would do it right before punishing me for stupid shit, like asking for a second helping at dinner time. I learned quickly not todothat.
She is nothing like my mother. Nothing. My mother was warm and caring, while CB is nothing ofthesort.
“What do you want?” I ask again, grabbing my Diet Coke and taking a drink then sitting it back on the sidetable.
Brewer comes up and lays in the crook of my bent knees on thecouch.
I know what she wants, so why the fuck do Ievenask?
“I’m a little short thismonth—”
“No,” I cut her off with a quickness. “I’m not giving you anything. Only fucking time you call me is for money and to get you out of some fucked up situation that you got your own damn self into. I’m done with this fucking game. You need to lose mynumber.”
She huffs. “RylieMarie—”
“No,” I cut her off again. “I’m not fucking paying for your shit. You’re lucky your ass is still breathing. Take this for the warning it is: leave me the fuck alone, or I’ll make you … for good.” I disconnect and toss my phone to the other end of mycouch.
That bitch just does not know who she’s fucking with. I’m not some punk-ass kid who lost her parents in a drive-by shooting anymore. Living on the streets was better than her home. I’ve learned my shit and have a damn good head on my shoulders, no thankstoher.
Thank Christ I only had to stay with her for two years. Worst two years of my life, but they made me the woman I am today. Not that I’d ever thank her forthat…ever.
ChapterThree
Iroll out of bed,brush my teeth, and turn on the coffee. Every day, it’s the sameroutine.
Set.
Predictable.
Controlled.
Steady.
My phone rings, and when I look at the screen, I see,Emerycalling.
I feel my lips tip into a tight smile. My sister, who’s away at college for her first year, is the only one I’ve kept in contact with from home. Emery is a light that I sure as hell don’t deserve, but takeanyway.
I swipe it and accept the call, just like Ialwaysdo.
I’ll never leave her hanging. No matter how fucked up my choices in the past, she’s always accepted me as I am with open arms. When I couldn’t look in the damn mirror at myself, she loved me the same. Nothing ever changedbetweenus.
She was only fifteen when I left home and still innocent to so much in life. Even when I was fucked up on dope, she was always on my radar. I made sure she was okay. There is nothing I won’t do to keep mysistersafe.
When I made the decision to leave, it killed me to leave her, knowing I was abandoning her in a way. Knowing that, when I left that house, her life would be forever changed. But in the end, it was best for all of us. Even then, I’ll do anything in my power toprotecther.
“Yeah?”
She lets out a huff. “You could at least sayhello.”
“No.”
