Page 31 of Hot for Her
“Can I get you anything? Want me to help you take a bath?”
She snorted. “I’m not a fucking invalid, Emersyn. I can bathe myself.”
Then please do.
I swallowed my own hateful words.
“Okay. Well I’m here if you need anything. I’m going to head back to the hospital and try to see Drew during the next round of visiting hours. Ethan is staying one more night at the Andersons.”
Her stare could’ve launched missiles in my direction. “Thanks for updating me on what my children have decided they’re doing without even asking permission.”
I didn’t have the energy for this. Not today. “I’ll be eighteen next month. Ethan is a good kid and I’ve been looking after him for most of his life. So if you want to pretend your super-mom and we need written permission to exist, you can save that for another time. I can’t do this right now.”
She threw something. I ducked just in time.
A heavy glass hit the wall behind me and rolled onto the floor. It was thick enough not to shatter. She’d been aiming for my head.
Tears sprang to my eyes. “When dad left you said you were going to try harder. Control your temper and spend more time with Ethan, remember? Those were your words. You’ve done none of that.”
“Get out of my room, you selfish little bitch.” Her voice was shrill, rusty knives slicing through me.
“One of these days, I’m going to get out just like you want, Mom. And when that day comes, I will never, ever come back here.”
“Fine by me, Emersyn. When have you done anything other than exactly what you wanted to?”
Was she fucking kidding?
It didn’t matter. I didn’t have it in me to argue.
I left, closing her door behind me, deciding to take a hot shower to wash the hospital scent and my mother’s venomous words out of my skin.
When I got out, my phone was vibrating with text notifications. Holding my towel around my body with one hand, I unlocked the home screen with the other.
Stacy’s name and number popped up. I opened the unread text message from her.
They took Drew off the sedation early. He’s asking for you.
