Page 74 of Hide and Sneak
“Are you okay right now? I mean, do you have plenty of food, the prenatal vitamins and everything? Have you seen a doctor?” The questions are spilling out of me. These are things Amos should be concerned about.
“I’m good. I’ve been to the doctor. I have a good job. I’m not looking for him for money.”
“No, I know,” I reassure her. “I just want to make sure you have what you need.”
She gives a humorless laugh and wipes her eyes. “I need to know what the hell he’s thinking. I got this today. You can’t see much but a blob at this stage, but do you mind if I leave it for him?”
The sight of the ultrasound picture nearly brings tears to my eyes. This is really happening. That’s my niece or nephew. “Of course you can.”
Sutton walks in the front door and sets our dinner on the counter. He glances from Mandy’s tearful face to me, and raises his eyebrows a little. “Sorry, am I interrupting?”
“No,” Mandy replies, standing up. “I should go. I’ll just put this in his room.”
As she heads down the hall, I turn to Sutton. “You’re not going to fucking believe this.”
Before he can reply or I can explain, Mandy calls my name, her voice wavery, and I rush to Amos’s room.
The only thing remaining in the small space is the bed and it’s been stripped down. All his stuff is gone. I throw the closet door open to see nothing but some bare hangers.
I can’t believe he would do this.
“I guess that answers my question,” Mandy says.
Sutton stands in the doorway, taking in the scene.
“Did you know he moved out?” I ask.
“No, he was passed out in bed when I left for work this morning.”
I’m not even sure what to say. I’m so angry I can’t see straight, but that won’t help Mandy. I can’t reassure her that everything will be okay. At this point my faith in my brother is fading fast. All I can do is give her a hug.
She’s eager to leave and I don’t blame her, but we trade phone numbers and I make sure she knows she can call me if she needs anything.
I grab my phone as soon as she’s gone. Amos is out of his mind if he thinks he’s getting away with this.
CHAPTER 25
SUTTON
Lila paces the house,redialing Amos’s number and texting furiously. I’ve never seen her so angry. Of course she is. I’m pissed too. I thought his little drunk statement was just that, some drunk talk. I never imagined he’d actually take off.
Lila’s voice echoes down the hall. “Amos! Quit being a little bitch and pick up your phone. Mandy was just here. She told me about the baby. This is how you deal with it? By running away? This is who you want to be? A deadbeat dad just like ours? You have one hour to call me back or I swear the next call will be on speakerphone with Mom.”
She stalks back into the living room. “You didn’t know anything about this?”
“He told me last night that Mandy was pregnant. He said he didn’t want anyone else to know yet. I don’t think he would’ve said anything if he wasn’t drunk. And I sure didn’t know he quit his job.”
She flops onto the couch beside me, shaking her head. “What did he say about the pregnancy?”
“He wasn’t happy. He said he realized he doesn’t want kids.”
“A little late for that epiphany,” she scoffs.
“I don’t know what he’s thinking. He got so wasted, I practically had to drag him to his bed. He did make a comment then about how he should run away, but I thought it was drunk talk. He was out of it by then.”
“He didn’t find out about us, right? That isn’t why he took off?”
“No, he doesn’t know.”
