Screw My Childhood Sweetheart His Alpha Brother Marked Me First novel Chapter 25

Instead. I took a step forward. “Please, let me help. Do you want me to call Dad?”

7 don’t want anything from you. If we’d never brought you home. Lacey would still be here.”

Each one of her words sliced across my skin. Not fatal, but meant to inflict as much pain as possible.

“Mom.” I whispered.

“Don’t call me that! You’re not my daughter. Lacey was my daughter. And she’s gone.” The crying started in earnest again, shuddering sobs racking through her.

I leaned down placing a hand on her back. She shored at me, making me stumble back a few steps.

“Get out!”

I fled up the stairs to my bedroom. My hand trembled as I opened the door. My whole body was shaking. I barely made it to my bed before collapsing. It wasn’t until my pillow grew damp that I realized I was crying.

Every time I thought I’d cried out everything inside me, there was still more an infinite pool of pain to draw from. I curled into a ball, the hand with my bracelets pressing into the side of my face. “I need you. Lace.”

There was no answer. Never was. Because I was alone.

Something howled nearby–clear and strong in the darkness. The sound made something stir in my chest, but not in a bad way. I fel protective somehow. Like whatever was out there was watching over me, letting me know I wasn’t completely alone.

I lifted my Diet Coke and rested the can on one eye and then the other. Between the crying and the howling outside last night, my sleep had been nil. My brain and face were paying the price. I could only hope the puffiness would magically disappear by the time I got to school

Even if my face went back to normal, the ache in my chest would still be there. The pain of my mother’s words swirled with the grief of missing Lacey, mixing with something else I couldn’t identify exactly. A sort of rugging that left me wanting to gasp for breath.

I lifted the can off my eye and took a sip. I hadn’t bothered making Mom a sandwich today, not when the one from yesterday still sat in the fridge, untouched.

I tapped out a text on my phone.

Me. Mom isn’t doing well. You might want to come home and check on her.

Three little dots appeared and then disappeared again.

Dad She’s grieving. Give her time.

Time? If we gave her much more time, she was going to waste away to nothing.

I didn’t bother responding to his text. He wouldn’t care, no matter what I said. I couldn’t force him to open his eyes and see the truth. He was living with his head in the sand with his new, three hundred dollar haircut.

My phone buzzed, and I fought the urge to throw it at the wall.

River. Your chariot awaits.

I stared at the screen for a moment and briefly considered running away. I squashed the idea. One year. Less than that. It was all I had to get

11:45

Screw My Childhood Sweetheart–His Alpha Brother Marked Me First!

21.4

Chapter 25

through before I could go to college and never look back. At least I knew there was a college fund in my name. It would pay for wherever I

wanted to go.

Maybe I’d go somewhere overseas. I’d never been to Scotland, but it looked beautiful. Those lush green landscapes and majestic castles. I’d start investigating options tonight. If I could hold that image in my head of freedom, of leaving everything behind and truly becoming someone new, I could make it through this year.

River: You okay, Senna?

I hurried to type out a response.

Me: Be out in a sec.

I lifted my Diet Coke and chugged its contents. I left my empty bowl in the sink and grabbed my backpack. As I hefted it over my shoulder, I mentally thanked Knox for pushing the giving–me–a–ride issue.

I headed out the front door, locking it behind me. Caspian hung out the back window of the truck. “Did you miss me?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ve been counting down the seconds until I’d see you again. How did you know?”

“Because I’m a catch and you’re not stupid.” There was a commotion in the cab and Caspian cursed. “That was uncalled for, Luc.”

The petulant tone only had me smiling wider as I climbed into the back of the truck. “I need a ladder to get into this thing.”

Caspian reached out a hand and pulled me in. There was no deafening spark this time, but there was a little trill of sensation along my palm. “Thanks,” I muttered, pulling off my backpack and setting it at my feet.

Knox met my gaze through the rearview mirror. “How was your night last night?”

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