Wouldn’t even speak to me as she slammed her bedroom door down the hallway when we arrived back from Levi and Torin’s crime scene and subtly stated she doesn’t want to be bothered by anything going on.
That was three days ago.
Cairo is pissed, pacing the backyard, and on the phone every five minutes.
I know she’s losing her mind in there.
I can feel the thick tension underneath her door. Bay’s completely locked herself in a state of misery and despair, and I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.
I haven’t strayed far from it in case she needs me in any capacity, but she hasn’t reached out, nor do I think she’s going to.
Regardless, she needs to eat. Cairo banged on her door multiple times today, begging her to come out, but she refuses to give any sign of response except for the loud bang of something she threw at the door yesterday when Cairo threatened to break it down.
I’m starting to get anxious.
Cairo asked if I wanted to go search for De Leon, but I couldn’t leave her here. I’d probably be thelastperson she’d ask for. If anything, she’d bitch at Cairo and demand something, but I remain cemented to her family room and patiently waiting for anything.
Any sign of her coming out, a sound, an inkling something might be wrong.
Meanwhile, outside of Bay’s newly acquired prison cell, Mae won’t leave me alone. The kid’s ability to read the room is nonexistent because she keeps asking me to play various board games while Ellie tries to distract her with something else.
I can appreciate the backup, and the fact Ellie is old enough to notice something is obviously wrong with Bay. She’s already noticed that I’m not a big talker, but sometimes I catch Ellie staring at me. As if she can sense the unspoken relationship we have but doesn’t feel the need to talk about it.
I’m not looking to get close to Bay’s sister, and I’m glad she doesn’t remember me. There’s nothing I can offer her, and I’m not looking to divulge about our parents. Those memories have almost faded into nothing anyway.
Besides, Ellie has Bay, and that’s all she needs. I’m just an add-on. Something dark and dreary in her bright world that doesn’t need to be present, and I’m content with it remaining this way.
And maybe that’s what I am for Bay.
However, maybe she’s starting to see she doesn’t need me and would rather I leave her alone.
Just like she’s told Torin to do a bunch of times.
The idea makes me uncomfortable.
It forms tight knots in my chest that I can’t untangle. A sharp incline of adrenaline shoots through my veins next, and I don’t know what to do about it.
I’d say some of it is for Torin, but I’m still upset about what he did. Regardless, he’s alive, the way fate wanted it to be. If anyone would be taking Torin down, it’d be me or Bay. Matteo De Leon doesn’t have a pot to piss in when it comes to how stubborn my brother is.
“Can we play in the treehouse?” The ungodly voice of the same little girl pries my attention off the back of Bay’s door to find Mae bouncing around like she’s high on something. Her dark brown curls keep hitting rosy cheeks, and I just want to shove her out of my way and tell her to fuck off.
“Mae, he’s busy,” Ellie says, coming from the fridge and shoving a wrapped cherry popsicle in her face. “C’mon.”
“I want to eat it in the treehouse.”
“Fine.” The moment the word leaves Ellie’s lips, Mae sprints to the sliding glass door and rips it open, causing Cairo to steal a glance before going back to talking on his phone.
“Something is going on… What is it?”
I wish Bay’s dad were here right now so it’d give Ellie someone else to talk to.
Or Reeve.
Reeve would be better. He’d entertain them and make them laugh. He’d get their minds off Bay and on something else so I could focus on what to fucking do.
“Ask Bay.”
“I’m askingyou.”
