“Em, come back home. Lizzy and I miss you. So do the other two.”
“Jeez, learn your other sister’s names, princess. Even I know them,” Alyx quips.
“I know their names!”
“Okay, you two.” I shoot each of them a look. “Ella, I can’t stay there right now. The energy is off.”
“Tell me about it. Lizzy’s having more meltdowns than normal, and Dad is super grumpy, which means I’m on lockdown. Shit wentdownat Thanksgiving.”
I’m filled with guilt at the thought of not being there forLizzy, but my mom is an excellent caretaker. “What happened? You never got to tell me the one day I was there.”
“Ethan brought his girlfriend over, and everything was fine. I was in the basement, and then I heard shouting. Lizzy started freaking out, and when I went to find Ethan, he was yelling at Dad on the porch.”
“Well now I’m glad I skipped it to work on my paper. What were they yelling about?”
“Hell if I knew, no one would say anything. Wait, man-child lives with him, I bet he knows something, point me back at him.” I tilt the phone toward Alyx.
“Nope, I’m staying out of this. Talk to your brother if you want details. It’s not my story to tell.” He releases my foot as he heads to his room.
“Useless,” she mutters as I prop the phone on my knees so I can talk to her. “So why are you really at Alyx’s? Wanted to be closer to Dommy Batman?”
I laugh at her ridiculousness. “Maybe. But I didn’t really have anywhere else to go since the dorms are closed for break.”
“Are you going to see him again?”
“I hope so. Oh, I meant to ask you, how are things with Chad?”
“I think man-child ratted me out because Ethan mysteriously showed up last month when Chad and I were alone at the house. We were finally going to do it again, and Ethan cockblocked me,” she whines.
I laugh and then she quickly moves on, catching me up on her senior year of high school and plans for the future. “Don’t tell Dad, but I haven’t applied anywhere, and I’m not going to.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” I assure her. “Besides, I’m starting to second-guess my decision.”
“Now I know I made the right choice. Have you thought about transferring schools?”
“Not really.”
“I always wondered why you picked a private Christian school. It’s not like we grew up in church.”
“Faith Union does have a good reputation, and the theatre department is great. I think I just wanted to stay closer to home. But I’ll probably end up applying for a graduate program at a state school. I’ll either do a master’s in special education or social work.”
“Are all the guys there horny and repressed? Maybe I should come out for a visit.”
I can’t help but laugh at her teasing. We hang up an hour later, I feel refreshed, thankful to connect with one of my favorite people, and equally bummed that I bailed on her to stay in the city.
——————
Later that night, I’m curled up in bed doom scrolling when I get a text.
Have you been a good girl today?
Staying hydrated?
Yes, sir.
Where are you right now?
Alyx’s. The dorms are closed, and there’s too much drama at my house.
