“Ryan says I’m not a niña anymore, though.” She pressed a hand to her lower stomach, and her legs tensed up as though his very name caused her this deep-down pain that started in her soul and branched out to every part of her body.
Every place where Ryan Von Doom ruthlessly exercised his power…
I had no idea how much time had passed or why my mind had dredged that little moment up from the depths of my memory.
“You used to like giving me Spanish lessons back in the day,” I told her wryly, and after a moment of confusion, she understood what I was talking about.
“You just couldn’t figure out how to say niña,” she murmured in a gentle tone.
“I wasn’t good at memorizing words.” I shrugged, watching her. Though we were pretty far apart, I could smell her orange blossom smell mixed with cigarette smoke, and it irritated me.
“You were such a nice boy, and now you’ve becomemaligno,” she tutted, and I raised my eyebrows at her.
“Life has made me what I am,” I answered.
“You get to decide whether you’re influenced by the past,” she answered back firmly, and in that moment, I truly admired her tenacity and how she faced everything head-on. Megan had always been stronger than me. Maybeshe’d managed to overcome what Ryan had done to her while I was still powerfully entangled with Kim.
“My babysitter was much better at teaching me words than you were. Do you think I can forget what she did just like that?” My low, harsh voice made her wince.
“And my music teacher taught me a whole lot more than just the guitar,” she answered, talking about Ryan Von Doom, the piece of shit. Once upon a time, he and Kimberly worked together. She was a babysitter, which gave her access to children under ten, and he posed as a private music teacher giving guitar lessons. He was professional and precise; his work was impeccable. But only for little girls, each one chosen meticulously. The two of them were well organized and calculated everything down to the smallest detail, and they deliberately targeted the wealthiest families. They were able to gain the parents’ trust in no time, and then they could do whatever they wanted, undisturbed.
“I… I’ve got to go,” I said in a confused mutter because going backward in my mind like that untethered me from reality. Sometimes it even made me nauseous. So if I didn’t want to vomit right there in the middle of campus, I needed to stop our conversation immediately.
“See you around, Head Case,” I told her before spinning around and getting as far away from her as possible.
***
I got home about an hour later.
I had twenty missed calls from Jennifer, but I hadn’t returned any of them because I didn’t want to hang out with the Krew. My mind was still stuck on the interaction I had with Megan; either way, I had more important things to do, like going to see Dr. Lively.
I hurried to my room and stripped to get in the shower. When I was finished, I got out and wrapped a towel around my hips, walking barefoot through the room and dripping everywhere while I searched for clean boxers and a dark pair of jeans.
As I dressed, I noticed to my displeasure that one of my favorite hoodies was gone.
“Where the fuck did she put it?” I grumbled to myself. I was about to call for Anna and complain because she knew perfectly well that she was supposed to just leave my clean stuff folded on the bed and then…
“Chloe,” I realized, barreling through the open door of her room in full tank mode.
“Neil! Do you even know how to knock?” My sister bleated in irritation as soon as she spotted me. She was lying on the bed and, alarmed, pulled out her earbuds. I scrutinized her and saw that she was wearing a pair of black leggings and, naturally, my blue sweatshirt.
“And do you know how to ask permission before you touch my stuff?” I put my hands on my hips and tried to adopt a stern posture. Chloe’s gray eyes moved from my naked torso to my tight jeans, and she cocked an eyebrow at me.
“It’s January, Neil. Shirtless season is over,” she noted sarcastically and shook her head, making her blond ponytail swing from one shoulder to the other. Then she put her earbuds back in and went back to ignoring me.
“I’m shirtless because you stole my fucking sweatshirt!” I shouted, yanking the earbuds out of her ears impetuously. My sister winced and puffed out her cheeks like an outraged child.
“You’re so moody! You have a giant wardrobe, and you’re getting on my ass about one damn sweatshirt?” she said defensively, jumping off the bed. She faced me boldly, poking an index finger into my chest. It was nothing new for us: Chloe and I argued frequently. Usually because she would sneak into my room and steal my things without asking.
“That’s the one I want! It’s my favorite!” I groused again, and then, with a taunting smile, I tucked her earbuds into my back pocket.
“Neil…” she wheedled, stepping closer. “You know I love you. Let’s not fight.” She hugged me. I knew exactly what she was doing. She was trying to sweet-talk me. I was weak against our sibling bond, and both Chloe and Logan knew it.
“Would you please let me keep your sweatshirt? On an unrelated note—you look great; those muscles are popping. Have you changed your workout? Because you look crazy ripped, for real!” Chloe gave me a sneaky smileand batted her eyelashes as she balanced the point of her chin on my chest, still hugging me.
“Don’t pander to me; it won’t work. I have your earbuds, and you’re not going to get them back until—” I trailed off when Chloe stepped back from our embrace, the exact same earbuds cupped in one hand.
What the fuck?
