“Boyfriend?” I repeated, scoffing in indignation. “I know he’s been absent, but how does he not even know which room you’re in?”
Jen raised her hackles, her face red. “Shut up, Tori. That was my room, first. I just let you use it.”
“Is that why you feel so entitled to my time…and mycloset?” I asked, flipping the hem of the jacket.
Jen shoved me. Hard. My butt ricocheted off the nearby stove. Gas hissed. Apple juice dripped along my fingertips the deeper my nails sunk in.
Don’t shake the baby. Do not slap the pregnant lady.
Mom held her arms out between us. “Hey, we do not lay our hands on each other. Now, say you’re sorry.”
Jen tried to push past her. “Don’t you ever talk about my relationship. Just because you’ve never had a boyfriend—”
“I know what love is, Jen. And this isn’t it.” I’d seen and felt it more than she could imagine. Angel had shown more care for me in three days than her man had in their whole relationship.
I dared to take a step closer. “Your ‘boyfriend’ hasn’t been to a single one of your doctor’s appointments. You’re always complaining about feeling lonely and upset. He hasn’t even met all the people who’ll be raising his kid. And as for the crib—did he bother getting one for his place? Or is he gonna ‘visit’ you on weekends?”
Jen glared, her eyes shiny and dark. “He’s doing a lot for us.”
“All he did was knock you up,” I said.
“That’s enough,” Mom chided.
I tossed the apple aside. “No. She needs to know. I’m not anybody’s babysitter, nurse, or punching bag. We can’t keep living like this.”
“Well, maybe you should leave then,” Jen said.
I should. I wanted to.
“I’m going to pack,” I told them, hurrying off.
It was about time I got my life back on track—and I couldn’t do it like this.
“Wait, Tori. Jen,” Mom chided.
“Let her go,” Jen said.
A fight between them swelled in the kitchen.
I needed to get out of here ASAP. It was toxic. No wonder I’d burned out in med school, coming home to this.
I hauled my old luggage out of the basement, accidentally banging it on a few stairs in my huffy struggle to get it all the way to my bedroom. I stuffedmy pastel luggage full of essential items, my fingers lingering on the edge of my First Aid book, the big one for med school. Post-its stuck out at every angle, and I'd annotated its pages. It didn’t feel right to leave it behind, but did I reallyneedit?
It wasn’t like it could fix my life.
I put it in my backpack. Just in case.
The only thing left to do was find a new place to stay.
I called Kat, and she answered on the third ring, her speech slurred with sleepiness. “Heyyy, are you okay?”
“Yes. Well, no.” I sniffled and wiped my nose. “Can you come get me?”
“Where are you?” Her voice cracked, and something thumped, then meowed in alarm. Had she or her cat fallen off the bed?
“I’m at our parents’ place. Jen, she’s…ugh. I might need to crash at your place for a bit.” At least until I figured out my next steps.
“No problem. Sit tight. I’ll just… Jinx, this is an emergency. Er, sorry, Victor, can you…? I’ll be there ASAP.”
