I lay in bed at night thinking what life would have been like if I had a brother. I guess in a sense I did. I had Sebastian, but it’s different. Sebastian’s upbringing was so distinctly opposite from mine that it would have been nice to have someone to understand what I was going through. Who could relate to having a fucked-up family life with a parent who only cared about themselves.
Then I recall the last few months. The way Finn treated me. The way he abused my love for Mom and threatened us if we didn’t pay back her debt.
I don’t trust him.
Ican’ttrust him.
Which only makes it worse that he’s brought Violet into this shit. Bringing her into Coco’s Chocolates was a mistake, and I’m just waiting for it to catch up to us.
Treadmill Kid’s music changes. It’s some angsty teenage bullshit song. I pound my fists into my bag harder, ignoring the sweat that drips down the side of my face. My arms ache in protest with each hit, my muscles sore from the continuous strain I’ve put on them with little upkeep on my part. My sleep has been crap. My nutrition, too. I’m not taking care of myself, but at least my head isn’t hurting anymore.
A crumb of a blessing in a dumpster of baked goods.
I finish my combo and drop to the bench near the bags. The front door chimes, but I don’t pay much attention to it. People come and go all the time. A blur of black enters the corner of my sight and sits next to me.
“Think they’ll mind if I get in a few jabs?” Treadmill Kid’s music fades out, my half brother’s voice turning into the only sound I hear.
“Leave,” I snap.
“Well, that’s rude.”
“I don’t give a fuck. You’re not welcome here.”
“Says who?” Finn looks around. “You?”
“Obviously.”
He smirks and pushes his hair back. My eyes drop to the fresh ink on the side of his neck. Shame the needle didn’t go just alittledeeper. “How the hell is this place still running when there’s only two of you in here?”
“There’s three of us.” It’s pointless to mention, but for some reason I don’t want to exclude Kelsie. Maybe the sympathetic part of me feels bad for ignoring her most of the time. I glance in her direction. She has her hair in an updo and is rocking a Gulliver’s Gym & Ring polo, except hers is a different shade of gray than mine.
“Ah, yeah.” Finn’s gaze follows mine, and it doesn’t take a genius to see the way he checks her out. I suddenly wish she wasn’t there at all. Her copper red hair only makes it worse. I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t pretty. She has a softness to her, similar to Violet, that I can’t help but notice. She’s shy, usually quiet aside from greeting whoever comes and goes. And she has this blinding smile with perfect straight teeth that tattle on her for having braces growing up.
“Pretty little redhead, isn’t she?” Finn observes.
I don’t answer him.
“I had a major thing for redheads when I was a teenager.” I don’t know why he’s telling me this. I grab the bottle of water from my bag and start chugging. “Jessica Chastain. Emma Stone.” He nods at her then glances over. “You get in that yet?”
I give him a hard-pressed, “No.”
Why the hell would he ask me that when he knows I was with Violet?
“Why the fuck not? Ah.” He grins. “Holding out for Violet again, aren’t you? Hoping she’ll eventually see past this toddler tantrum you’re having and take you back?”
“Fuck off, Finn.”
“Now we both know you don’t want that.”
I cap my water bottle. “It’s exactly what I want.”
“You mean to tell me that you haven’t liked seeing my handsome mug at your house at all hours of the night?”
Sinking my bottle in the side pocket of my bag, I grab my gloves and shove them in the open pocket. I zip it up then toss the strap over my shoulder. No point in hanging around when one of my biggest stressors is three feet away from me.
He follows, and my irritation over him being near escalates like that carnival game where you whack the hammer against the big red button and the little thingy flies skyward. Kelsie gives us a timid wave and soft smile as we push through the doors and make it outside.
I don’t bother waving back.
