“Agreed. But she is getting better, so she’s one less thing you need to worry about, alright?”
I nod, and a soft smile appears on my face. The thought of that little girl being able to heal from all the terrible experience she’s gone through is making me warm on the inside. Since she’s so young, she has a shot at a life without being tied down to her demons, and I’m beyond grateful that Kaya took her in. No matter how big of a monster she may seem, she has Daisy’s best interest at heart, which is all I need.
“Perfect,” I slowly rise from the floor, and Kaya narrows her eyes at me. She’s glancing at me like a predator would, up and down, her scrutinizing gaze making me uneasy.
“You took heroin again didn’t you?”
“How can you tell?”
She shrugs. “I can sense it. You didn’t take enough for it to be seen through your eyes, but just enough to calm you down. Has Arlo learned about this?”
“No!” My response is immediate, and a sense of panic washes over me at the mere thought of Arlo knowing. “Don’t you dare say anything.”
“Oh, don’t worry. Not my circus, not my monkey. But as soon as everything’s done, he will notice, and you’ll need a good excuse.”
“I have no excuses. I’ll just stop.”
Kaya snorts, rolling her eyes. “Right, because getting off heroin is a super easy thing to do. You’ve been using it multiple times a day for weeks now. I’m surprised you’ve managed to keep it a secret this long.”
“It’s the only thing that’s keeping the monsters away, Kaya.”
“One day, sooner or later, you’ll have to face the demons in your head, Blair. Or they will face you, and they will completely take over your life. Pull the plug and do it first, before it’s too late.”
NINE
When did things turn so terribly for my family? Why did things truly start going downhill? How did I not see it sooner? How did I not manage to stop it all, before it got to the point of no return?
Mom’s gotten paler.
Aria’s sobbing, holding mom’s hand clutched in hers. I’m not sure if the tears are for Mom, for Dad, for both. Her cheeks are stained with tears, the mascara smeared under her eyes, and unfortunately, I was the one who had to tell her.
I pulled the rug right from underneath.
I watched as my little sister’s life fell apart.
And yet, I have no tears left. There’s nothing but numbness. It’s blinding, it’s terrifying. I haven’t looked away from mom’ssleeping face since we got here. She looks peaceful, as if the path of her destiny had already been carved.
As if she’s completely given up.
“Aria…” I try to keep my voice soft, putting my hand on her shoulder and giving her a firm squeeze. “We have to go.”
Her eyes snap to mine, bloodshot and wide. “No! I lost Dad already, and I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I’ll be damned if I leave this room and she dies while I’m not here.”
“Aria, please.”
“Arlo, no!” Her voice raises slightly, and my hand falls from her shoulder. I take a step back, noticing the myriad of emotions behind the eyes that are the exact copy of mine. Anger, sorrow, and so much pain.
She lost both of her parents in such a short amount of time, and the grief is starting to consume her.
“She won’t die.”
“Are you lying to me, or to yourself?” She retorts through gritted teeth, then returns her gaze to mom. Softly, she strokes her cheek, the tears never stopping. “Please, Mom. I can’t lose you too. I’ve lost too much. Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.”
The words cut through my heart like a sword. The raw agony that fills her voice, the cracking and the whispering makes me flinch. Aria’s never been the one to openly sob and weep like this, yet this time, she can’t hide the vulnerability.
“Squirt, please… you need rest.”
“I’ll rest later. Please, just leave me alone, Arlo. If you want to leave, you can leave.”
