“No, not really. They just don’t care, and they resent having me there. They complain about what it costs to feed me, and when I need stuff for school.”
“Didn’t they choose to foster?” Lake asks, twisting back to look at Riley properly, peeking his head through the middle of our seats. “It’s not something that’s forced on anyone. So it’s really a position they put themselves in? That’s not on you.”
“I doubt they wanted a teenage delinquent,” Riley says bitterly.
Fucking hell. Do I evenwanthim to go back to that place? How much more damage would they inflict before he got out of there? That kind of behaviour and treatment has a lasting effect, and the kid has enough issues as it is.
“You’re not, and it doesn’t work that way. If they’re looking for a cookie-cutter child, then they should have bought one of those dolls that pukes and pisses.”
Lake bursts out laughing and Riley scrunches up his face in disgust.
“I think they poop, not puke,” Lake says thoughtfully. “I need to look this up now.”
“Please don’t.” Christ, that’s not what I was trying to get out of this conversation at all.
Riley peeks between the seats so he can look over Lake’s shoulder. “They’re over a hundred bucks!” he exclaims loudly.
Lake hums and clicks on something. “I can imagine what kind of tech it must have in it to do all this. Check it out,” he says, holding the phone up to me. “They even have a heartbeat!”
“I’m trying to drive.” I could look over, for a second, but it’s a good excuse not to get dragged into this.
“This one doesn’t pee, though,” Lake says in disappointment.
“If one of those dolls shows up in our house, I’m letting Hades eat it,” I warn him.
“Okay, here,” Lake says, ignoring me. He twists and holds the phone closer to Riley so they can both see. Because what I need is for them to be in cahoots like this. “This one sleeps, pees, cries, and can do poo in the potty. I mean, probably it can poo in the nappy, too, I imagine.”
“I bet it smells better than real poo.”
“Maybe they make it smell?” Lake snorts out another laugh.
“Can we please change the subject?” I groan.
“It doesn’t throw up, though. We need one you can burp. We had a single-dad neighbour when I was a teenager that had twins, and Mum would help out all the time. Avery and I would get burping duty; since Mum did emergency fostering, we were used to strange children in the house all the time. They puked up on him way more than they puked on me. It’s because they liked me better.”
I can imagine how enthusiastic both of them would have been about burping, for different reasons.
Thankfully, the conversation turns to milder topics, Lake filling the car with random thoughts until I finally turn into ourdriveway. Riley blinks in surprise, like he was expecting us to take him somewhere else, and then follows us up to the front door.
Hades meets us at the door, ignoring Lake and me entirely in favour of his new favourite friend. Riley pats him, intently focusing as if he hopes that means he won’t have to face up to his actions and can sit there forever and pat the dog. Time to pop that particular bubble.
“Take your shoes off,” I remind him before shoving my own into a spare spot in the shoe rack. “I need to make a phone call. Go help Lake put the dog out.”
“Yes, sir.”
I already have my phone to my ear, so I let the sarcastic comment slide. I’m well out of earshot, and Riley and Lake are already outside, by the time Quinn picks up.
“How did wedding planning go?” he teases.
“Got cut short. I have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
“One that involves a pain-in-the ass teenager.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that you’re talking about Mini-Riley, unless you’ve arrested any more teenagers while I wasn’t looking.”
“I try to avoid them,” I deadpan. “He got caught stealing again, and now his foster parents have kicked him out. They could be made to take him back, but I’d rather not. What are my options?”
