A mouse didn’t do this. But I’d hate to point the finger at someone and act like a victim.
It feels like I’m floating in formaldehyde. It’s impairing my rational mind and mummifying every movement. By the time I get a pair of denim shorts pulled up and slip on a cropped tank top, the consequence doesn’t feelasscary.
I’d love to run and never look back. But realistically—I am a coward.
I make my mind up while putting socks and sneakers on, then roughly make my bed and head for the door. I need a buffer to survive this. The guys get away with everything. They have their own garage for the dirt bikes, and they almost burnt it down one time without a single voice being raised. Nor do they ever seehandsbeing raised.
Making it out into the hallway, I quietly open Razor and Xene’s bedroom door and angle my head around the doorframe to see if they’re still asleep.
They’re both gone… and their room’s a disaster.
My upper lip faintly curls, mentally judging the sheets hanging off their bare mattresses and the assortment of socks and underwear littering the carpet. Cash sleeps on the pull-out couch with Aries in the living room, so he keeps his stuff in here, too. But it’s like a tornado out for undergarments blew through the room.
“Morning, baby bunny,” Aries yawns behind me.
I twist around to her covering her mouth, her bare feet padding into the bathroom. “Good morning.”
The bathroom lamp flickers on, and as it does, courage blows through me and sends me right to the doorway.
If anyone’s a master at setting a man straight—it’s Aries.
“What are you gonna do with your day?” she asks, plucking her toothbrush from the cup next to the sink.
Here I was judging the guys for being slobs, but I wasn’t even going to brush my teeth. I always brush my teeth. But the lack of effort is easily forgettable when her question frays every nerve and puts me on edge.
“Um… Just practice before my performance at seven.” I lean into the doorframe, scratching at the distressed hem of my shorts. “Do you think you-”
“Baby girl, what?” she hangs her head toward me, furrowing her brows and opening the tube of toothpaste. “We’re closed tonight. Razor didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head, swallowing the cyanide coming up my throat. “I didn’t know that. What made Carl want to close on the second night of reopening?”
“Psh,” she shrugs, shifting her attention to the mint line she’s squeezing onto her toothbrush. “Brother died or some shit. I don’t know and I don’t care. Razor’s supposed to be running things till he’s back.”
That’s… really weird. And has never happened before.
“Oh… So, Carl doesn’t know I overslept?”
Rushing water over the bristles, she smacks the faucet handle back and cuts her eyes to me. “And what would happen if he did?”
“N-nothing,” I shrug, my heart rate escalating. “I just know he wouldn’t be happy with me for being late.”
“Oh, come on,” she groans, rolling her head straight and sucking in a heavy inhale. “Bolt your spine on, Bunny. Stop letting some old sack of shit make you a victim. You’re the only reason why we’re still here.”
My heart sinks, yet the harsh rhythm is still in my throat, making my swallows tight. “What does that mean?”
Crossing an arm under her chest, she raises the toothbrush up to her mouth and pivots toward me, sinking her hip to the counter. “What if we killed him?”
“I-”
“What if we packed up some bags and hit the road?” She tilts her head, lowering her eyelids and directing her dripping toothbrush to me. “You’d be scared. You’d probably be so freaked out you wouldn’t even go with us. You’d stay here and live in a loop of being spineless. So, straighten it up, punch that bitch in the face, and own your shit, girl. You are a woman. Do you understand how magical you really are? Stop accepting less than worship.”
It’s frustrating that my eyes are stinging.
Aries’ tough love is rough around the edges, but she’s right. She’ll slice you deep enough to make the scar hurt, but only so that you remember.
“I love you. We all do.” She sticks the toothbrush in her mouth, giving me a parental look.
“I love you guys,” I murmur, then clear my throat and choke on rocks as I make my way past Cash still sleeping in the living room.
