Patience and I head outside, and I take in the muggy air. It’s been raining, and clouds are rolling in the distance, warning of more rain to come.
“Are you okay?”
I stop my brooding and look at Patience with a forced smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing new for me.” I shrug.
“But you know that’s not normal, right, Sam? You should tell someone,” she tells me.
“Who would I tell?” I scoff. Her eyes hold pity, and it makes me angry. I don’t need her pity. I’d much rather let them take their spite out on me than direct it on my sister.
“Your father?” She frowns, and I decide I much prefer to see her smile.
Other than that one time I tried to tell my father what a psychotic bitch his mother was, I’ve never told another person. Once you realize the people who are supposed to love and care for you will do neither of those things, it seems pointless.
Instead, I’ll bide my time until I can get the hell out of here.
“He grew up under their rule, Patience. We can’t all have a perfect family like you.”
“My family is far from perfect.” She stares out into the distance, watching the rumbling clouds building.
“How about we forget about our families and have some fun?” I offer with a smirk.
She moves from foot to foot, studying me. “Why do I get the impression I’m going to get in trouble if I say yes?” She raises a brow.
With a shrug, I reach for her hand. “Because you like me, and you know I’m trouble.”
“You think I like you, huh?” she teases, then slips her hand in mine and smirks. “Good job. I’m trouble too.”
Patience giggles, despite placing her hands over her mouth to stop herself. Her laughter causes her huge brown eyes to expand wide. I hold a finger to my lips, willing her with my gesture to be quiet. We’re hidden in the guest room closet where my grandparents have been staying. We came up here to wreak a little havoc with their crap—unscrew the lids on all their products, hide one sock of each pair, add some bugs to their bed…
Patience is a fresh of breath air in this house, and I feel free with her. My fear doesn’t have such a firm grip with her close by. But our fun time ends when my grandfather comes back to the room to collect their belongings. It looks like they’re leaving.
When Patience doesn’t stop giggling from behind her hand, I take my own and place it over hers. She stills, her eyes locking with mine. My chest aches, and I don’t know why. I can’t breathe in here. The doors suddenly open, and I don’t have time to react as I’m ripped from the closet by my hair.
“Stop it!” Patience screeches as I’m knocked to the floor.
“What are you two doing in there?” my grandfather bellows.
“Nothing,” I call out, pushing up to my feet.
“Why do you have that girl in a closet?” he growls.
“We were just playing,” Patience defends, but it doesn’t matter what she tells him. He hates me and has already made up his mind I’m in the wrong.
“Don’t you know I’m a bad kid, Patience?” I smirk. “Isn’t that right, Grandpa?” I mock, wanting his attention on me and not her.
“Bad doesn’t even begin to describe it,” he grunts as he comes toward me using his walking cane to steady his steps. He’s had to use a cane for as long as I have been alive. Father told us he sustained a poisonous snakebite and nearly lost his life when he was younger. Shame he didn’t.
I snort on a laugh, and his eyes narrow on me.
“Something funny, Samuel?”
Patience, sensing the bitter tone in his voice, rushes to step in front of me.
“Nope,” I reply.
“I think you should stop hurting him,” Patience says, making my stomach fall to the floor.
My gaze moves to her quickly, then back to my grandfather, who’s glaring at my feisty little defender.
