I sigh. “It was stupid of me to think I could find a nice guy around here. It’s impossible. As long as I’m stuck living in this shithole, I’m never getting laid.”
“Oh, Mason,” Aliyah breathes out, shaking her head sadly. “Sometimes I think you’re your own worst enemy.”
My body tenses. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She frowns and removes her hand from my lap, her grip tight on the steering wheel. “It’s just… you don’thaveto live in Claremont Shores,” she says carefully.
“Of course I do. I have Maddie.”
“But you’re not even her legal guardian. Your parents still have custody.”
She’s right, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s all a matter of paperwork. After Mom’s attempt, Child Protective Services did a quick investigation. One interview in which my mom insisted the overdose was accidental. One home visit. They said everything was stable enough and closed the case.
My father—who’s been absent for more than a decade—still technically has joint custody. Only because he and Mom never bothered filing for divorce when they separated.
“I know I’m not Maddie’s legal guardian, but it doesn’t change anything,” I mutter, voice low. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m just saying youchosethis. It was your decision to drop out of college. Nobody asked you to do that. There were… other options.”
I huff and cross my arms. “Like leaving Maddie alone with our mom? She can’t take care of herself, let alone a kid.”
Aliyah exhales tiredly. “Obviously not, but there were other possibilities. Foster care. You could’ve told CPS your mom wasn’t fit. Didn’t your aunt offer to take Maddie in?”
I shake my head and gnaw at a hangnail on my thumb until it bleeds. “My aunt lives in Chicago. I wasn’t going to let them uproot Maddie’s life.”
“So instead… you uprootedyours?”
The words land in my stomach like a punch. My vision is suddenly blurry, my eyes stinging.
I cough to clear my throat. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Mason—”
“Please.” I wipe my damp face with the hem of my T-shirt before looking out the window, avoiding Aliyah’s worried gaze. “Just take me home.”
Aliyah frowns before turning up the radio to fill the silence between us.
As we approach the Claremont Shores highway exit, I feel its claws tightening around me, constricting my lungs. A feeling of inevitable doom settles in my gut as we drive down the familiar streets.
Home sweet home.
Chapter Five
I wake up feeling like I got hit by a bus—which is ridiculous, considering I barely drank last night. Still, a sharp, insistent ache pulses behind my eyes. My limbs are heavy with fatigue, my throat parched and raw.
Groaning, I rub my forehead and drag myself out of bed. My joints pop and crack as I stretch my arms, and for a second, I wonder if this is what getting old feels like. All I know is I need coffee. Immediately.
I shuffle out to the kitchen. Maddie’s already at the table, halfway through a strawberry Pop-Tart. She’s scrolling on her phone, wearing black leggings and a purple hoodie that swallows her entire frame. Her dark blonde hair is tangled on top of her hair like a bird’s nest.
“Morning,” I croak, spooning coffee grounds into a filter.
She lifts her eyes, blinking at me. “Morning.” Her voice is suspiciously chipper. “What time did you get home last night?”
I lean against the counter and cross my arms over my bare chest while the coffee machine sputters to life. “Uh, around three.”
“Were you with Aliyah?”
“Yeah.”
