Page 29 of On Your Life

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March 22, 2025: The night of…

My phone buzzes on the kitchen counter, the barrage of texts nearly sending it skittering off the marble and onto the floor.

Knight

Hey

Wyd

HELLO?

Fox

At the house, why?

Knight

Omw

My eyes nearly roll into the back of my head as I toss the phone back on the counter. I don’t know why he even bothers to ask like he isn’t going to show up anyway.

The clock on the stove says it’s three p.m. There isn’t enough sleep in the world to wake me up but maybe an energy drink will at least help me see straight.

Before I can even pop the top, my front door flies open so hard it bounces off the wall.

“Stop doing that shit! You’re going to bust a hole in the wall,” I scold him.

“And if I do I’ll fix it, asshole,” he replies with a grin.

He looks like he just showered, his blonde hair still dripping water onto his shoulders like he came straight here.

“Did you shower on the way here? You’re fucking soaked.”

“That’s what I said!” he says. He laughs at his own joke. “But no, I just thought we could play some games and go out tonight or something,” he says.

“Don’t you work tomorrow night? You don’t know the meaning of the phrase ‘pace yourself’,” I say.

He shakes the water from his head like a damn dog, spraying me across the face. I can’t even hide the disgust from my expression.

“Bastard!” I mutter.

I flip him off as I walk to the kitchen to grab my drink. When I return, his face is buried in his phone. Something about his expression makes me stop. There’s worry there.

“You good?” I ask.

My voice makes him jump. He immediately locks his phone, shoving it into his pocket like I’m some jealous girlfriend trying to sneak a look over his shoulder.

Then, just like that, his face shifts back to normal happy Conner.

“Yeah, man. Just my mom being my mom,” he says.

Something about the answer doesn’t sit right. He usually blows off whatever burner phone she happens to be texting from. She’s lucky he even pays her rent. But I guess he doesn’t want her on the streets because, honestly, she definitely would be.

I don’t dig any further. That woman could worry anyone sick. The neverending drug habit and near overdoses are enough to stress anybody out.

“Do you want to DD tonight or me?” I finally cave.