Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Before I realize what’s happening, I’m having a full-blown breakdown, body shaking sobs and all. I don’t remember Adam reaching out to me, but I find myself engulfed in his embrace again. My legs are too weak to support myself any longer, so I cling to him and release. I don’t think I’ve cried like this in years, or given myself the luxury to. I didn’t even cry at my husband’s funeral because I didn’t believe it was a luxury I deserved. Now that the floodgate was open, I couldn’t stop.
“I’m so sorry, Sis,” Adam whispered against my hair as he strokes my back. I wanted.
I allow him to hold me for several more moments before finally drawing back with a sniff. My head is throbbing, and I’m sure my eyes are swollen from crying so much. I probably look a hot mess, but in many ways, I feel better than I have in a while, all things considered.
“Let me get these groceries inside before my ice cream melts,” I mumble more to myself than him.
“I got it, Sis.” He gentle scoots me out of the way and picks up the discarded groceries.
“You hungry?” It’s my go to question whenever I see him. Adam has always been on the thin side, but in the past several years he’s lost so much weight I can see his ribs through his shirts. The sharp edges of his handsome face are so much more pronounced than they used to be, and his bones seemed like they’d protrude from this body. He’s practically a walking skeleton. It hurts me to see what he has become.
Seeing him like this, I know he’s still using.
Like a fool, I’m going to help him again. It’s what I’ve been conditioned to do since he was born. Besides, he’s all I have left.
“If you’re cooking I am. Haven’t had a good home cooked meal in ages.” He grinned, taking the grocery bags out of my arms.
“Certainly looks like it.”
“Aww, come on Sis. I came to see you, and you’re already busting my chops?”
Unlocking the door with a heavy sigh, I lead him inside. “I should bust more than your chops, and you know it. Besides, I’m sure you didn’t just come for a friendly visit. You want something. You usually do. Unfortunately for you, I’m all tapped out.”
Adam didn’t respond as he helped me unload the groceries. In fact, he remained silent while I made chicken salad sandwiches and cut up fresh cantaloupe.
I plopped the plate in front of him when I was done. “Eat.”
“Thank Sis.” He proceeded to stuff his mouth.
I’d barely finished half of my sandwich before a loud belch erupted on the other side of the table.
“That was the best cooking I’ve had in a while.”
I shrugged, pushing my plate toward him. “It’s just a sandwich. Do you want the rest of mine?”
Without hesitation he took the sandwich and polished it off in a few bites. While I was happy to see him at least eat something besides the junk he probably lived off of for god knows how long, I knew this was the calm before the storm.
I was always a proponent of ripping the bandage off to get over any inflicted pain. “Why did you come to see me after all this time, Adam? What do you want?”
He gave me that lopsided grin that he used since he was a baby to get what he wanted. It usually worked, but I was so over his shit that I was unmoved. “Do I need a reason to come visit my big sister?”
“Well, since you’re not offering to pay back the money you stole from me, then I’m guessing you’re here for another reason. Look, my day is already garbage on top of an extra crappy couple months. I need for you to tell me what you came here for and don’t lie to me. At the very least, you owe me the truth.”
Again he gives me that grin, but at this point, I’m so tired I can’t deal with this right now. “Sis…come on….”
Without a word, I stood up and turned my back on him. Was this the moment when I’d cut him out of my life forever? The lump in my chest told that it just might be.
Maybe he sensed it too because the chair squeaked across the kitchen floor signaling that he had stood up as well.
“Look, Frankie. I’m in trouble. Big trouble. I…I owe some guys a lot of money, and if I don’t pay them back, they’re going to hurt me. Well…actually that’s an understatement. They’re going to kill me. Look, I fucked up, and I know I don’t deserve your help, but I want to get better. I swear. I just need to pay them to get them off my back. I swear I’ll clean up my act. I promise.”