Sin City Baby

My heart was breaking.

My mother sat me down at the kitchen table, and I stared off through the window. I was angry with my father. I hated him, in fact. My mother set some water in front of me, but I shoved it away. I didn’t want water. Or food. Or air.

I wanted Grant.

Only Grant.

But he was gone, and there was nothing I could do about it.

CHAPTER 2

GRANT

“Hollis. Upstairs.”

“What?” Hollis asked.

“Get upstairs, honey,” Laura said.

“What’s going on?” Hollis asked.

“Do what your mother says,” Glen said.

I got up to walk out of the room, but Glen reached his hand out and placed it against my chest.

“You’ll stay here,” he said.

I looked over at Hollis. He furrowed his brow. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I knew it wasn’t good. Had they figured out we snuck out a couple of nights ago? It was just a stupid party. There wasn’t even any beer. The girl’s fucking parents had been upstairs the entire damn time. It was lame.

Just the type of party Laura and Glen would’ve wanted us at.

“Now I’m going to ask you a question, and I expect you to answer it,” Glen said.

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you leading Theresa on?” Glen asked.

“Wait, what?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“Have you touched our daughter?” Laura asked.

I balked at the woman before I started to laugh.

“You can’t be serious. Theresa?” I asked.

“Yes!” Glen bellowed. “Theresa! My daughter!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down.”

“Don’t you tell me to calm down, boy. You tell me right now, have you touched our daughter in any way? Have you laid your hands on her?”

“No, Mr. Glen. I would never do that to her. Or to you,” I said.

“You’re lying to me.”

“No, sir. I’m not. I haven’t ever touched Theresa.”

“Do you believe him?” Glen asked as he looked back at his wife.