She nods into my chest, her small hands clinging to my shoulders. “They make me mad, too.”
“Have you seen Mom this morning?”
“Daddy said she went to a clinic.”
My face twists as I blink rapidly. “What are you talking about?”
“Your mother overdosed last night,” my father states while wandering into the room. He walks purposefully toward a desk in the corner, grabs something, and then heads to the opposite door while adding, “Again.”
I glare at his retreating form, knowing for a fact that my mother only drank last night. As much as she’s notorious for mixing things, I could tell by her slur and stance that liquor was the lover she had chosen for the evening. That’s why I wanted her to shut up. It would be easy for my father to get rid of her by just staging an overdose.
Those are so simple to set up.
Fear and paranoia laced with devotion invade my system as I wrap my arms tighter around my sister. While my position with Alex is uncertain, I know deep in my bones that Addie is worth protecting. I have to clean myself up so I can be there for her.
My sister is all I have in this world. It’s up to me to keep her safe.