He nods. “I understand. Let me know if you need anything, okay? And keep me updated.”
“I will.”
I open the door and step out, and a heavy feeling knots in my stomach when I glance at Chloe’s house. The living room light is the only one on. I contemplate whether to talk to her, but my phone rings, breaking my thoughts, and I tug it out of my pocket.
“Good job with selecting your girlfriend,” Sierra yells on the other line when I answer. “Word has already spread about Dad’s love child. Cassidy said Mom’s crying in her bedroom.”
Shit.
My anger flares, and I scowl at Chloe’s before walking into my home. “Call Dad and yell at him.”
My father cheating on my mom with Claudia—how the fuck that happened is another story in itself—isn’t Chloe’s fault; I’m well aware of that. Him impregnating Claudia isn’t Chloe’s fault. I can’t be pissed at her for any of those things, but I can be pissed for lying, and I can be pissed that her actions caused my mother pain.
If I hadn’t been there, Roger would’ve never said it. If I hadn’t forced myself into her life, this wouldn’t be happening. If she had told me, I could’ve figured out a better way to relay the information to my mother.
But no.
Now, we’re in a shitshow.
Roger was told but not me.
How the fuck was he trusted over me?
“Trust me,” Sierra says, interrupting my thoughts. “I’ve called him fifteen times. He’s not answering. My issue isn’t with Chloe particularly. It’s the fact that she came to our house and looked our mother in the eyes without caring about her hoe sister being a homewrecker.”
I toss my keys in the bowl and go straight to the fridge for a beer but stop myself. Tonight calls for something stronger. I snag a bottle of Jack, grab a Coke, and make myself a nice, strong drink. “I know. I know. Any advice?”
She blows out a frustrated breath. “It depends on how much you like her. Me? I don’t know if I could forgive a guy whose cracked-out sister’s boyfriend did what he did. Not to mention, the cracked-out sister’s boyfriend said that they’d been blackmailing Dad for money. That’s not cool. I need answers. Get answers from her, Kyle.”
I grit my teeth and grip my drink as I go to my bedroom to change out of my uniform. “I’m carrying too much anger to ask for answers from her or him at the moment.”
She releases a stressed breath. She’s as protective of our family as I am. “Understandable. I will blow his phone up all night and am prepared to sit in his office if need be.”
I put her on speakerphone to remove my gun from the holster. I slip it in the nightstand drawer and throw on a tee and sweatpants. “Doubt he’ll come home tonight.”
“He has to eventually.”
I down my drink. “Maybe I should join you.”
“Not happening. We can’t add the mayor’s son giving him an ass-kicking on top of the mayor having a love child all in one night.”
I make another drink when we end the call.
My next incoming call is from my mom.
I chug my whiskey and pour another when she asks me to stay on the phone with her as she cries and rants about how much she hates my father. I stop myself from throwing the glass across the room.
Nineteen
Chloe
Age Fifteen
I didn’t go to school today.
I never miss school if I can help it.
Today, I couldn’t help it.
Couldn’t mentally survive another day of the taunting.
I made it through yesterday, tears blinding my eyes as I walked home, and cursed Kyle Lane with every step I took. I ate lunch in the restroom and sped to my classes before anyone could see me in the hall. I haven’t seen Kyle once after I slapped him.
A few days off from school will prepare me for becoming the target of my bullying classmates.
Kyle has made everyone believe we had sex and that I wanted a round two. Heck, I’m glad we never made it to round one. Giving him my virginity would’ve been a giant mistake on top of going to the dance with him.
No more dances or school functions for me.
I slapped him and he deserved it. He had taken me to the dance as a prank straight out of a ’90s chick flick—ask the geek to the dance as a joke and then publicly humiliate her.
I’m in my bedroom, reading to Trey, when I hear the front door slam shut. Fear spirals through me. My mother is at her boyfriend’s for the week, and it’s too early for Claudia to be out of bed. I drop my book at the sound of roaring footsteps and scurry to the corner of my room where a baseball bat is hidden. I settle Trey into the closet behind my clothes and tell him to shush. My sister hangs out with sketchy people, and I’ve prepared myself in case she pushes one to flip their lid and hurt us.
My door flies open, and Sam stands in my doorway.
“Chloe!” he shouts. “What were you fucking thinking?”
His face is red, fury in his eyes, and a vein in his neck is twitching underneath the skin.
This isn’t the Sam I know.
No.
This crazy, irate man isn’t him.
“What … what are you talking about?” I stutter.
“Going to the dance with my son!”
Whoa. What?
“Wait … Kyle is your son?”
He winces. “How could you not know that?”
I shrug. “I’ve never seen you two together.”
“His mother was in the car with me,” he grinds out.
I met Kyle’s mom when we went to his house to take pictures before the dance. I didn’t notice she was the woman in the passenger seat of Sam’s car, but I knew there was one and children in the backseat. None of them were Kyle, so I had no idea they were his siblings. I’m not dumb. As soon as I saw them in the car, I knew Sam’s secret. He has a family. I said nothing to Claudia, in fear of her flipping out on me or anyone else.
Sam is the least of my worries at the moment.
Well, he was … until now.
I gulp. “I didn’t know he was your son.”
Sam shakes his head and continues to talk, frustration lining his features. “You know now, and I know why he’s been depressed, wallowing around the house with a broken heart. I’m sure it’s over you and the fact that I saw you walking home in the middle of the night for who the fuck knows what reason.” He snarls. “Looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with us interested in trailer trash.”
I flinch at his words.
Sam has never made me feel ashamed of where I live. That’s something I always admired about him.
The tears falling down my face seem to shake off some of his temper.
He bends down in front of me on one knee. “Chloe, I don’t want to be mean, but keep your mouth shut about me and your sister. It could end harmful to you.”
I silently stare at him.
“You’ve never seen me here. Got it?”
“I’m sorry …” Tears fall faster with each word. “I didn’t know!”
“What the fuck is going on?” Claudia yells, stomping into my room. She stops with her arms crossed. Her eyes turn cold and suspicious when she notices Sam next to me. “What the fuck are you doing in my sister’s room?”
Sam stands and wipes his hands down his pants. He points to the closet and keeps his attention on me, ignoring Claudia. “Trey, the whimpering baby you’re trying to hide in the closet, I’m his father.” His finger swings around to the corner of the room where I keep all Trey’s essentials. “You see those diapers? I pay for them.” He gestures to my bedroom. “You like your home?”
Not particularly.
“I’m the one who helps pay the bills here,” he says louder before pointing to my sister. “I’m the one who takes care of her and puts food in this house.”
“You son of a bitch,” Claudia yells.
Sam leans back down to meet my eyes. His tone is softer, but his eyes are full of warning. “Chloe, if you say
one word about me ever stepping foot inside here, you’ll regret it. You and your entire white-trash family will regret living in this town. Same goes for Trey. If you want him to be safe and well taken care of, you’ll keep to yourself. The only times you’ll go to school is to learn, and then you’ll come back home. Stay away, or you’ll be put away.”
My heart slams against my chest. What is going on?
“I thought you were a good person.”
“Here’s a quick life lesson for you, Chloe: quit thinking people are good. All you’re going to get is let down.”
He steps away, bumping into my sister while walking out of my bedroom, and I jump at the sound of the door slamming. I run out into the living room to make sure he’s gone.
“Good job, you dumb bitch!” Claudia screams behind me. “Whatever it is he’s pissed about, you keep your goddamn mouth shut about it, okay? Sam is someone you don’t want to cross. He’ll ruin our lives and take Trey from us. Do you want that to happen?”
I shake my head, blinded by tears. “No … no, of course not.”
“Then, what you saw, you take to the grave. Understood?”
“But … but—”
“There are no buts. Now, go to your room and read or whatever the fuck you do.” She pauses. “Hold that thought. Watch Trey for a while. I need to blow off some steam after the problems you caused today.”
Twenty
Chloe
Anxiousness crawls through me when I lock my front door and take small steps over to Kyle’s.
It’s four in the morning, and I can’t sleep. All I can think about is where his head is, though I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep even when I find out.
I want to kick Claudia’s ass for telling Roger about Michael being Trey’s father. Roger’s outburst cost everyone so much. When Michael finds out people know about his secret child, he’ll cut Claudia off. She no longer holds any leverage over him. No longer will the I’ll call your wife and expose you threats work. Michael has supported Trey since his birth, supported our family, and all that will be gone.
Eventually, I came to learn that Sam wasn’t Sam’s real name. It was Michael. Mayor Michael Lane, to be exact. I was shocked at first, but it taught me a valuable lesson—not to trust anyone.
Michael’s attorney signed and sent out all payments, so there’d be no trace of Michael being involved. His money put food on the table, gave Trey what he needed, and paid our bills. He promised this in exchange for our silence. When I turned sixteen, those checks were no longer made out to Claudia. My name was on them, and I cashed them with guilt.
After I graduated from college and started making decent money, I stopped accepting his money. Claudia’s threats never stopped, so the checks went back to her.
I can grasp Kyle’s anger. I was searching for the right time to tell him. With every call, hang-out, and touch, the desire to unmask the truth was like a knife to my throat. It wasn’t my life I would be hurting if I opened my mouth, so it was too risky. Kyle would’ve confronted his father.
He sees me as a liar and someone who blackmailed his father for financial gain.
“I know it’s late, but we need to talk,” I say as soon as he answers the door.
I smell the liquor on his breath when he steps to the side to allow me entrance. His glossy eyes confirm that not only can’t he sleep, too, but he’s also wasted—something I’ve never seen from him.
There’s a glass in his hand, and he takes a drink before replying. “There’s nothing to say, Chloe.”
I stop, knowing I need to be careful with my words. “If you’ll let me explain …” I should’ve thought this through before coming over.
“Let you explain?” he shouts, his voice cold and callous. “Let you explain how I spent an hour on the phone with my heartbroken mother, how she’s embarrassed the entire town knows, how you chose to keep it from me, or how you’ve been blackmailing my father for fourteen fucking years?” He scoffs. “Unless it’s to explain any of that, I don’t want to hear shit from you.” He downs his drink and sets it down. “Were you ever going to tell me?”
I bite into the edge of my lip. “I … I think so.”
“You think so?” he repeats slowly. “When? A year? Two? Never?”
Tears glisten in my eyes. “I can’t answer that because I don’t know.”
“You’ve been lying this entire time.”
I shake my head. “When you asked who Trey and Gloria’s father was, I never said I didn’t know. I never lied.”
His upper lip curls. “Wow, really? I didn’t find it necessary to specify my father, but I did ask who his dad was.”
He did, and I was careful with my wording for this reason.
“I told you he was a deadbeat asshole. That’s the truth in my opinion—no offense.”
My answer isn’t met with approval.
“You also said you didn’t know where he was.”
Again, I was careful with my words.
“At the time, I didn’t know where he was.” I press my lips together.
My response only pisses him off further. “Bullshit, Chloe!”
“I never lied to you.” I fight to keep my voice strong.
“You selectively left out details.”
“I still didn’t lie.”
He glares. “You’ve had years to tell me.”
Anger surfaces, and I push through the incoming tears. “There was never a reason to tell you! I hated you!”
He lifts his chin. “So, when you were in my bed, you hated me. While I was going to my brother’s football games, you hated me. When you told me you had feelings for me, it was all a lie, and you hated me?”
I press my finger into my chest. “You came to me, Kyle! I didn’t come knocking on your door, asking you to hang out.” I swallow hard, and tears are streaming down my face. “I did hate you. I never pursued you in the beginning.”
“And perusing you was a big fucking mistake!”
I jump when he throws his glass across the room, and it hits a picture of his family, shattering it.
“One big fucking mistake!” He points to the door. “Leave, Chloe. I don’t want you here, and I don’t trust you.”
I wipe away tears, forcing myself to not give up yet, to not give up on us. “Can you please hear me out?”
“Like you heard me out years ago?” He deepens his tone. “Please, Chloe, it took you years to finally hear me out. You had all this time to say something, anything, and you said nothing.” A cold laugh rumbles from his throat. “And here I thought, I was falling in love with you.” He holds up a finger. “I thought we were falling for each other. I’ll never trust you again. Mark my fucking words. My father confessed everything to my mother. You and your sister blackmailed him for years, accepting over a hundred thousand dollars, and it didn’t stop when we began dating. That’s where you crossed the goddamn line. Now, get the fuck out of my house.”
“Please,” I beg. Salty tears hit my lips, and my chin quivers. I’ve never been so terrified of losing someone in my life. I inhale a pained breath. “I’m sorry, I really am, but I was protecting my family.”
“And that’s what I’m doing.” He glares at me. “My guilt for what happened in high school is gone. Looks like you got your revenge. Con-fucking-gratulations. Now, you can fuck off.”
Twenty-One
Chloe
I never thought I’d miss Kyle telling me good morning.
It’s been two days since we talked. After our four a.m. conversation, I left with tears in my eyes. He was drunk, and there was nothing else I could say to change his mind. I stayed positive, hoping he’d calm down and we’d talk the next day, but nothing.
Claudia is furious, and I’m sure Roger got an ass-kicking when they got back to the trailer. You don’t mess with Claudia’s money. She told me she’d been blowing up Michael’s phone but hadn’t heard back from him. I’m surprised he hasn’t paid her a visit about her boyfriend spilling the beans. Michael made it clear
from day one that, if a word was muttered, his checkbook was closed.
His silence means the Bank of Michael is out of business.
I ignore the looks and whispers when I walk into my office building, but there’s no ignoring Melanie. As soon as she sees me, she demands I tell her everything. I do. At least someone will hear me out.
I answer the phone when I see Trey’s name flashing across the screen.
“Hey, buddy!”
“I hate you!” he screams on the other end.
“Whoa,” I say. “What is going on?”
“How could you know and not tell me?” Hurt is clear in his voice.
If I could see his face right now, I’d be in tears.
“How could you not tell me who my father is … that Kyle is my big brother? How could you?”
I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts me off. “I had to find out at school where everyone is calling my mom a homewrecker. I didn’t believe it until Cassidy came barreling down the hall in tears, calling Mom the same thing.” His voice breaks. “You listened to me ask about my father for years when I was younger, and you told me he was gone. He was in the same town. I could’ve known him all along.”
“I’m sorry,” I choke out.
“Did Kyle know?”
“No. He’s just as mad.”
“Tell him I never want to see him again. He and his family are terrible. And, right now, so are you.”
The line goes dead.
The sound of my phone ringing drags me away from the article I’m writing. I stretch across the table to grab it.
Just Neighbors Page 18