Just Neighbors

by Charity Ferrell

  Twenty-Seven

  Chloe

  The warmth of Kyle’s chest brushes against my back when I wake up, and his arm is draped along my waist—a security blanket. My heart sinks, the tears simmering, when my memory is refreshed from last night’s nightmare. It wasn’t a nightmare. It was my reality.

  I wince and inhale a sharp breath, feeling too numb to move.

  Grief. Hurt. Regret.

  They sucker-punch me. It seems surreal, and I’m nearly tempted to roll out of bed, pad down the hallway, and go to her room in hopes that I’ll find her sleeping. But it’d break me more. She’s gone. I failed her.

  His arm tightens around me when he realizes I’m awake.

  “Hi,” he simply says in a subdued voice.

  I swallow. Even though his nearness provides comfort, it won’t erase what he said and did the last time he was here. That’s not important to bring up right now though. I’m too exhausted to fight, to nearly speak.

  The sheets fall down my body, and his arms leave me when I sit up. My head spins, and seconds later, I’m close to falling back down. His arm curls around my stomach just in time, and a glass of water is offered my way.

  “Here, drink this,” he whispers as I turn to face him.

  “Thank you.” I gulp it down, realizing how dry my mouth was.

  “What do you need me to do for you?” he asks, his tone gentle and kind, as if he’s prepared to pull the weight of my pain off me.

  “I need to see Claudia,” is all I answer.

  She got last night—more time than she deserved—and there’s no way I can make it through the day without confronting her.

  He nods. “Do you want me to stay with Trey?”

  “Please.”

  “Of course. Anything you need, I’m here, Chloe.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Always.”

  I wait for Trey to wake up before leaving for the hospital. He walks into the kitchen with droopy shoulders, red eyes, and a puffy face, wearing the same clothes from last night. Even now, he looks to be on the verge of tears.

  An hour after Kyle arrived and told us about the accident, Trey left for his bedroom with a bowed spine, and this is the first time I’ve seen him since.

  I checked on him before going to bed, asking if he was all right through his closed door, and received a simple, “I’m fine.”

  He opens the fridge, snags a bottle of water, and leans back against the door after shutting it. “Are you going to see her today?”

  I nod while sitting at the kitchen table. “I am.”

  I eventually pulled myself together, showered while having practice conversations in my head of what I wanted to say when confronting Claudia, and then dressed before walking into the kitchen. Kyle was waiting with a coffee cup in his hand, and worry lined his features.

  “Tell her I hate her fucking guts,” Trey says in a flat, monotone voice, not seeming apologetic or concerned for his language.

  I don’t scold him because I don’t blame him. Those words have been on the tip of my tongue since last night.

  “I want you to say it,” he goes on. “Word for word. Tell her I’m no longer her son and to forget about me.” Tears lace his eyes again. “Tell her I’ll never forgive her for taking my baby sister away from me. If there’s anything you can do for me right now, Aunt Chloe, it’s to relay that message to her. If you don’t, I’ll call an Uber and do it myself.”

  I gulp and stumble for the right words before speaking. “Do you want to go to the hospital with me?” Say no.

  Even though I don’t want him to, he deserves the choice. It’s his mother. It was his sister she killed. He deserves it just as much as I do.

  He shakes his head while tightly gripping the water bottle in his hand. “I never want to see her again. She should’ve died instead of Gloria. She’s the one who deserved it.”

  Kyle finally steps into the conversation, clearly uncomfortable with Trey’s choice of words. “I know you’re angry.”

  Trey interrupts him. “No, dude, don’t even. There’s no talking me down from my hate toward her. I’ve thought about it all night. I couldn’t sleep because all I could think about was, it’s her fault I’ll never see my sister again. She’s not my mother. She’s nothing to me.” His sadness turns into anger. “I need to shower.”

  I stand up when Trey starts to leave the kitchen. “Trey.”

  He holds his palm out. “Just leave me alone for a while, okay?”

  Kyle pulls out the chair next to mine when Trey leaves. “Are you sure you’re ready to do this?”

  “I was ready for it last night.” I tilt my chin up to stare at him. “You need to swear to me, she won’t get off the hook for this.”

  He takes my hand in his. “I promise I’ll do everything I can for her to get what she deserves.”

  I’m filled with fury when I slam the door shut behind me, and I don’t care who can hear when I scream my words out, “I fucking hate you!”

  Claudia is in front of me, relaxing in a hospital bed, with IVs in her arm. One of her hands is cuffed to the bed rail. I don’t know her condition or diagnosis, and I don’t know if she’ll even tell me. Right now, I don’t even care.

  A large bandage is stretched along her forehead, a dark bruise is around her eye, and there are scratches and cuts along her neck. Her blonde hair is matted along her hairline, and her eyes are slanted. I hate that she’s here, hate that she was saved and given treatment even though she killed Gloria.

  She looks down, playing with her hands, and shrugs. “What’s new, Chloe?” The regret is clear on her face. She knows what she did, the part she played in Gloria’s death. “You think I don’t feel bad?” she yells. “You think I don’t have to live with this guilt every day?”

  I swallow. “Good. I hope it haunts you until you take your last breath.” I step closer to her bed, and she tenses up. “Not only were you driving under the influence, but you were also too lazy and stupid to put her in a car seat. What were you thinking? I told you I’d pick her up after you were finished visiting!” I curl my hands into fists and stop myself from punching her in the face, my anger getting the best of me.

  She rubs her head. “I wanted to take her out for a drive. I wanted to be a normal mom for once and drive my daughter around.”

  “Stop with the fucking lies! They found your phone. You were meeting a drug dealer.” I grip my hands around the bed rails and tilt my head forward until I’m in her face, not even bothered that she might be the one to punch me. “She’s gone because you needed to get high.”

  “Fuck you!” Spit flies out with her words. “She was my child!”

  I draw back, and my lips curl. “A child you never bothered to take care of. A child you failed.”

  “I want you to leave.”

  “I don’t care what you want. You’re going to lie there and listen to every single word I say because this will be the last visit I’ll ever give you. If they give you a trial, which I’ll fight for, I’ll be there, but this will be our last conversation. Do you hear me?” I point my finger at her. “So, sit back, shut up, and listen to me tell you how much I fucking hate you. Listen to me tell you I will fight until the death of me to make sure you get in trouble for this.”

  She scratches her head. “Say whatever you want, Chloe. Make me feel like a piece of shit, like you’ve done since you were a kid.”

  I pace in front of her bed, holding my tongue the best that I can.

  “I want to see Trey,” she says, her voice scratchy. “I want to tell him I’m sorry and see him one more time.”

  That catches my attention, and I shift to face her. “Tough shit. He doesn’t want to see you.”

  “Don’t lie to me,” she bites out.

  “If he decides he wants to see you at any time, I’ll give him that.” I pause while briefly debating on whether to relay the message he gave me. “He said he hates your guts and you’re dead to him.” I’ll give that to Trey. Right or wrong, he dese
rves to have his voice.

  Her face and tone turn spiteful. “He might hate me, but as a minor, he has no say in what happens in his life. He can’t stop me from demanding he live with his father instead of you.”

  I stumble back a step, her words catching me off guard. I pull in a sharp breath and straighten my back, appearing to brush off the threat lined between her words. “Not only is there no physical proof that Michael is Trey’s father, I doubt he’ll step up. Nice try though.”

  She shakes her head. “That’s where you’re wrong. Michael’s name is on the birth certificate.”

  I gulp. “You’re lying.”

  The corners of her mouth tilt up in a cold smirk. “He made me take a DNA test to prove Trey was his before supporting us. They already paid me a visit. They want to take him now that I’ll be in jail.”

  “Bullshit. Michael never wanted Trey.”

  “True, but Michael is eating crow to regain his wife’s trust, and how bad will it look if he turns his back on his son? They’ll give him a stable home environment.”

  My snorting interrupts her. Stable my ass.

  “I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen.”

  “Don’t. You know I’ve been there for Trey since day one.”

  “And, now, it’s time for someone better to do it.”

  My heart races as fear sets in. “Fuck you, Claudia.”

  I charge out of the hospital with tears in my eyes.

  More tears fall, and I scream to the emptiness of my car when I catch sight of a couple I recognize walking into the hospital.

  Twenty-Eight

  Kyle

  I grab my phone from the coffee table when it buzzes with a text.

  Gage: We’re en route to Chloe’s with food.

  He called earlier to check on me, asked about Chloe, and said him and Lauren would be over with enough baked goods to last a month—all prepared by Lauren’s mother. I asked them to make a pit stop at the diner and pick up a takeout order for Trey and me.

  I haven’t heard from Chloe since she left for the hospital. She needs time and space to process everything.

  Eventually, Trey wandered into the living room with a blank stare on his face. I handed him the remote when he sat down on the other end of the couch. He chose the movie, and we sat in silence while watching it. Just like with Chloe, I’m giving him time.

  We haven’t discussed us being brothers, but I’ll approach the conversation when the time is right. The day after losing his sister isn’t. I’ve been a good brother to my siblings, and I don’t mind being the same for Trey.

  My fallout with Chloe won’t stop me from comforting her while she endures her loss. Have I forgotten about the chaos her family has caused mine? No. Right now, that issue isn’t at the top of my priority list.

  I didn’t know Gloria long, but I cared for her. This morning, when Chloe asked me to shut Gloria’s bedroom door, tears threatened my eyes when I noticed the sparkly red shoes in the corner and the stuffed Toto on the bed. My throat choked up as I took in the dolls, the coloring books, all the memories and toys of a sweet girl taken away too early.

  Fuck. I want to kill Claudia myself.

  Lauren wraps me in a hug as soon as I answer the door. She was on shift when Claudia was brought into the ER and assigned her nurse until she was transferred to another floor. Lauren said her tongue hurt from biting it all night while caring for her.

  Claudia’s toxicology report came back, confirming alcohol and heroin flowed through her bloodstream at the time of the accident. She’d fallen asleep at the wheel and suffered minor injuries—a concussion and internal bleeding. She’ll be taken straight to the county jail upon her release.

  Lauren and Gage don’t stay long, and Trey devours his cheeseburger before moving on to the cupcakes. An hour later, he’s asleep on the couch, and it’s time for me to leave for work. Both my lieutenant and Gage offered to give me the evening off, but I declined. No one could cover my shift, and I wasn’t going to leave Gage to work alone.

  I text Chloe before leaving, telling her, if she needs anything, don’t hesitate to call, but receive nothing back.

  It’s the same when my shift ends at midnight.

  Chloe’s car is in the driveway when Gage drops me off, and I dig out the house key she gave me earlier today after asking if I’d come over later. I was reluctant to come so late since she still hadn’t returned my text, but my house key is here, so I have no choice.

  The house is quiet when I walk in, and a light shines from the kitchen. I tiptoe down the hall to find Chloe sitting at the table, staring blankly at the papers and documents scattered along it. It appears to be work files, paperwork she was given last night regarding Claudia, Gloria, the accident, and bills. I stop mid-step when I notice what’s in her hand—a packet regarding funeral arrangements.

  She chokes out a cry, unaware I’m here, and slams her hand over her mouth, as if it were a crime for her to break down. I hesitate before moving closer, and she takes in my presence in discomfort.

  “Chloe, talk to me,” I beg.

  She stiffens in her chair and avoids eye contact. “You don’t have to be here.” The words leave her mouth calmly but chillingly.

  Where is this coming from?

  Before she left for the hospital, she thanked me for being there for her and Trey. All of a sudden, in a ten-hour span, everything has changed.

  Something happened.

  I draw in closer and stop in front of the table. “I know, but I want to be here.”

  She stands, almost robotically. She grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator and rests with her back against the cabinet. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.”

  “Feel sorry for you?” I throw back. “I’m hurting that you’re hurting. Your heart is broken, and all I want to do is help! To make you feel better!”

  She throws the bottle across the room before thrusting her finger in my direction. “Fuck you! You wanted nothing to do with me before Gloria’s death. You came into my bedroom, fucked me, and then told me to get fucked! Don’t think you can step in here and act like you’re some hero. I can do it on my own! I can save myself. Now, I’m kindly asking you to leave.”

  It takes me what feels like a minute to speak. “Chloe.”

  She vacantly stares at me. “Leave.”

  My eyes lock with hers. “I’m sorry.” Regret lodges in my throat. “I’m sorry,” I repeat, not moving any closer to her. “I’m fucking sorry for not allowing you to explain yourself. It was my mistake, and I’m willing to listen when you’re ready, but right now, right fucking now, that’s the last of my concern. Does that mean I’ll forget what went down? No, but you need a friend, and I’m here.”

  That vacant stare turns into one of defeat. “No, Kyle, I don’t want to be your friend. I don’t want anything to do with you or your family!”

  I throw my arms up in the air. “Here we fucking go again with your fucking obsession with my family! The truth is out! It’s over now!”

  She lets out a cold laugh. “No, it’s not over! You want to know why?” She advances my way. “Because, now that your father’s secret is out, your parents want custody of Trey. They can provide a better environment for him.”

  Whoa. What?

  “Who told you this?”

  “Claudia.”

  I scowl. “You’re believing her out of all people?” I rub at my brow. “Chloe, if my mother even considered taking custody of Trey, she would’ve told me. Claudia said that to hurt you.”

  “Really?” She raises her voice. “Did she tell you she visited Claudia in the hospital?”

  I slam my mouth shut. “No.”

  “I saw them, Kyle! Your mom and dad were there!”

  “Maybe for another reason. There’s more than one patient in that hospital,” I stupidly reply. “My mom does charity work there.”

  Annoyance floods her face.

  I scrub my hands over my face. “Chloe
… we … this.” I’m at a loss for words. “Let me talk to my mother.” I can’t deny it because it sounds like my mother—always wanting to fix the problem and create a better life for someone. She sees Trey as a charity case.

  She gestures between us. “This has to be done. Too much terrible shit has happened for us to ever have a healthy relationship. From what happened in high school to the secret about your father and now this. Too much damage has been done. We need to stop kidding ourselves that we’d ever work out.”

  My heart rages in my chest. Is she fucking kidding me? “Or maybe it’s time to stop kidding ourselves and realize this can work between us. How about that, huh?”

  She frantically shakes her head. “No. It’ll never work. I’m asking you to leave.”

  “Chloe,” I beg, another attempt for her to understand what she’s doing.

  “Leave!” she screams.

  Anger crushes through me like a bullet. “Fine, keep pushing people away. Don’t be upset when you’re alone and nursing a broken heart for the rest of your life because you’re so goddamn stubborn.”

  My words seem to add more power to her anger. “No, I’m being smart to stop my heartache. It’s time I stop letting people in. All I get is pain and hurt.”

  “What have I done to hurt you? What the flying fuck have I done? I did something shitty in high school that I thought we’d moved on from. I said some stupid shit to you. Now, let’s take a step back and talk about what you’ve done to hurt me. You’ve done nothing but lie to me—about my father, about me having a brother I never knew about, about my father fucking your sister behind my mother’s back! I’m the one taking the risk with you, not the other way around.”

  “And I didn’t know your mother would take custody of Trey!”

  “Whoa, whoa. Who’s taking custody of me?”

  I whip around and spot Trey standing feet away from me with a dumbfounded look on his face.

  He whips his arm out to me. “Your mom is trying to take me away from Aunt Chloe?”