Kelsoe passes me to Drew and then steps closer to Tom. “We are her family.”
Tom backs up and nods. “I see that.” He moves to look at David, but David’s gone. His truck starts up and then peels out of the driveway. The vein in Tom’s neck bulges, the only sign he’s angry.
Did he already give David the money? I lean farther into Drew. I don’t normally need people to fight my battles, but this one I’ll let them handle. Drew tenses as Tom’s eyes land on me. Time seems to move slowly as we all wait to see what he’s going to do.
He moves his gaze to Kelsoe and forces a smile. “Seems there was a misunderstanding. I’m going to go now.”
“I don’t want to see you again. You’re not welcome in this town,” Kelsoe snarls.
“I understand,” Tom says before slipping into the front seat of his car.
Tears blur my vision as I watch the car drive away. I don't want to cry, but I can’t stop it. I turn into Drew’s chest for a moment of comfort before the anger I feel towards him and the other guys comes flooding back.
I grip his shirt. “You made me leave. You didn’t believe me,” I say, forcing myself to take a step back from him.
“I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, Lenny.”
“We all are, Lena. The birth certificate looked real. You said you didn’t know where yours was. You’ve been out of school for so long and neglected. I thought it was possible you weren’t sure of your age,” Kelsoe says from behind me.
I slowly turn to him. “Yeah, but fifteen? You couldn’t really believe I was fifteen.”
“Fifteen, turning sixteen in a few days,” Kelsoe says.
“Then why are you here? Why’d you come back?”
“My dad pulled some strings and got a cop friend to pull up your information. We came as soon as we found out the birth certificate was fake. Ramsey and Adam have been watching the house. They saw the car pull up and would have stopped whatever the fuck that was regardless of your age.”
“You said I’d be safe. That you wouldn’t let David take me.” I push Drew backward. “You lied to me. Just go.” I turn away from all of them. “All of you, just go.” My legs shake as I walk towards the road.
“Lena, come back. Our hands were tied,” Ramsey says.
“Zack’s twelve. You don’t make him leave.”
“His parents aren’t at our door trying to get him home. If they were, he’d have to leave. That wouldn’t stop us from looking into other options for him,” Kelsoe says.
“David!!” My mother stumbles out the front door. Her blonde hair is a wild mess. “Did he leave?!” she screams as her tear-filled eyes dart around the yard. She sobs hysterically and falls to the ground on her knees. “He’s all I have.”
A small part of me feels bad for her. She’s hunched over in the grass crying. A normal daughter would try to comfort her mother. I can’t bring myself to do it though. She lifts her head. Her eyes lock with mine. There’s no love there.
She gets to her feet, her face full of vengeance. “This is all your fault! You’ve done nothing but fuck up my life.”
I’ve heard that all my life. I’m sick of hearing it. Kelsoe steps in front of me like he’s going to protect me from her words. She falls back to the ground screaming. She seriously looks possessed.
“Red, there’s something we found—”
I shoulder past Kelsoe to stare down at my mother. “Did you know your husband sold me?” My eyes widen briefly at her lack of surprise. “You knew.” I scoff. “It was probably your idea.”
“It was my idea to wait until you turned eighteen,” she says, like she’s doing me a favor. “David got tired of waiting, and since your birthday’s coming up…”
I laugh. “You wanted to wait until I was old enough that you couldn’t get in trouble if I went missing, right?”
“Red, she isn’t your mom,” Kelsoe says, and it takes my brain a moment to process his words.
“What?” I shake my head.
“My dad said your birth certificate has a woman named Vanessa Allen listed as your mother. A woman who was twenty-four when you were born.”
My mom—Nancy—narrows her eyes at Kelsoe, and then her gaze cuts to me. I wait for her to deny it, but she just stares at me with her jaw clenched tight and eyes cold. My stomach twists with unease. My mind flickers with memories, trying to decipher the truth. All the memories are of her, but no, that’s not right, is it?
“The woman who used to sing to me,” I whisper, crossing my arms. “What the fuck did you get out of pretending to be to my mother? Why not kick me out when my dad left?”
“Just remember I didn’t tell you.” She points to Kelsoe. “If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t know.” She wipes away a tear that’s rolling down her cheek. “Your father said I could stay in the house as long as I never told you the truth and that I let you live here until you turned eighteen.” More tears begin to fall. “And you’ve just fucked up the only good thing that’s ever happened to me! It’s your fault David left,” she wails, and I can’t take any more.
My stomach rolls with nausea. I need to get the fuck away. I spin on my heels and see Alex jogging towards us.
“You okay? I heard Roy on the phone with David. It didn’t sound good,” Alex says, brushing past Kelsoe to step next to me.
“Alex, can I crash with you for a little while?”
He glances at the guys. “I thought you were staying with them.”
“I was. Not anymore. I just need a place to crash for a couple days.”
“Sure, Lenny.”
“Let me grab…Shit. I don’t know where my bag is. I think it might be in the back of David’s truck.”
“S’okay. I have an extra one you can have. Even have some clothes that might fit ya.”
It’ll always be me against the world, but I can count on Alex. He might not be able to offer me exactly what I need all the time, but that doesn’t ever stop him from trying. I face Drew, ready to yell at him some more, but instead, I deflate. For a few seconds, I had everything I didn’t know I wanted. I wish I would have never had it. Now I know what I’m missing out on.
“Lenny, what are you doing?” Drew says, reaching out for me, but I sidestep him.
“Dude, she’s not coming back with us,” Chris says under his breath.
“Lena, come on.” Kelsoe steps closer. “Let’s go home.”
I see the worry on his face, and I can’t look at him anymore. He gave up on me. I can’t trust him. “Come on, Alex.”
With Alex’s arm around my waist, we walk away, and I don’t look back at the Lost Boys.
Chapter 20
I pace back and forth in the tiny room. My skin’s crawling, and my whole body is tense. Four days. I’ve been in this room for four fucking days, and I’m about to crack.
“Sit down, Lenny. You’re blocking the game,” Alex says, swatting the air with his hand.
I plop down on the bed and lean against the window frame. It’s a fucking beautiful day outside, and I’m missing out. I said I’d give it a week for things to blow over. Hopefully, David is long gone by then.
“Fuck, Lenny. Sit down.”
I hadn't realized I was pacing again. “Sorry,” I mumble as I sit back on the bed.
“You’re the worst roommate ever. I don’t know how the Rivers put up with you.” His eyes widen. “Shit. Didn’t mean to bring them up.”
A choked sound moves up my throat. “I don’t care. Talk about them whenever you want. All day long if you want to.” I cross my arms. He thinks I’m upset about moving out of Neverland. I’m not upset at all. I’ve moved on surprisingly well.
“Okay. Well, then, I saw Kelsoe at Tate’s this morning.”
I immediately freeze in my tracks. Shit, I was pacing again. “What…Did he say anything? Did he look okay?” I close my eyes and hold up my hand. “You know what? I don’t want to know.” I stomp my foot. “This room is too—"
Alex moves quick, tossing his controller to the side
and then scooping me up to straddle his lap. His tongue finds the spot on my ear that he knows drives me crazy.
“Let me distract you,” he whispers, making me shiver.
I can feel his length as his hands find my hips to grind me against him. His mouth moves to my neck where he licks and sucks. Thoughts of Kelsoe fill my head, making me feel guilty about what I’m doing.
“Fuck,” I say with an angry growl as I move from Alex’s lap to stand.
Alex smirks. “Kelsoe?”
We both freeze as someone pounds on the bedroom door. I dart into the closet to hide under a stack of blankets.
“Alex, someone’s here for you.”
My heart stops beating at Roy’s words. I hold my breath as a door shuts. Was that the front door? The floor vibrates as heavy footsteps get closer. A small part of me wants it to be Kelsoe.
“Yo, Alex.”
“Ethan. What’s up?”
I hold my breath. I want so badly to jump out of this closet and show Ethan what’s up. Let’s hear what the fuck Ethan has to say.
“Look, I know you’re cool with Alena. I’ve been looking for her. Heard she left the Rivers. You know where she’s staying?”
Alex clears his throat. “Nah, man. I thought she was still at the Rivers. You sure she ain’t there?”
I can hear Alex’s game blaring. He must be keeping his composure.
“Yeah, I’m sure. My girl, Stephanie, said she bounced from there.”
“I don’t know then. Why you looking for her?”
The game stops, and silence fills the room.
“See this? Bitch and her boys fucked up my leg. Going to have a fucking limp for life. Just want to return the favor.”
“Dude, you know she’s my homegirl. You shouldn’t have—”
There’s a grunt and a loud thud. I bite the inside of my cheek, hating that I’m sitting in here hiding while Alex is out there with my enemy.
“You…even…Lena…” The words are growled and mumbled, so I can’t hear what’s going on.
“All right, dude. Shit. I got you,” Alex says a little louder than necessary, letting me know he’s okay so that I don’t jump out of the closet and attack.
“Don’t fuck around.” Ethan’s last words are loud before the door slams shut.
I stay hidden in the closet until it opens, and Alex’s worried face stares back at me.
“You okay?” I ask, looking him over.
“Yeah. Dude’s pissed, Lenny. Says you fucked up his—”
“I heard what he said. He’s got a vendetta against me now. Great. I didn’t need this, but I can handle Ethan. I just need to be prepared.”
“No, Lenny. Ethan by himself maybe, but his brothers are bad news. He said they’re backing him up. Maybe going back to the Riv—”
“Don’t fucking say it. They kicked me out.” I run my hands through my hair.
“Alena Diane Marshall, you just wanted a reason to not trust them. Your mom…Nancy had a birth certificate saying you were fifteen. A fucking birth certificate, Lenny! They had no choice.”
I look away from him. Tears prick my eyes. “They probably hate me now anyway,” I say.
“Nah, Kelsoe didn’t look like he hated you. I bet they’d welcome your ass back with open arms. I know I would.”
I look at him and smile. “Yeah, you would. We’re tight like that.”
“You can be close to them too. Just don’t push them away.”
“Why would they want me? I’m so fucked up. Seriously, I don’t get.”
“You’re a badass, funny as hell, you have the biggest heart. Everyone I introduce you to likes you. Most guys want to bang you because you’re smoking hot, but it’s not just that; it’s who you are as a person, Lenny.”
“Damn, Alex. You’re getting all sappy.” I shrug. “I should probably tell them about Ethan. He might be looking to get back at them too.” My eyes widen. “And shit. Stephanie. She’s been trying to get into Kelsoe’s bed while she’s fucking around with Ethan. I need to warn them about her shifty ass.”
“I agree.” Alex smiles. “Time to go home, Lenny.”
≈≈≈
I don’t want them blindsided. I crack my knuckles. I hate narcs, spies, and deceiving, lying motherfuckers like Stephanie. I'd love to get my hands on her and show her how much. No matter how slow I walk, the trip is going entirely too fast. I don't know why I'm so nervous. I haven't stopped to think about it. Get in and out. That's the plan.
The dogs greet me with kisses as I reach the house. I spend a few seconds scratching their backs.
“They've missed you, Lenny.”
I look up into bright blue eyes. His grin makes my stomach tighten. He thinks I'm here to stay. “Hey, Drew. I just came by to talk a minute. Think you can get everyone together?”
The dogs whine for me to continue petting them. Despite wanting to, I don't. They shouldn't be missing me, greeting me like I'm a part of the family.
Drew's smile falters. “Really? I thought if you cooled off for a few days you'd realize that this is your home. Alex said to let you breathe a minute but that you'd come back.”
Fuck. Alex shouldn't be giving him false hope like that. I shrug. “I always said I wasn't staying, Drew.” My throat feels tight.
He frowns. “Kelsoe, Ramsey, and Chris are in the garage.”
I follow him in. It feels like there’s a knife twisting its way into my gut as Ramsey and Chris look up at me with big stupid grins on their dumb faces. They’re all sitting in plastic lawn chairs around the glass table. Kelsoe gets up and walks away. Ice fills my veins at his action even though I'm glad he left. I don't want to face him.
“Come on, Kelsoe,” Chris says, throwing his hands up in the air.
“Listen, guys, I've got some information. Important information.”
“You're not staying, are you?” Chris asks me, but he’s looking at Drew.
“No, but that's not what's important.”
“Fuck this.” Chris gets to his feet. “I don't want to hear what you have to say until you say you're coming home.”
“Chris.” My mouth hangs open as he storms out like a child.
“Tell me why you're not staying,” Drew says with a fierceness in his tone that I’m not used to.
“You know why.”
“No, Alena. I want to hear it!”
“I want to hear it too,” Chris says from the door frame.
He’s looking at me like I’m a traitor. I feel my face turning red with anger. “You fucking…You all betrayed me! I finally trusted…I trusted you, and it was all lies. You forced me out. I was bound and”—I turn my back to them, lifting my shirt—“drug down the road before I was thrown into the back of a truck like a piece of trash.” I keep my shirt up long enough for them to see all the marks. They’re mostly scabbed over now, but it still looks bad. I turn back to face them. “You guys lied to me. You said David couldn’t hurt me anymore. I started to believe you! Now what? You want me to stay? To get attached again, to trust again, and then you turn your back on me for a second time? I won’t come back from that. By not coming back to stay, I’m protecting myself.” I lay it all out for them. I feel raw and drained.
“No, you're running. You don’t think we wanted you to stay? Our fucking hands were tied with that birth certificate. The cops or CPS come here, and Zack goes. And Chris, because he’s sixteen.”
I glance at Chris. I didn’t know he was younger than me. He looks older.
Chris shrugs at my questioning look. “Almost seventeen.”
“Bob could be charged with all kinds of crazy shit. We could be accomplices, go to jail, or lose the property. Just because you left doesn’t mean we stopped caring or that we wanted you to go.” Drew runs his hands through his hair. “We trusted you too, and we thought you would know that we were doing the best we could. You chose not to come back. You’re choosing to leave us. You know Zack has abandonment issues.”
Guilt. They all have abandonment issues.
Every. Fucking. One. “Your eyes, I saw the look when you thought I was fifteen. You hated me. You could barely look at me. You all had the same look.”
“I didn’t hate you. I was fucking crushed. I knew that you couldn’t stay here. That I couldn’t protect you. We all were.” Drew reaches out for me.
I step back. “I’m better off alone. I’m so fucked up.”
“Yeah, join the club. We’re all fucked up,” Chris says with a smirk.
“It’s how we know you belong,” Ramsey says.
“You fit,” Drew says.
“I just bring trouble. That’s what I came to warn you guys about.”
“David?” Drew asks.
“Ethan.”
“Ethan?” they all say at once.
“Ethan is looking for me. He wants payback. I wanted to warn you guys to watch your back.”
“Ethan ain’t shit,” Drew grunts.
I sigh. “He’s a Montgomery.”
“Shit,” Drew says, rubbing his hand down his face.
“It’s not like what we did was wrong,” Chris says.
“I agree, he deserved to have his ass beat, but he’s saying his leg is fucked up for life.”
“He’s fucking lucky we didn’t cut his dick off and shove it down his throat. The word is that isn't the first time he’s drugged a girl,” Ramsey says.
“Whatever he deserved isn’t worth being a target. I should have been the one to handle him.”
“We are not discussing that again. We all agreed you’re wrong. You lose. Moving on,” Drew says.
“There’s more. Stephanie, she’s feeding Ethan information. Information about me, for sure. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was on you guys too.”
“Not much she could tell him about us. We don’t give her anything. The fact she's a snitch will be addressed,” Drew says. “Ramsey, you think Jess?”
“I doubt it, but I’ll ask her. Jess hates her cousin. Their mothers pressure them to hang out. She just uses Stephanie for the ride,” Ramsey says.
“I don’t know much about the Montgomerys. I’ve had very few interactions with them, and all of them are very different. But I wouldn’t have thought they’d back Ethan on this,” I say.
Found by the Rivers Page 16