Page 154 of Rules

“What the hell is going on here?” My question makes them both turn their heads toward us.

Dad’s sitting in his chair, leaned back like he doesn’t have a worry on his mind, but I can see traces of discomfort on his face. Weariness and dread.

The woman, Josephine, whoever she is, is completely out of it. She’s around Dad’s age, if not older. Her greasy, tangled hair is wild, pupils dilated. Her clothes are dirty and wrinkled like she hasn’t changed in days. And don’t get me started on the smell. A mix of alcohol, cigarettes, stale sweat and God knows what else is so strong it fills the whole room.

“Nothing,” Dad says curtly. “Miss Taylor was just about to leave.”

He doesn’t even manage to finish, and she’s already turning back toward him. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where my daughter is!”

“Miss Taylor…” Jeanette’s soft whisper has me turning my head to look at her.

“What does that have to…”

“That’s Brook’s last name, Andrew.” Gray eyes grow wide, her fingers wrapping around my arm and digging into my skin. “That’s Brook’s mom.”

Brook disappeared weeks ago, and nobody has heard anything from her since. Apparently, she and Lia had a fight just before she ditched town. Everybody tried calling her, but her phone was turned off, and she didn’t have any social media profiles, so she was MIA. But if you ask me, I think the person who took it the hardest was Max. First everything that happened to Jeanette, and then Brook went missing shortly after. That would fuck with anybody. Dude was a bomb just waiting to explode.

“That’s enough! You’re getting out of here, even if I have to throw you out myself. I’ve had enough of your bullshit, Josephine!”

The vein in his forehead is throbbing visibly, and that’s how I know he’s really pissed.

He gets up and grabs her arm, pulling her toward the door. She tries to wiggle out of his touch, but there is no use. His hold is unforgiving, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it left a bruise. She stumbles forward, but his hand prevents her from falling face first. Throwing her head back, her eyes land on mine.

At first she seems surprised, like she just now realized we’re standing there, but then a different kind of gleam fills those bottomless depths. Hysterical laughter erupts from her, making everybody freeze.

“He doesn’t know, does he?” She laughs some more, and now I’m positive this woman is bat-shit crazy.

Damn, I’m not even surprised Brook disappeared. I’m surprised she managed to stay as long as she did with this insane woman in the first place.

“Shut your mouth!” Dad grits through his teeth, pulling her back to a standing position.

“I don’t know what?” My question is so quiet, I’m surprised they hear it.

“Andrew, get out of here.” He barely gives me a side glance before he’s back in her face. “You’re getting out of here, and you’re not coming back. If I see you anywhere near me and my family, I’ll throw you in jail and you’ll never get out.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” This time when Josephine tries to pull her hand out of his grasp, she actually manages to free herself. “You took everything from me, and now I’ll do the same to you.” Her crazy eyes find mine. Jeanette’s arms wrap tightly around my middle, pulling me back. “Did you know your daddy likes to fuck on the side? As long as she’s willing, he doesn’t care much who it is.”

“Shut the fuck up!”

I look between the two of them, confused. Not with the statement itself, but with why she’d bring it up now. And why did it piss him off so much that she did?

“What are you saying?” I look over her shoulder at my dad. “What is she saying?”

My head is spinning, and I don’t know what the fuck is even happening here anymore. This crazy chick is Brook’s mother and she’s here… why?

What the fuck did you do, John?

“Your daddy has a little bastard on the side that he threw away and never asked about,” she laughs, shaking her head. “A baby sister. While you were here dining on a silver platter, she was going through garbage to find something to eat.”

Her words are like a punch to the gut, making me take a step back. The only thing that’s keeping me standing is Jeanette’s firm hold on me.

This can’t be true. She has to be lying. She’s crazy, it can’t…

I look at my father, hoping to find an answer somewhere on his face, but his lawyer mask is back in place. Gaining control over Josephine, he shoves both me and Jeanette away so he can drag her out. But even that doesn’t stop her from screaming.

“Ask your daddy where she is and how she got away!” With her free hand, she takes something out of her pocket and throws it at us. “Maybe he even helped her get rid of her little problem, like he tried to do with me. After all, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

After that, John pulls her away, threatening to call the police, but even that doesn’t stop her. I guess when you have nothing else to lose, threats like that don’t hold much power.

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