Page 76 of Give Me Love

Flipping the toilet seat, I hold the bag up, and as I stare at it, I wonder how such a little thing can control someone’s entire life. My mind replays old memories.

Finding her hunched over on the living room couch, her dirty blonde hair covering her sunken eyes.

Dad rubbing her back while she puked in the bathroom. “Go watch your brother,” he told me as he closed the door.

The crazy inside of me taunts,“Try it. See what she’s so hooked on.”

I tip the bag upside down and tap, tap, gazing as the thick powder dissolves into the water. With disgust and a low-key, unexplained feeling of jealousy for something that made my mom choose it over me, I toss the bag in and flush. Sniffing, I wipe under my nose and rub over my head.

The bed is unmade, and the fitted sheet exposes a stained mattress. She doesn’t have to live like this. I could give her everything, but she chooses a drug that gives her nothing but a quick high before it leaves and she has to use again.

I walk back to the nightstand. Grabbing the trashcan, I swipe the drugs covering the nightstand into the clear bag.

“Bryce, what are you doing?” she mumbles. Her eyes try to focus, but she closes them with a pained expression on her once pretty face.

“You’re coming with me.” I lift her up, trying to keep the comforter around her body.

“No, Bryce.” Panic fills her voice, but she goes limp when I put her over my shoulder. I unlock the door and yank it open, checking my surroundings.

I lay her in the back of the car and rub down my face before I walk to the driver side.

Yellow light bounces off the streets from the lamps on the side of the road. I lift up and take my gun out. Pulling open the door to the glove compartment, I toss the gun back in and slam the thing shut. Mom is passed out, and I have a feeling she’ll be that way for a while. Some cunt fucked her up good, but this isn’t the first time she’s had this happen, and as long as she stays where she is, it won’t be the last.

But if I have my way, it will be. She doesn’t know it yet, but this week is going to be hell for her. She’s getting clean, and this time I’m not letting her run.

Chapter Fourteen

Kathrine

The air conditioner kicks on in our apartment as Claire and I lie on the couch together. She’s fast asleep, and my mind is keeping me from it. I stare up at the rotating ceiling fan, thinking about today. First, Karen tells me she’s selling my second home, and then Mark comes in, but the thing that threw me the most was Bryce.

God.

I exhale and wipe a hand over my face, turning on my side as anxiety fills my chest.

The way he held me as people passed us and cars flew down the street as if it was just another day. But it wasn’t. Not for me anyway.

Bryce Grant was holding me.

And not like at the club that night when we were dancing or in the bed when he pulled me closer to him. This was more. This was him being there in a way no one else has. My phone lights up the coffee table, and I reach over and grab it

My eyes scan the words.

I wanna see you.

My heart kicks up, ricocheting against my ribcage as I bite the inside of my cheek. I dart my eyes down at Claire before I carefully remove the throw from my legs and stand. Softly padding my way to my room, I click the door shut, looking down at my screen as I text back.

Right now?

He doesn’t respond, and I put my phone down and grab my lotion bottle from beside the bed.

I’ve already rubbed my feet, legs, and hands by the time my phone vibrates. I quickly pick it up, but it slips out of my hand and hits the floor.

“Shit.” I speedily rub the rest of the lotion onto my arms and lift my phone from the floor.

Yeah.

Fine. I’ll be waiting.

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