Page 16 of Losing Faith

I walk up to the school with Belle’s hand in mine. As soon as she sees one of her friends, she’s ready to take off running, but I hold her back. “You’re forgetting something.”

She turns to me with open arms and I kneel down to hug her. “I’m sorry again for this morning, penguin.”

“Daddy, Ipromiseit’s okay. I wasn’t even late.” She kisses my cheek twice before hugging me again. “I love you. Bye!” She runs off before I can even respond and it makes me miss the days she used to refuse to let go of me when I dropped her off at school.

“I love you too,” I mumble to myself as I watch her. When I see her teacher greet her and mark her attendance I walk for my car but stay leaning against it until they go into the school, and only then do I head off to work.

Chapter Six

Lisette

Iwatchmyphoneringagain and again until it goes to voicemail. My shoulders sag in relief and I open my car door to escape upstairs, but she calls back.

Sinking into my seat, I bring my phone to my ear and decide to get this over with.

“Five missed calls is a bit much don’t you think, Ana?” I rest my head back as I stare up at Sire’s apartment.

“Oh, sorry. Were you sleeping off a hangover? I know 3:00 p.m. is usually when you’re getting out of bed.”

A scoff escapes me, but I refuse to let her words hurt me. “You don’t know anything about me. Don’t be so bitter you missed out on growing up with such a great person.”

She lets out a humorless laugh on the other end. “I know you well enough. You’re the same girl who only came looking for your family for money so you could do whatever drug it is you’re on now. You’re just an addict.”

I open my mouth to counter but nothing comes out.

“Right.” She voices and I can hear the smile in her voice. “I saw your messages with Harmony. You thinksexis an appropriate conversation to bond over with a teenager?”

I roll my eyes at her words and I nearly hang up on her, but I have enough built-up anger to last me two lifetimes so I keep the line open.

“She’s old enough to know how babies are made and if you read the conversation you would’ve seen the part where I told her she shouldwaitto have sex with him.” I tap my steering wheel as I try to rein in my anger.

“I also read the part where you told her about sex toys andlube?” She nearly shouts and I lose it.

“Oh my god, stop being such a prude. She’s turning eighteen soon. I told her to wait, but she’s persistent about not wanting to. Did you want me to take her phone away and yell at her for wanting a regular teenage experience?”

“That’s not a regular teenage experience. She’s notyou, Lisette. She doesn’t need to have sex at such a young age.”

I can’t help but laugh at her words. “Now I’m a whore. Wow, it was really great catching up with you.” I almost hang up but instead go on. “Did you stop and think about why she suddenly wants to sleep with this boy? On the day she’s supposed to go hang out with your bitch ass mom.”

She doesn’t answer.

“She’s looking for an escape and when she told you she wanted to hang out withmeinstead of you and your mom, what did you tell her? You said no, and now she’s resorting to male validation, and why? Oh! Because your dad’s a bitch too.”

“At least they’re here. They’re trying to do better.”

Unlike me,she doesn’t say and I give up.

“You’re her guardian, Ana. I don’t have to deal with this shit.”

She lets out a scoff at my words. “Yeah, I’m her guardian because I’m the one who stepped up for her while you ran and you’re running now.”

Harmony shouts on the other end for us to stop fighting and they go back and forth, but I don’t say anything else as I end the call.

Storming out of my car, I head up to Sire’s apartment. It isn’t until I’m in the elevator that her words hit me. She’s the one person that can make me feel truly worthless.

Every inch of my skin feels disgusting and I’m crawling out of my clothes as I step out of the elevator.

Sire’s door is ajar and when I step in, my eyes land on Isabelle’s smile as she talks to Sire and her dad. My heart only sinks at the reminder of her tutoring session.

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