Page 10 of Crazy Love

He fiddles with the frayed edge of his hoodie sleeve.

“Top Golf sound good?” I ask, trying to sound upbeat.

He shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”

We have to drive to Denver, and the whole way there, I try to get Sam engaged in conversation. He’s never like this—usually, he doesn’tstoptalking when we’re together. I grip the steering wheel tighter. My chest has ached since I got the call from the station. I can’t stand the thought of him being hungry. Not Sam. Not any kid. But especially not this one that I love and can do something about.

We pull into the parking lot and I nudge his shoulder gently. “Come on, buddy. Let’s see if you can finally beat me.”

His lips twitch like he wants to smile but can’t quite manage it. “I’m already better than you,” he mutters.

“Prove it,” I say, grinning like the cocky son of a bitch I am, but inside I’m thrilled that my favorite kid hasn’t lost his fire.

Inside, the familiar sounds of clinking clubs and loud laughter almost feels too bright after our quiet ride here. But I get us set up, and for a while, I let Sam focus on the game. He swings half-heartedly at first, but slowly, he loosens up. By the time he smacks a ball that sails straight into the farthest target, he’s smiling.

“See? Told you I was better than you,” he says, his voice lighter now.

“Okay, okay,” I say, holding up my hands. “We’re not done yet.”

He smirks and for a moment, it feels normal. Easy. Like everything’s fine. But when we sit down to eat later, I can seethe weight creeping back in. Sam finishes his burger before I’ve eaten half of mine and I’m not slow.

“You okay?” I ask, keeping my tone casual.

He shrugs. “About the food…at Aurora’s.” His voice is quiet, and he doesn’t look up. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to?—”

“Sam,” I cut in when he leaves it hanging. “You don’t need to apologize to me, okay? But I do need you to talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”

He hesitates, picking at his napkin. “Does me stealing mean…you won’t want me anymore? To live with you?”

Just when I think my heart can’t break any more. “No, it doesn’t mean that, Sam. I want you to live with me like…a year ago.”

His lips lift a little.

“I don’t want you to steal anymore though, okay? I want you to tell me when you need something…anything.”

“It’s just…things have been rough,” he admits finally. “At the house.”

My stomach tightens. “What do you mean by rough?”

“They’re just…mean sometimes,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “To me. To everyone. I stayed because of Jesse and Winnie. They’re younger, and I didn’t want them to feel like I abandoned them. But Jesse’s not there anymore…I hope Winnie won’t be much longer, even though I’d really miss her. She deserves a good home.”

I nod slowly, trying to let him get it out at his own pace. “When did Jesse leave?”

“Day before yesterday. Hopefully he was moved to a better place. I don’t know.”

“When you say they’re mean to you? How exactly?”

“They yell at me. Tell me I can’t have dinner if I haven’t done my chores the right way.” He looks at me. “I try to do them the right way, I really do.”

Fuck me. My heart cracks a little deeper.

“Have you told Mrs. Murphy everything?”

He swallows and shakes his head. “Not yet. She came out the night before Jesse was moved, but I didn’t want to leave him. I didn’t know he was moving. I’m just…” He stares at his plate and I reach out and put my hand on his shoulder.

“What, Sam? You can tell me.”

When his eyes meet mine, he looks way older than he should. Like he’s lived too much life. “I’m just so tired. Tired of moving. Tired of everything.”

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