Page 4 of Handsome
Unlike my sister, who was raised in the same household, I refused to ever hurt someone to get what I wanted. According to Leah, this meant I had no right to dreams, but that was fine.
The best part of her evil plan was that I had a baby to watch.
Once I knew the coast was clear, I let myself back in with my key.
My sister and our brother, Elijah, had finished the vodka bottle and Leah was laughing uproariously at something while Joshua was crying in the other room. I closed the door and said, “I’m back.”
“You reconsidered,” Leah said.
I shrugged. Once again, my job at the diner was at risk. Not that Leah or Elijah would care. I went to the bedroom for the baby as I said, “I missed the bus. If you both want to go out, I’ll stay with Jacob.”
“See ya.” Leah called just before the door slammed.
Drinking and driving were a bad combination, especially for my family, yet I held my tongue because saying something wouldn’t make any difference.
Jacob calmed down the second I changed his diaper. He was sweet. I rocked him and said, “It’s just the two of us tonight.”
The sudden quiet in the apartment meant I could play with Jacob on the couch. Hopefully all he ever remembered about his mother was that my sister was a doctor and respectable.
It was more than we had as kids. I walked him to get a bottle and said, “I wish I knew how to protect you better.” I winced when I sat down because my knee still needed to be cleaned and treated, but then Jacob was crying.
I hugged him and said, “Don’t cry about me. I’ll be okay.” Skinning my knees wasn’t that bad. I’d survived much worse.
Joshua suckled on his bottle and closed his eyes. The sound of his noises made me sigh. He was the only reason I was here, and I think my sister knew it, because she’d started using my attachment to him as a carrot to get me here. I rocked him as I said, “Now, about your mom. Drinking was how—never mind. Leah will never do anything like that to you.”
I tended to gloss over the pain of my past.
The little guy fell asleep in my arms, and I closed my own eyes while I cuddled him.
A loud bang on the door startled me, but Joshua continued to sleep.
Whoever it was banged hard, making a lot of noise. I tucked Joshua on the couch, which wasn’t the safest option, but I needed to act quickly. I tossed a pillow on the floor next to him in case he rolled off and dashed to the door.
I glanced out the peephole and saw cop hats. I took an automatic step back while ice rushed in my veins. Cops had also been… never mind. I opened the door slightly and asked, “Is there something I can do for you?”
They took off their hats and asked, “Are you Sarah Litchenberg?”
My eyes widened. No one ever looked for me. I unlocked the chain and opened the door as I said, “I am.”
The other cop looked like he had no time. “I’m going to need you to come with us.”
I clutched the doorknob and shook my head. “I’m babysitting for my sister. Is there a problem?”
The cop who at first met my eyes looked down. “Your sister was Leah Litchenberg, and your brother was Elijah?”
For a second, I lost my balance, and I gripped the knob tighter as I asked, “Was?”
He had his hand on his hat near his chest. “We need you to come identify them and speak to child services about Leah’s son.”
My mind whizzed.
Leah had turned out to be exactly like our parents. And Elijah’s father… Tension knotted across my forehead.
The most important person right now was Joshua, not me, so I asked, “What happened?”
“There was a car accident.”
My heart lurched. I’d guessed. I'd answered the door, just like tonight, ten years ago, too. I lifted my chin and asked, “Are they alive?”
