Page 59 of Brandy Snap: Part Two
My phone pealed from my pocket, cutting Amanda off mid-blow job, and I numbly extracted it. I didn’t look at the screen as I swiped it, my mind slipping into white noise.
“Mel! There you are, oh my God! I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you. We had a weekend play date with one of Tommy’s friends in Spain and we’ve just come back. How are you doing?”
“Tommy is two, Rosa,” I replied numbly, not ready to answer her question.
“You can still have friends in other countries at that age! Besides, it was all expenses paid, so how could we say no?”
“Why have you been ignoring my calls?” Because I knew she hadn’t phoned me out of the goodness of her heart. She never did.
“Well, life got in the way—you know how it is. Anyway, I have a teeny tiny problem. I had some more of those pesky letters from Greensprings—you know how much I hate those. And it turns out it’s all still registered in my name. So, I was just thinking, since your new sugar daddies paid off our debt, why don’t we transfer it back to you?”
The room was deadly quiet. Not even the cars driving by right under my window could ruin it.
It was another day where things were being dumped on me in quick succession, and I wanted to deal with her least problematic point first.
“What do you mean by ‘sugar daddies’?” I asked, rubbing my forehead, not really wanting to hear the answer.
“What? Are you joking?” She scoffed. “Oh my God, Mel, that’s so rude. You totally hid the fact you’re sneaking around withtheRisler pack and then you’re going to pretend you don’t have any money? I saw the dress you were wearing in those photos last week. It’s so obvious where you got it. So, why don’t you ask them for more and then all our bills will be taken care of in the future too, nice and easy.”
It was the ‘our bills’ that really got me.
I guessed Greensprings hadn’t told her how much I’d paid in advance. And I wanted her to sweat some more. She’d put me through enough, and I was annoyed enough to drag it out.
I’d been so wrapped up in the drama of that night that I’d forgotten all about the flashing cameras when I first arrived.
“It doesn’t work like that, Rosa. I can’t just ask them for money.”
“Are you stupid? Look, I don’t know how you got an in with them—to be honest, I’m pretty proud of you, as well as insanely jealous. But, Mel, listen. Guys like that are basically custom-made to spoil their omegas. All you gotta do is spread a little perfume and they’ll be all over you.”
“And you would know?”
“Totally. You know how I was after I presented. I could get into any party or club before I scent-matched. And you can do it too. Ask them for extra cash or get some more shoes and dresses out of them and I bet they’ll shell out. Then we can sell them later.” She laughed. “I mean, I saw you in a shot with the actual Kai Risler. There’s no way you can’t get a ton of things from him.”
My memories went back to how softly I’d held him as he cried in my arms. I’d never felt more needed by anyone. I knew for sure that I was the only person who could hold him like that, and he’d needed that release as much as I did.
And Rosa wanted me to make an already messed-up situation even worse by demanding more money from them.
“My landlord is kicking me out and I need somewhere to stay,” I said dully.
Rosa’s pack house originally belonged to our parents. Before our dad died, it was a full and happy childhood home. But when he passed away, the house became one of the only things that kept Mum together. I was practically born in that house. And now, more than any time in my life, I wanted to go back.
I sighed, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. “I know you filled my old bedroom with all your junk. I could clear it out and use it for a few weeks. Just while I sort myself out.”
I wanted to see the art that Mum painted on the walls in the living room and the furniture she chose to decorate our home. Despite her nature, Rosa kept it all the same. She’d always hoped Mum would come back and the house would be waiting for her just as she left it. It was why I still believed my sister had a heart.
Rosa scoffed again. “Why don’t you ask your new pack for it? If they can afford to take you to parties like that, they can totally afford to set you up.”
“Because I want to come home, Rosa.”
“That’s just stupid. A mansion is ten times better than this place. I saw the kind of cars they drive. Their house must be huge as well. Go ask them.”
I knocked my head back against the top cushion of the sofa, looking at those stars waiting for the darkness to help them shine.
“Are you being serious? You won’t even let me come and stay for a week?”
“Well, you were super mean to me about Mum’s bills, all shouting and screaming and stuff. Why would I let you come and stay if you’re going to be a bitch to me the whole time?”
My eyes fluttered closed as I stepped back from the wildfire of pain. It was too hot, and so uncomfortable that the only way I could get relief from it was by hurting something in return.
