Page 40 of Redemption
“We wouldn’t want that. It’s my least favorite thing to deal with, so Bella it is. I’m MJ, by the way.”
“Weird name—I like it.” Her voice is so sincere it’s impossible to be offended.
“It’s actually Mallorie Jade, but if you call me that, I might puke, too.”
Her grin is contagious.
Grabbing a pair of gloves, I snap them on and rip open an alcohol wipe. When I take her arm in my hand, she turns away, that smile slipping just a little, so I continue to talk and study her.
“You know, I think you’re right—that boy could use a friend like you.”
Her dark brown hair shadows most of her face since she’s turned away from where I’m changing out her monitor, but I can still see her lips curve higher into a smile.
“Oh, don’t you worry, I’m going to be his friend.”
And I believe her, too.
Chapter 13
Mallorie Jade
17 years old
As I step through the front door, I hear yelling from somewhere in the house. It’s nothing new. There’s always yelling anymore.
My dad’s deep baritone voice reaches my ears, but I can’t quite make out what he’s saying. Carefully, I slip my shoes off, set my backpack on the floor, and tiptoe to where the voices are coming from in the back of the house. The kitchen has two entries, one open to the dining room and another with a swinging door. I veer toward the one with a door so I can stay hidden behind it and listen in.
“No son of mine will be going to a community college. We’ve worked too hard on your football career to end up there.”
Langston says something that I miss. I press my ear harder to the door.
“No,” my dad roars. “We have one wild child—we don’t need another one. You’ve always done what we’ve asked of you, Langston. I expect that to continue.”
It’s no shock that I’m not the daughter my parents wanted—too wild—but it still hurts every time they confirm it, even if I try not to let it. Especially in moments like this when my brother quietly says, “Okay, Dad.”
It’s not something I’m proud of, but sometimes, I resent my brother for being unable to say no to them.
My dad’s voice is calm now as he says, “This is for your own good, Son.”
It makes me want to barge through and ask him what he knows about what’s good for Langston and me. He’s hardly ever around, working late at the hospital most days. He’s a surgeon there, and I get it. He’s doing good things for people—but it would be nice if he could do things in his own home sometimes, too. The only time he feels it necessary to acknowledge us is if we step outside his perfect plan because we can’t let anyone see that Dr. Harrison has strife within his own home. That would be scandalous, and I would know because I cause strife a lot.
I can practically hear the words of the town every time I make a bad decision.“Poor Dr. Harrison and his wife. They are such a respectable Christian family. That girl of theirs is always causing trouble, though.”
Well, yeah, Linda, I am because it feels like I’m constantly being smothered to fit a mold I don’t fit into.
Stepping back from the door so I don’t get beamed in the head when Langston eventually walks through, I let the conversation with him and my dad play through my mind.
Langston had a doctor’s appointment today since he got hurt at practice last week. I wonder if that has anything to do with his sudden decision to want to go to a community college.
The door swings open, and I wedge myself between it and the wall so Langston doesn’t know I’m here. When the hinges swing closed, I wait for one more second to make sure Langston’s back is to me, and then I jump, taking him by surprise and tackling him to the ground.
He’s twice my size, and surprise is the only way I can take him down anymore. His shoulders shake with laughter.
“Get off me, you menace. What are you doing?”
He’s lying face down on the ground where I tackled him, and I use all of my weight to keep him down—not that it would be effective if he really wanted up. Plenty of times, he’s done push-ups with me on his back.
“I’m extorting information out of you, duh. Now, are you going to tell me what I want to know?”
