Page 11 of Always a Chance
“As is your innate ability to make anything sarcastic.”
“Only with you.”
Those words gave me more pleasure than they should have. “It’s nice to see some things never change.”
The tiny bit of light faded from her gaze, and she looked back over her shoulder. “Yeah, it’s wonderful.” That time, the sarcasm in her voice held none of the humor.
I wanted to tell her that her family was okay, that I’d looked out for them like I knew she’d have done for mine. We all understood why she left, even if we didn’t agree with it. Gianna never stopped talking about her calls with Talia, and their father hovered in the doorway whenever she did. A man starved for… something. I’d never figured out exactly what.
The toe of my sandal scuffed against the worn decking of the porch. “So…”
A sigh pushed past her lips. “What are you doing here, Johnny?”
“I came to see—”
“Johnny?” Mr. Hillson stepped up beside Talia. “Come on in out of the rain, son.” He clapped me on the shoulder as I slid past them. “It’s a miserable day out there.”
Talia backed up, arms crossed over her chest as her hard eyes bounced from her dad to me.
Mr. Hillson didn’t seem to notice. Oscar Hillson was so different from my father and yet the same in the ways that mattered. He’d do anything for his family, a trait I respected. “How are you, Oscar?”
He smiled, not acknowledging Talia’s presence. “We’re getting by. Day by day, you know how it is.”
“I sure do.”
“I assume you’re here to see the birthday girl? Want to dry off first?”
“Nah, just take me to your leader.”
He laughed at the joke and gestured for me to follow him. I spared one more glance for Talia as we passed by her. Her jaw was set, her lips pressed together, and I remembered what I’d said to her yesterday.This is all that’s left.Anger and hatred, regret and blame.
The words had felt good at the moment, soothing the raging fire her return ignited inside me. Then, last night, they rolled through my mind, keeping me awake with their lies. And now? Now, they only confused me.
Mr. Hillson knocked on Gianna’s door. “You dressed, honey?”
“Yeah,” she said from the other side. “Tali helped.”
When he opened the door, a cheesy grin spread across her face. “Johnny, did you know today is my birthday?”
I wrapped her in a tight hug. “Of course I did, silly. I made you a promise that I’d stop by.”
“You did?” Her nose scrunched as she tried to remember. I knew the look well. “I don’t…” The memory issues frustrated her. “How old am I today?”
“Twenty-six.”
She giggled. “That’s ridiculous, Johnny.”
I didn’t press it as I perched on the corner of her bed. Gianna played with the settings of her chair as she did every morning, that smile never leaving her face. “Do you know my sister?”
My heart clenched. “I do.”
“She came for a visit from… from…”
“New York.”
“No, that’s not it. Tali can’t even handle your crowded high school. Maybe after graduation, she’ll come back.”
I reached for her hand to still the constant tapping and calm her. It was a technique her nurse taught me when she saw I wasn’t going away. “She might. Can I tell you a secret?”
