Page 13 of Sinful as They Come
I pulled the box forward, sweeping it out from under the bed. It had a light layer of dust on it that I swiped right off. Lifting up the lid, I shoved all the pieces of paper and photos out of the way before I found a wrinkled envelope with my stack of cash. I pulled out a twenty-dollar note and tucked it into my pocket. Then I made sure to put everything back how it was.
“Is that stolen?” Brodie wondered with curious eyes.
“No. This is my work money.”
“You don’t trust the bank?” snorted Brodie.
“I don’t trust anyone. Especially that fucker out there. If he finds it, he’ll spend it all on beer and slot machines. Besides, working under the table has its benefits.” I shoved the twenty into the pocket of my leather jacket. “Alright, let’s go. We’ll eat there. I wanna avoid this place as much as possible.”
“What else is in the box?” Brodie asked.
“Huh?” I feigned ignorance.
“What else is in there?”
My hand rubbed at the back of my neck. I kept special stuff in the box. Stuff I didn’t want anyone else getting their hands on. “Letters and shit. And photos. Of Mom. That’s… That’s all I have of her.”
Brodie looked like he wanted to say something, but he just nodded. He knew better than to pry and he already knew the story anyway. We went back into the living room, and that was when I saw that my dad had fallen asleep. The beer that had been in his hand earlier had tipped over, spilling the liquid right on to him.
“Should we…?” Brodie started.
“No,” I cut him off. “Let’s go. I’m hungry. Fuck him. He can feed himself.”
Was I being cruel? Maybe. But he deserved it. I didn’t care if he was my own father. He sure as hell didn’t act like it. I had always been a burden to him. Always. Soon I’d be gone, though. Once school was over with, once I had enough cash, then I was done with him and the shit hole I called home.
Chapter 5
SAWYER
How far could I stretch out a can of spaghetti and meatballs? I was about to find out. My eyes squinted at the instructions. It said one serving per can, but with a little bit of water I could make more sauce, and that could turn it into something. The sauce would be all runny and thin, but at least me and Brodie would have some food for dinner.
I heard someone knocking at the front door, and I looked over my shoulder to see the familiar, bright smile of my neighbor through the screen. Eyes all bright and red hair in loose curls, Lindsey sent me a friendly nod through the screen, her fingers tugging at the white sleeves of her uniform. She worked at the drugstore downtown, and she had always been more than helpful when it came to tending to my cuts and bruises – whether they came from my dad or from whatever stupid shit I had been doing that day.
“Lindsey, hey,” I greeted her, stepping outside.
“Hey. Is your dad home?” She sounded all cautious as she looked over my shoulder.
I shook my head. “Nah. Haven’t seen him all day. We can talk.”
“I amsosorry to ask you this, but do you think you could watch the kids? You know I don’t like leaving them alone at night.” Hands clasped together, she looked at me with big eyes. “I just got called into a shift last minute, and I…”
Her words trailed off, but I knew what she wanted to say.That she needed the shift and the extra cash. The father of her kids had died in a car accident before they could even talk, and I knew that Lindsey needed all the help she could get juggling her job and her kids and the rent and everything else I knew she couldn’t afford.
“I’ll be back around ten. I promise,” she said with a smile. “I’ll pay you and you can order pizza for you and the kids if that sweetens the deal.”
Lindsey had quickly become the mom I never had the chance to know or love even though she wasn’t even that much older than me. She was only twenty five and had moved in next door after her parents kicked her out for getting pregnant so young, and having twins didn’t make it any better. Dreams of college and moving away and making it big had to be put on the back burner.
I nodded. I never had it in me to say no to her. “Yeah, I can do it. I’ll head over in a couple minutes.”
“You’re an angel.” Reaching forward, she kissed me on the cheek. “I gotta move fast or I’ll miss the bus, but there’s money on the counter. Order pizza for you and the kids. I’ve got a coupon too. Five bucks off a large pizza.”
“What a deal.”
“You eat too, okay? I’ll be back in a few hours. I’ll go tell the kids. Don’t forget: if Caleb says he can go to bed at midnight, he’s lying! You know their bedtime is at nine!” She took off at that, jogging back to her place.
Turning back around, I watched Brodie take a seat on the couch. “I’m just going next door. Should be back around ten. I gotta look after Lindsey’s kids.”
“That lady who works at the drugstore?”
