Page 46 of The Illicit Play

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“He is such an amazing young man,” the woman is saying.

“Yeah. He’s certainly coping well with what’s happened,” the man replies, smiling down at the woman before glancing up and noticing me. “Well, hello there!”

His voice is like a friendly boom box, but it still hurts my ears.

“Oh, you must be Blake,” the woman gushes, pulling me into a hug before I can stop her. “Sweet girl. Wily’s told us all about you. He’s so proud of his baby sister.”

The woman laughs right in my ear, and I pull out of the hug, fighting the urge to cry.

He shouldn’t be proud of me.

I’m a fucking train wreck.

“Blake, these are my parents.” Sienna starts the introductions, and I nod and smile the way I’m supposed to.

“You can call me Al.” Her dad winks at me, laughing, then starting to sing some song I don’t know.

“Dad, stop,” Sienna softly complains. “She doesn’t even know it.”

That only makes her father sing louder, and she starts to laugh and roll her eyes. Zoey claps along, giggling at her grandpa when he crouches down and starts singing to her.

“Doooo, do-do, do, do,” he sings. “Can you do that, lil’ bug?”

“Do-do-do-do-do,” she sings, and I back away from the cacophony, my head threatening to split right open.

My brain is pounding, its swollen edges bumping against my unforgiving skull.

I think I’m gonna be sick again.

“Need a coffee?” Zander points to the counter, indicating the mugs, but I shake my head.

What I need to do is get the hell out of this kitchen.

“I’m just gonna…” I point to the hallway, my slow-ass brain trying to figure out the quickest path to escape, but it soon gets blocked by my giant brother.

He fills up the frame, leaning on his crutches and smiling down at Zoey.

“How’s my cowgirl?”

“Hey, Wywee!” She waves her sticky little fingers at him. “Pancake!”

“Oooo, yum. I’m gonna have to get me some of those? Are they a Grady special?”

“They are.” Zander nods, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Then I’ll have to get a whole stack.”

I try not to react to the sound of Grady’s name.

He brought me home last night.

He didn’t tell Wily.

How did he know not to tell?

How did he know where I was?

“Hey, sis.” Wily finally notices me, beaming brightly as he hobbles into the room. “Haven’t seen you all morning.”