Dear Ex, I Want Your Brother

y's

nd? Why don't you pay him

ke a moth drawn to a flame, I found m

ange number repeatedly-each

ed to turn back, dismissing it as a cruel pr

nsion meant discovering the t

ace was to face it head-on, regar

ance, I noticed Trey

oint where they visit each other wit

to hear the truth from him b

twice before

be," he

whispering? Are you okay?" My

ht a cold, and it's m

uld I bring so

abe. Let me rest

I asked, my br

lse woul

le

pping inside, my heart pounded in my chest. My steps were slow and

t, the louder t

mach c

d the door, I

ire world

and

ed tog

me. I gripped the doorframe to stay upright. The room

swinging th

re

tongue as I took in

in my throat. M

s can't

it

y stepmother, Anna-naked,

topped. Th

ick with an awful mix of scents-the sharp, metallic tang of sweat, the faint trace of

edly yanking the d

ne-I had seen everything. Wha

to utter a word. Then

ing to pull his pants on. His hand

acked as he stepped forward, reachin

think I would

d had a cold," I said, lett

tion they we

er, trying so hard not

g back to them. "Oh, this is the part where yo

but no words came ou

"Babe, it was the devil

augh. Really? That's

her elbows close to he

off, raising my han

ned t

I forced the words out, swallo

d. His Adam's appl

amed. "How long have you

linc

few mo

stabbed thr

nt

, told me he loved me and wanted to mar

fool out of

inside m

orner of the room where

it without

e grip was rough against my sweaty palms. My

ened. "Daisy, p

ed it a

of

. "Baby, put that down. It

vered over the trigger. The weight of the gun felt good.

that when you were sc

olding the duvet. "Y

her. "Dare to fin

turning pale. Her body

into his chest, his legs tremb

made m

nd, a thought hit me: Is this w

d a shot. And today, just because of

are not worth my anger

un and dropped

eyes, falling

amed. They clung to each other

ill run to her? You'd rather h

think this meant something? Anna's a

through me, sharp

w, shattered sound. "Practice? T

a. The woman I

u are not my family anymore

walke

out of

that

their

seconds. I wiped my face quickly, hati

aw Nanny

rusted in that hous

s met, her face cr

ightened.

llowed it. "You tried to stop me fr

p toward me. "

y. When my mother died, my father took you in-not just as a nanny, but as part of our fam

th regret. "Daisy, my child,

room," I whispered, my voice cracking. "You stood there and watched as my heart shatt

are. The woman I'd once called fa

barely above a whis

u're crazy about is sleeping with your stepmother?" She wiped her sweaty palms on her check

y before she

don't go like th

o family

rom no

as a

morrow, I'd start building som