Six Months Living With My Adopted Brother

g over her shoulder,

e was going out a

already in the passenger seat of her car,

"What...what

ike this was normal. "Car

wh

ffee. And milk. And app

head back. "

r a look. "It'

know where

ess. Away

act

to his face with a smirk. "Well, I'm

lready

st let it be

she'd ever learned. She got in, slammed the door, an

ping," she said

is resourc

ou off at the n

d. "Not befor

h unspoken words. Loretta turned

it back o

with maddening calm. "T

With

ckled. "Ki

"God, you'r

n out the window. "You

u w

wheel was tighter

rmarket parking lot. Lore

he said.

didn'

at

y I was goin

my G

groceries. You like bein

er lick t

n unbuckled his seatbelt and got out. She sat, f

ou doing?"

Get out.

g grocery shop

the keys in the ignition, Sunshine. Which means you'r

lly. Then cursed him

*

gan in the same

s breath, one arm draped l

ched. Fingers tapping the wheel like a ticking bo

he rai

water slammed agai

, groaning in protest, barely

spine st

ced at her.

he said, voice tight. "Just...

wasn't

ights sliced through the haze, stabbing her eyes.

It's ju

beat pounded, erratic and loud in her

ow. Not with h

er cr

she wasn't d

mering the windows. Her uncle's vo

. His hands bruising her

ther chose someone else over you. That adopte

o

n't go

tried to shake it off

e in short, pa

, frowning now. "You'r

dn't r

ened, but no

.. hey, s

inked

te the fucking rain. I hate it..

"Park the car. Loretta,

lared. A car swerved i

amed and yan

res sh

ret

rs, pried it off the wheel. His foot sl

g off the road into soft mud. A jo

pt for the relentle

ng like she'd just sprinted a mile.

he ignition. His br

aid softly. "He

di

tared ahea

he whispered.

Alarm rising

what are yo

She covered it with

bbed. "I deserve it. I des

in f

rands from her forehead. His h

said. His voice was qui

small and frantic. "

ust breathe with me, Sunshi

follow, like dragging air through a straw.

ne breath. Then another. Her shoulders sl

both their belts. Then, without a

in sof

ayed li

resting on the back of her head. The pa

s hands

stayed open-h

listening to the rain. Feeling her s

e, she wouldn't have let him ruin her. Maybe she would'

e wasn

a knew

as to

night that wrecked h

e kept tryin

never

rolled

of the

rtin wouldn't ask her quest

idden secret just