Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 118459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
“Julia? It’s your ma.”
“Yeah?”
She snorts. “Well, don’t act so damn excited to hear from me.”
For a half a second, I wish for a normal relationship with my mother. I wish I could ask her to come sit with me, talk to me, distract me . . . maybe bring me a coffee that hasn’t sat in the pot all day.
“You still there?” She sounds annoyed and instead of making me angry, it just depresses me. It makes me feel lonelier.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“I need a favor.”
I look around the room as a doctor in a white lab coat comes in. He glances around, a blank look on his face, and makes eye contact with me for just a second. It causes my heart to nearly stop beating.
He announces, “Parker,” and a family that’s been crying all day stands and follows him out. I can’t help the relief that washes over me, and I feel guilty for being relieved that it was them and not me.
“Julia. I need a favor,” she repeats with an exaggerated sigh.
“I’m kinda busy.”
“Aren’t we all.”
God, if you let this be okay, I promise to never complain about being busy again. I won’t complain about laundry or dishes or having to work two jobs. I get it now. I swear. All that matters is that Everleigh gets well. Please. If this is a lesson, I’ve got it loud and clear.
“It’s just ’til next weekend,” she rambles. “Your daddy is going to Atlantic City with some buddies and we just need a few dollars to get there.”
“I—”
“I promise we’ll give it back to you . . .” She goes on, her smoker’s voice crackling at the end of every word.
The door opens again and my eyes find Crew’s immediately. He watches me nervously as he makes his way over.
A wave of relief washes through me and I can’t focus on anything my mom’s saying. All I can do is watch Crew walk across the room towards me. I didn’t know he was coming. I didn’t expect him to come, but I can’t deny the gratefulness I feel seeing him.
“Julia! Are you even paying attention to me?”
“Yes, Ma. I hear you. But I don’t have it. I’m sorry.”
“We’ll pay you back. He’s gonna gamble a bit while he’s there and you know how good he is at Hold ’Em.”
“I just don’t have the money, Ma. I’m kinda going through a lot right now—”
The phone is snatched out of my hands in an instant. I gasp and whip my head to face him.
“Don’t you ever call her and ask her for anything again, do you hear me?” Crew’s eyes are burning holes into mine as he holds the phone to his ear. Heads turn to face us from around the room and I feel my cheeks heat.
I hear her spout off before Crew speaks again. “I don’t give a shit. Call her again and I’ll be knockin’ the fuckin’ door down to your house.” He listens for a minute and laughs, a growl emitting from the bottom of his throat. “Send him over. 1112 Culver Street. It’d make my fuckin’ day.” He pulls the phone back and looks at the screen. The call was ended.
He hands it to me, the vein in his temple throbbing. “She calls you again, you tell me,” he orders. The blues of his eyes are rolling and clouding like a storm.
“It’s my ma, Crew.”
“She’s not your ma, Jules. She’s never done one decent thing for you.”
“What brings you by?” I ask, hoping he’ll let it go.
“I work the night shift tonight, so I wanted to drop by now and see how things were going.”
“They’re just doing a final set of tests and then they’re going to get everything set up for the first round of chemo. I think it starts on Monday.” I sigh, the weight of the world on my shoulders. “We should be able to go home tonight.”
He nods and I know he’s thinking. He glares at the onlookers until they look away. Finally, he says, “I got a call today.”
“Who from?”
“The office manager of your apartment. They said I could either come by next week and pick up the security deposit I made for you when you moved in, or they could mail it to me.” He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. “Since you’re moving and all.”
I sag.
“Where ya goin’?” His tone is too calm. I know there’s a burst of anger floating right behind the words.
I was going to tell him about the move, but I hadn’t gotten around to it. It was a last-minute decision and, quite frankly, he’s not on the top of my priority list.
“You were right,” I say, sadly. “I have to stop fighting everything. I have no idea what I’m facing right now but I was struggling to make it before all this happened.” I hate admitting this out loud, to him, of all people. “I’m so far behind as it is, and things are going to get worse. I just have to consolidate everything and try not to drown. So, we’re moving in with Olivia.”