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his broken frame. I bit my bottom lip and fought against the urge to curl up beside him and attempt to make him feel better while I cleaned up his cuts and iced his bruises like I always had in the past. With a sigh, I closed the door and walked through the dark back to my house.
     
     

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
     
    NICK
     
    I hated having her see me like this. That was the only reason I’d sent her away. Because it wasn’t supposed to be this way this time. Things were supposed to be different. I wasn’t supposed to get my ass kicked; I was supposed to be doing the ass kicking. Why had she even bothered to check on me? This was what I thought about while I finished off my dad’s bottle of rum.
     
    ~
     
    Bright light filtered in through the cracks and holes in the mangled old shed. I sat up straighter and rolled my neck in an attempt to get the kinks out. It wasn’t helping. My head pounded and even the slight noise from the radio I’d left on was too loud to my ears. Areas of my face felt swollen and pulsated with pain. The night came crashing back to me and I tensed up, wondering if my father was still here. Had mom kicked him out? Was she planning to? If not, then would I be sent back to live with Aunt Christine and Uncle Ron?
    I stood and only wobbled slightly as I made my way through the dented green door. My dad’s car was the first thing I noticed as I started toward my house. Shit. She was letting him stay. I had no doubt about it now.
    “Morning, honey,” mom said in a cheery tone as I stumbled through the door.
    I squinted my eyes and glanced around the living room for her. She wasn’t even there. Was I hearing stuff now, too?
    “I’m in the kitchen,” mom called, almost as though she were in my head or I had spoken my question out loud. “I’m making you some breakfast. Hungry?”
    Saliva pooled in my mouth, but not in a good way, at the thought of food. “Nah.”
    She stepped around the corner and smiled at me. “Okay.” Her smiled faded. “Listen, we need to talk about last night.”
    Great, here we go. She was going to tell me I had to go back. I guess I should be glad I didn’t have that much shit to pack. “About?”
    I walked to the couch and flopped down. Mom sat at the edge and shifted her body toward me.
    “Your father, he was real depressed last night and that’s why he started drinking.” She stopped talking and glanced down at her twiddling fingers.
    “Maybe we should have him committed because it seems to me he’s been drinking like that my whole life. If he’s doing it because he’s depressed all the time, then he should get some freaking help,” I muttered in an irritated tone while I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands.
    “Nick, I’m not taking him back if that’s what you’re thinking. The only reason his car is still here is because he passed out in it last night.”
    Relief burst through me and the tension I’d been carrying in my shoulders released. “Want me to wake him? I’ll tell him to leave.”
    A smile formed on her face due to my enthusiasm. “No, I want you to clean yourself up; you stink like alcohol. Then, if you feel up to it, go to school. If you don’t want to go in today,” she paused and gestured to my face, “for obvious reasons, then you don’t have to. I’ll take care of your father.”
    I’d forgotten all about school. It had been the last thing on my mind when I’d woken. I hated to miss the second day, but what choice did I have? I glanced at the clock by the front door—10:15. I was already super freaking late anyway, might as well stay home. “I’ll get cleaned up, but I don’t think I’m going to school today.”
    Mom nodded. “That’s fine for today, but don’t think you’re going to make a habit of it.”
    “I won’t,” I said, before standing and heading to the bathroom for a shower.
     
     

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     
    JULIE
     
    Music blared from Emily’s speakers— Papa Roach . I was too lost in my thoughts to