Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91389 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91389 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Tonight.” He’s closer now. I open my door, but I don’t disappear inside.
“What’s there to say? You want me to stop going into work and I’m not going to do that. Let’s skip the argument, okay?”
“I’m not here to argue. I get it, you don’t want to listen to me.”
“It’s more than that,” I say, getting frustrated, and I turn to explain that it’s about Serena, it’s about our shitty life, it’s about trying to make something better for the two of us—
Instead, the words die on my lips.
“Claudia!” Uncle Rodney’s voice echoes down the hall. He walks toward us, looking glassy-eyed and frustrated. “Where the fuck have you been? I tried calling, and—”
Angelo turns around to stare at my uncle, and I could just about scream. The two men size each other up for a second, and they couldn’t be more different. Uncle Rodney’s shorter, heavier, with an ugly scruffy beard and an alcohol gut, while Angelo’s big and muscular, like he’s cut from diamond.
“Not tonight, Rodney,” I say and step forward before Angelo can do something stupid. “I’m heading inside.”
“We gotta talk.” He ignored Angelo like he’s not there. “I need that money you promised. I got bills to fucking pay, and my goddamn dishwasher broke so I’ve been doing that shit by hand, and I need to get that shit fixed. Where the hell have you been?”
“At work,” I say and hold my palms out at him. “Rodney. This isn’t a good time.”
“Why? You got some fucking boyfriend over? Gonna put out for him tonight, girl? That’s you and your sister’s fucking problem. Always thinking with your goddamn twat.”
I open my mouth but Angelo’s already walking past me. Rodney has enough time to make a squealing, terrified noise before Angelo smashes a fist into my uncle’s face. The old man drops to the floor, groaning in pain and clutching a bloody, likely broken nose, and rolling from side to side.
“Talk to her again like that and I’ll kill you,” Angelo says and he sounds much calmer than I would’ve thought.
“Get in my apartment,” I say, grabbing onto Angelo’s arm. “Just get inside, okay?”
“Who is that guy?”
“It’s my uncle, okay? I lived with him after my parents died and he’s an alcoholic asshole, but he’s still my uncle. Please, just go into my apartment.”
Angelo stares down at Rodney, who’s pushing himself up into a sitting position. His mouth and the front of his shirt are drenched in blood, and he spits more blood onto the carpet.
“I can drag him outside,” Angelo offers.
“Please. Inside.” I squeeze his arm. “I’ll tell you about him later, okay? Just go inside.”
“You’re inviting me over now?” Angelo looks at me. “All I had to do was punch an asshole?”
“Apparently,” I say, frustrated. “Just go, okay?”
Angelo doesn’t look like he wants to move, but he shrugs and walks past me to the open door. It doesn’t shut, and I can practically feel him lurking nearby.
I crouch down in front of Rodney, but I don’t touch him. “I’d be lying if I didn’t enjoy watching you get your face punched,” I say very quietly.
Rodney spits again. “Who the fuck is that? What the fuck is wrong with you, girl? After all I did for you? I took you fucking in, you and your piece-of-shit sister—”
“She told me,” I say, very quietly, but he must hear the rage in my voice. I say it again. “Serena told me what you’ve been doing to her.”
He looks so surprised he doesn’t have an answer. His mouth opens and closes, and more blood spills from his nose.
My hands turn to fists. I want to beat Rodney to death. I want to kick him in the face, again and again, until his skull caves in. The bastard, the sick fucking bastard. “Get up and leave,” I say, whispering, afraid that if I don’t I’ll start screaming in his face. “Don’t ever come back here.”
“I don’t know what your bitch sister told you—”
“Say something bad about Serena again and I’ll call Angelo back out here.”
Rodney’s face pales. “Fuck you. Fuck you both.”
“We trusted you.” My voice trembles and tears fill my eyes. “You were supposed to take care of us, and you did that to her. You did that to my sister.”
“I don’t—” Rodney shoves himself away from me and uses the wall to get to his feet. “I don’t know—” He’s shaking his head and blood flecks splatter all over. “Fuck, I mean, I don’t even—”
He can’t deny it. The sick piece of shit can’t even say he didn’t do it. I stand and face him. “If you come back, Angelo will kill you. Do you understand? I’m going to tell him what you did. Do you know who he is?”
“You’re a liar. Serena’s a liar. I don’t—”
“He’s Angelo Bianco. You know that last name, right?” I feel sick, using Angelo’s family like this, but I hate Rodney so much I can’t help myself. “If you come back, he’ll kill you.”