Page 107 of Worth the Fall
“Then Ally took me down the hall. I wasn’t sure what she wanted; all I wanted to do was get the heck out of there,” he admitted. “Her mom was yelling that if we didn’t leave, she’d call the cops, and Ally said that if Ida did call the cops, Ally would tell them about all the heroin she found.”
The whole family had a physical reaction to that.
“I never saw the drugs, but I knew without a doubt her mom was on somethin’,” Colton went on. “We went to a bedroom, and she went to the closet to grab somethin’. I stood behind her and watched the door, like a guard dog, in case her mom came in, but she never did. Ally found a box, and I took it to carry it outside.” He looked exhausted as he rubbed his face.
I wanted to apologize for putting him through all this right before a ride.
“Ally followed me out of the room, and her mom grabbed her arm. Ally told Ida not to touch her, orshewas gonna call the cops. Ida asked again and again for money, but Ally refused. She said she couldn’t give her the money to fuel an addiction. So Ida freaked out and shoved her a couple of times.”
Once again, the family physically reacted to the story. Dean and Alan shared a look while Dennis grabbed Jo’s handand gave it a little squeeze. Jimmy shook his head in disgust.
“I dropped the box and…” his voice was starting to shake, “…I grabbed Ida’s hands and put them against the wall, holdin’ her back from tryin’ to go after Ally again. Ally got up, grabbed the box, and got out of there.” As soon as he finished his sentence, he dropped his head in his hands. His shoulders were shaking.
My heart crumpled as I watched Colton sob.
Should I go out and comfort him?
I didn’t need to.
Jo, Dennis, Alan, Dean, and Jimmy were on him in an instant, like a family huddle; they held him as he cried.
“How cou-” Colton sobbed, “how could anyone treat her like that?”
Now it was my turn for a physical reaction-I sat up in surprise.
He was crying because of howIwas treated? I thought he was upset because my mother had yelled outrageous things, and he had to hold her back while I ran to the truck.
“She’s got us now,” Jo said, wiping her son’s tears with her thumb. “We’re going to take care of her.”
I lay back in bed, not wanting to eavesdrop on them any more than I already had. I wanted to erase the last twenty-four hours and try again. This time, I wouldn’t bother going to my mother’s house. I would be the polite guest that the Nash family had invited on their road trip. I’d keep my head down and do my job.
How awkward was tomorrow morning going to be?
I lay in the darkness, trying to get my thoughts to settle forwhat felt like an hour, when I suddenly heard the curtain slide open. I lifted my head.
Colton’s silhouette was standing in the hallway.
“Hi,” I whispered, clicking the lamp on.
“Hi,” he whispered back, his bright green eyes puffy and bloodshot.
We stared at each other, neither of us knowing exactly where to start.
“Hey! Sorry I dragged you to my mother’s house, which by the way I forgot to tell you, she’s a drug addict, and I’ve been accidentally fueling her addiction for years!”
“I’m surprised you’re awake,” he said, the corner of his lips tugging at a smile. “You wereout.” He took another step in the room and closed the curtain behind him, as if that would prevent Jimmy from hearing our entire conversation.
I patted the spot beside me.
He almost smiled again and walked all the way into the room, sitting on the empty side of the bed. He was staring at me, as if he was ready for me to break down all over again.
“Colton…”
His eyes lowered to mine. “I’m so sorry, Ally.”
I sighed. “If you apologize one more time, I think I’m gonna lose it,” I said with a teasing tone. “I need you to stop blaming yourself for whatmymother did!”
It was painfully obvious what a beautiful childhood Colton was blessed with, especially now. He had two parents who adored him and three brothers who had loved him no matter what. He’d had a passion, and his entire family encouraged him to follow his dreams. He had no idea how to react to such anugly scene from someone so close to me.
