Page 49 of Unsuitable

He laughs bitterly. “Yeah, I do.”

“So, why see me today? Why let me come?”

He steps closer. “So, I could do to you what you did to me. You left me, Daisy. You fucking left me on my own. And, now, I’m leaving you. I never want to see you again. Do you hear me? As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a sister. You’re as dead to me as Mum and Dad are.”

I feel like I’ve been shot.

Tears fill my eyes. I can’t help them or stop them from running down my cheeks.

Regret flickers in his eyes, but he quickly shuts it down. “I want you to leave.” His voice is low.

“Je-Jesse, please.” I press the heels of my hands to my cheeks to ebb the flow of tears.

“I said, go!”

His anger hits and shakes my body.

I stumble back, moving for the door.

When I reach it, I turn back. Putting strength in my spine and my voice, I say, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m saying it anyway. I’m going now because you asked me to, and I’m respecting your wishes. But I love you, kiddo. I will always love you. I need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to stay. Never again will I leave you. I will do nothing to risk ever being taken away again. I swear that to you.”

I press my hand to my chest. “I let you down, and it will never happen again. I’m going to prove to you that I mean every word. And I’m going to keep coming back every Saturday and knocking on your door until you decide to let me back in. I won’t give up on you—ever.”

“Yeah, well, good luck with that,” he mutters before turning his back on me.

Pain clamps a strong arm over my chest.

It takes everything in me to pull that door open and walk out of it, leaving him standing there.

Fourteen

Alcohol.

The. Best. Invention. Ever.

Wait…was it invented? Or was it just made?

I don’t know.

And, really, who gives a shit?

Not me—that’s who.

All I give a shit about is that it makes the hurt go away.

Away…away…away.

A few drinks…okay, well, more than a few but less than a lot, and I’m no longer hurting over what Jesse said.

Jesse.

See? Even thinking his name doesn’t hurt like it did an hour ago.

Hurt be gone because Daisy Smith is pain-free!

And it’s the best feeling ever!

I mean, why haven’t I been drinking all along? I’ve been feeling shitty for years, and all that time, I could have been drinking the shitty feelings away.