Page 72 of Detour

Coty’s hand reaches out but I shrug it off, shuffling forward.

“Bravo, Mother. I see you’ve been working on your insults.” If only her accuracy hadn’t improved as well. “How did you even find me?”

Rianne waves a hand. “I followed you after school, it wasn’t that hard. I had no idea you were shacking up with three grown men though. I see you’ve managed to learn something under my care after all.”

“I don’t live with them! They mean nothing to me!” She’s picking at the frayed edges of my sanity, the fibers unraveling the more she tugs.

I hear a murmured “what the hell?” through the pounding in my head.

“I didn’t want you to know where I moved because of you. And nothing else. I refuse to be near your toxic bullshit anymore. Look at you.” I gesture at her. “You think I want to be around this?”

“Oh, please. Like I’m the problem here.” She steps closer, getting in my face and I hear three pairs of feet surge forward as she hisses, “Do they know what you are?”

“Leave them out of it. They’re off-limits,” I grit out.

The moment her eyes flash with victory I know I fucked up. I just revealed the card I’d been holding close to my chest and her triumphant smirk tells me she knows it.

“What are you doing here, Rianne?”

Both our heads jerk at Drew’s voice but, she moves first, pretending to examine her hand.

“Ooh, Andrew. What a surprise. You always were jumping to be the hero,” she says to her nails, then raises her eyes. “Tell me, when will you ever stop pining for Ang? From the looks of things,” her gaze flicks over my shoulder, “you’ve been replaced.”

With a growl, I lunge forward. Unfortunately, someone catches me from behind before I can make contact. I push out of Coty’s arms, fighting to stay rooted.

“You shouldn’t be here. Or are you all out of victims to scam so you came back for the low hanging fruit?”

“Drew,” I warn, but he keeps going as he walks over to stand next to me.

“Aren’t Angela’s checks enough?”

“Andrew! Stop.”

A peek past my shoulder reveals three sets of eyes glued to the scene, all varying degrees of interest. Coty’s hard gaze flits between Drew and Rianne, then lands on mine softening significantly. Beckett’s curious stare touches everyone, never staying too long before moving onto the next. And Marc’s full on glaring daggers, not giving a damn who gets cut.

Beckett steps forward, asking quietly, “You okay, Angie?”

The sympathy in his voice clogs mine. They were never supposed to see this. I shake my head at him, turning to Drew.

“Can you get me out of here? Please.”

“Angela, don’t.” Coty’s touch burns my elbow and I twist from his hold.

Unable to meet anyone’s eyes, I keep mine lowered. “I have to go.”

Drew on my heels, we start toward his car.

“You owe me! Don’t you forget it. That debt will never be cleared.”

Bright red coats my vision as I spin to face my mother again. “I already told you, you want it? Come and fucking get it! Nobody regrets you having me more than me.”

A collective grumble catches my notice just before I duck into Drew’s Acura. Without looking back, we speed off. Away from the only place that’s ever felt safe. Away from the people that were starting to feel like family. Away from him. Away from home.

CHAPTER 25

Coty

I step in front of Angela’s ranting mother, cutting her off amidst her pitiful glower. I face her, making sure she stays put, even though everything in my body is screaming to go after Angela myself. Her last words ring in my head on repeat. She doesn’t really mean that, right?