Page 22 of Slide

“Um…”

“Have you done what I asked?”

“Well…”

“I left you several hours ago with strict instructions to call school and sort your shit out. You telling me that hasn’t happened?”

Goddamn it. She needed Hugh to be her brother, her supporter, not her surrogate father, a position he’d taken up after their father had run off when they were just kids. That time had sucked for a lot of reasons, and had been the catalyst for her pursuing a career in child psychology. She didn’t need that from him now, not anymore. “Have you at all stopped to think that maybe that’s not what I want?”

“You don’t know what you want, so I’m gonna be the one that tells you.”

“Hugh—”

“No, Lucy. I’m done with this shit. Get over your damn tantrum and get your ass back to school.”

“My tantrum?” God, his words hurt. They struck like an emotional A-bomb, blowing her wide open. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he thought she was capable of throwing her future away on a whim, but she’d truly thought he knew her better than that, despite her past screw-ups. They also made her angry, angrier than she could ever remember being at Hugh. He could be a stubborn jackass at times, but this? He’d taken his role as father figure way too damn far.

“Whatever’s going on, it’s not a good enough reason to throw your future away…unless, there’s a fuck of a lot more to this than you’re telling me.” His expression softened and he shoved a hand through his hair. “You know you can talk to me, Luce, right?”

Dammit. There he went, getting all concerned again.

“I don’t need to talk. And what I do with my life is not your call.” She was surprised when her voice came out strong and not as shattered as she felt.

Hugh growled. “Me and Joe, we worked our asses off so you could go to the school you wanted, but apparently that means jack shit to you, seeing how easily you can toss it all aside.” He shoved a giant hand through his hair again, then pinned her in place with a look that made her want to cry. When he spoke again his voice was softer, and it was way worse than having him yell at her. “I’m disappointed in you, Lucy. Seriously fucking disappointed.”

Her eyes stung like hell, but she choked back the tears. “I appreciate everything you and Joe have done for me, the sacrifices you made for the family, but this is my life, Hugh. I have to do what’s right for me.” She grabbed a bag and started throwing clothes in. “I’ll pay you back, okay? Every goddamn cent.”

“Yeah? And how’re you gonna do that?”

She couldn’t look at him again, afraid she’d break and spill all her secrets. That wouldn’t solve anything. Would only make things a whole lot worse. “I’ll find a way…I…”

“When are you going to grow up, Lucy?”

That verbal blow had enough power to knock her on her ass. It took all her strength not to curl into a ball on the floor and never get up.

He paused for several seconds. “Look, I know I’ve already asked you this, but I’m going to ask you again. You said that fucker Daniel transferred to another school, but he’s still in San Francisco, right? Is that it, is it him? Is that what this is really about?”

She spun to face him. “No!” she said with too much force. But, God, she needed him to stop bring Daniel up. It was getting harder and harder to lie to him.

Hugh went from sympathetic to pissed in an instant. “Fine, then you need to stop with this fucking around. This shit is getting old.”

“And I’m done answering to you. You’ve made your feelings more than clear, but this is my damn life and I want you to keep the hell out of it.”

“That right? You want me out of your life?” He grunted. “Look who can’t handle a few home truths, huh, Luce?”

“Are you finished? I have places to go and tequila to drink.” Dumb. So dumb, poking the bear. But she was done. So damn done.

Hugh shifted his big frame, jaw like granite. “If that’s how you feel, you keep packing your shit. I’m not paying for you to fuck around anymore.”

“Awesome.” She carried on stuffing clothes in her bag, shoving in her favorite jeans. That’s when her knuckles brushed her little book in the bottom, the book she’d read until the spine was worn. She’d found it at thrift a shop when she was a kid. It had started her love of poetry. Just holding it made her feel safe, reminded her of a time when she could count on her brothers, especially Hugh, to be there for her.

Her heart started to ache. God, she needed that from him now.

The door opened and slammed behind Hugh, and she heard the sound of his heavy footfalls on the steps as he walked away. His truck started in the parking lot and he tore off a second later.

Lucy slumped down on the bed, covering her face with her hands as tears started to fall. Everything was such a damn mess. She didn’t know where she was going to go, but she needed to get away, needed space to breathe. Right now Hugh would be on the phone to Joe and it would only be a matter of time before he arrived to pick up where their older brother had left off. The pair pissed each other off at times, but they happily stuck together when it came to her, their irresponsible, out-of-control little sister.

Her sadness twisted into anger, and the urge to prove them right was a constant niggling tingle between her shoulder blades.