Page 21 of Our Crooked Hearts
CHAPTER TEN
The suburbs
Right now
I wheeled up the drive to find my brother sitting in the sun, rolling a joint. He squinted at me.
“Your mouth looks better. I thought you were grounded, though.”
I dropped my bike by the garage. “Whatever. You get away with so much worse.”
Hank shrugged, likeYeah, I do.“Dad told me what happened with your King Shit boyfriend. Need me to do something?”
“Ex-boyfriend. And definitely not.”
“Just call me next time, dumbass. If you need a ride.”
“Fine, but you better answer when I do.” I sat beside him. “So. Hank.”
“So. Ivy.”
“I know you don’t want to. Like, ever. But we need to talk about Mom.”
He kept his eyes on his work. “That’s actually the last thing we need to do.”
“I’m serious,” I persisted. “Something’s going on with her. You haven’t talked to her lately, have you?”
“Talked? To Mom? That’s funny.”
Their rocky relationship was a scab I tried not to pick. Usually. “Listen to me. Last night I saw her burying something in the backyard. So I dug it up.”
He took a beat. “Yeah?”
“It was a jar ofblood.And broken glass. And blood! I mean, what the hell?”
“Was it a full moon last night?”
My heart sped up. “I’m not sure. I don’t think so. Why?”
“That’s totally the kind of thing a New Age white lady does under a full moon. It’s probably some prosperity thing she read in a book.”
That was so annoyingly plausible I got out my phone and pulled up the dead rabbit. “Fine, except someone leftthison our driveway the other day. And I was just at the shop. It’s closed for no reason, and I’m pretty sure someone left another rabbit on the floor.”
He glanced at my screen, then twisted away. “Ugh, who takes aphotoof that? I know about the rabbit, I saw Dad hosing down the drive. That child of the corn probably left it, whatshisname who lives in the blue house.”
“Peter.”
“Right. Peter. But if you’re worried, talk to Aunt Fee.”
“I texted her. She’s gonna call me later.”
“Good.” He watched me for a second, eyes clouded. Then he shook his head. “She’ll tell you if things aren’t okay. Mom wouldn’t, but she will.”
“I guess,” I said, and hesitated. Tell him about the safe in the closet, yes or no?
Not yet, I decided. He’d want to break in again, see for himself. Or he’d underplay it completely. Either way I’d end up annoyed.
Hank held up the joint he’d finished rolling. “You want?”
