Young Love Dies Hard: The Young Brothers, Book 1 by Nikki Lane (old books to read txt) 📗

net. I had no net. I was net-less. Flying through life, hoping I didn’t lose my grip and hit the ground with a splat. A minimum wage-paying job wasn’t going to cut it. I had food, rent, and school to pay for. I’d been sending money to Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim for Kasey ever since I’d become her legal guardian. School stuff, asthma medication, doctor’s visits—all of it. Money had always been tight with them, even when I was living under their roof. I felt obligated to earn my share and contribute what I could, especially these last few months when the farm had really fallen into some serious trouble.

“Money isn’t everything,” Jacob said.

“Said the guy who never had to worry about money before.”

He glanced over at me, one hand on the steering wheel. “Are you calling me spoiled?”

I thought of a delicate way to say it. He always had a new wardrobe every school year, but he wasn’t afraid to work hard or get his hands dirty. “I’d consider privileged a better word.”

He shook his head and made the final turn down the dirt driveway. Immediately, I noticed that Uncle Jim’s truck wasn’t there. Instead, there was a beat up four-door I didn’t recognize.

“Who could that be?” Jacob asked.

“I have no idea.”

Jack barked near the barn but didn’t come running to greet us. He was probably in his pen, which meant nobody was home.

Jacob held the screen door open while I used my key to open the door.

“Hello?” I cried after stepping inside.

The house was still. Everything in the kitchen was in order, just how Aunt Meg always kept it. I shrugged as Jacob walked in after me and headed toward his room.

“I’m just going to grab some stuff.”

I leaned against the kitchen counter, a little disappointed that nobody was home. I was really looking forward to the look on Kasey’s face. I pulled out my phone to keep myself busy as I waited for Jacob, when the stairs creaked. I froze, a little terrified someone was upstairs when the house was supposed to be empty. I opened my mouth to call Jacob when I caught a glimpse of who was making their way downstairs.

The words shriveled in my mouth like bitter raisins.

She stopped when she saw me; her mouth was parted and one hand rested on the banister.

I sat straight up, the surge of blood pressure making me dizzy. “What the hell are you doing here?”

It looked like she wasn’t sure whether she should come closer or stay where she was.

“Maeve…I didn’t know you were going to be here.” She walked the rest of the way and stopped at the threshold of the kitchen. “Your aunt and uncle didn’t mention you were stopping by.”

Her hair was grayer, and the familiar yellowing of a faded bruised shaded her slightly swollen eye. That bastard. He only managed to do one good thing his entire life and that was let me go live with Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim. I couldn’t take it at home anymore. Couldn’t take the muffled screaming and crashing furniture in the next room while I held my ear to the wall and listened to the threats he hurled at her as she cried out for him to stop.

“What the hell are you doing here, Mom?”

She held on to one of the kitchen chairs, like it was the only thing from keeping her vertical. “I’m staying with Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim for a bit.”

I squinted my eyes. “What? Why?”

I could see Jacob rounding the corner, his mouth opened to talk. But he stopped when he noticed I wasn’t alone. Mom turned to look at him.

“Jacob, look how much you’ve grown.”

He gave a short wave. “Hi, Mrs. Miller.”

“Why are you here?” I shouted. Both of their gazes cut to me. “You need to leave. You don’t belong here.”

“I left him, Maeve. And I had—”

I scoffed. “So, you come here? You finally decided to leave, and you come here?”

“I have nowhere else to go.”

“No! I have nowhere else to go.” She couldn’t breach my safe haven. I couldn’t allow it. What would happen when he decided to come after her, which we both knew was going to happen.

“I understand that you’re—”

“You don’t get to say that you understand.”

Jacob didn’t move. And I knew it was because he’d been through this with me before. He knew the drill—don’t ever leave me alone with them.

“Where’s Kasey? Did you leave her with him?”

“She was upset and went to Riley’s. If you would just let me explain.” She took a few steps closer to me, but I recoiled closer to the door. She stopped, probably sensing my hesitation. “I know you’re upset but—

I held up two hands to block her words, her energy, whatever was making me feel like I was drowning. Guilt stabbed at me. I hadn’t been there for Kasey. When she needed me the most. I thought about how terrified I had been all those times I’d witnessed a fight between our parents. It crushed me to think she was feeling the same way.

“I watched him beat you to a pulp. Until your eyes were so swollen you couldn’t see. And then listened as you defended him. Like…like it was your fault. I sat in my room, night after night, afraid—terrified—that you were going to die. So, yeah, I’m a little upset.”

“I left, Maeve. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”

“So what?” I shrieked. “You think that makes everything okay? That—that I can just forget about everything’s that happened?” I closed my eyes, trying to center myself in the room. A memory of my mother’s head being plunged into the toilet by my father’s hand sliced through me.

I shook my head and stomped to the door. She called after me, but I ignored it. I promised myself the day I moved into Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim’s for good that I was done worrying about a situation I couldn’t control. I couldn’t fix it. And I had to stop