Broken Wings by V. C. Andrews

get back, I thought.
    When I entered, I didn’t see him or anyone else for a few moments. Then I heard, “Hey?”
    He was sitting back on what was once an easy chair but now had no legs. Its stuffing leaked out of the torn arms.
    “What are you doing here? Where’s Charlotte Lily?” he asked.
    “She’s home. I was hoping you could tell me how I can get back to my apartment.”
    He sat up quickly.
    “You just left her.”
    “You can say that,” I said, and he smiled.
    “What happened?”
    “One of her college boyfriends thought I was going to be his good time tonight.”
    His smile widened.
    “C’mon,” he said, standing. “I’ll take you back in Izzy’s pickup.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” I said.
    “I’m not doing it because I have to,” he replied.

     
5
Sinking Deeper into the Dark
     

    A hate being dishonest with someone who bares his soul so willingly and is so trusting with his emotions, but Mother darling’s fears and dreams weighed heavily on my mind, and I was afraid she would think I had betrayed her if I told the truth. Keefer just started to talk frankly about himself. It was as if he had not found anyone to talk to before he met me.
    “My daddy drinks a lot,” he began. “And he gets real mean when he’s drunk. I have a scar on my right leg from the time he hit me with the broken end of a beer bottle. He threw it across the room. I was about seven.”
    “What about your mother?”
    “She’s what they call a manic depressive. Ever hear of that?”
    I shook my head.
    “She goes up and down. Sometimes she gets so depressed she won’t come out of her bedroom all day, not even to eat. Can’t blame her, being married to him.”
    “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
    “I have a sister, Sally Jean, but she ran off with her boyfriend about two years ago. She had good reason to get away from my father, even better reason than I have,” he said, his eyes growing small and dark. “She’s out in Texas and once in a while, she sends me a postcard. One of these days, I might join her,” he added wistfully. Then he turned to me and said, “I’m one who knows it’s not easy to be on your own, so I can appreciate what you and your sister have been going through. I hope she does well here.”
    “Thank you,” I said in a small voice. Guilt made me feel like I was taking a bath in dirty old engine oil.
    “But just know that Nashville’s so full of people dreaming of stardom, you can smell fantasy in the air,” he warned.
    We were both quiet until he turned into the apartment complex.
    “The apartment seemed farther by bus,” I said.
    “Yeah, with the stops and all, it would.”
    “Thank you very much,” I told him after opening the door.
    “No problem. Next time you’re downtown, stop by if you want. I’ll show you how to pull a ding out of a car door.”
    I laughed and got out slowly. He waved and then shifted and backed up. I watched him drive off before heading for the stairs to the upstairs apartments. It was nearly twelve-thirty and I was anticipating Mother darling’s rage. Instead, I was surprised to find no one home and even more surprised to find the door unlocked. Was it just that there was nothing here anyone would want to steal?
    At least I had the bathroom to myself for a while. Afterward, I got into bed and realized the sheets and the blanket smelled like they’d been made in a cigarette factory. The stench nearly choked me. I decided to put my clothes back on and not use the blanket. I put one of my skirts over the pillow and finally, after tossing and turning for an hour, fell asleep, only to be awakened by the sound of laughter. It was just Mother darling and Cory, but they made enough noise for a half-dozen people. I heard Cory say, “Told you this would be easier here.”
    “I’d better check on Robin and be sure she’s come home,” Mother darling told him.
    I decided to pretend I was in a deep sleep. She opened the door and stood there so