must doze off like that because the next thing I know, there is darkness outside the window, I have a terrible crick in my neck and there's an aide in the room, bustling about. She's making a tremendous racket. If I didn't know better, I would think she was trying to wake me up.
"Oh, I must have fallen asleep. Sorry."
"Are you Simon's ... daughter?"
"Yeah. I'm Sadie."
"I didn't realize he has two daughters. I've met your sister before."
Even thinking about her makes me bristle. "Oh, what? On Christmas or Easter when my mom forces her to visit?"
"Yeah, it was a holiday I think. But I don't recall ever seeing you here." Her tone is snooty and judgmental.
I do not need to justify myself to this woman. Not at all. But you bet your ass I'm going to. "That's because I leave the holidays and the weekends to the family who doesn't give a shit and only comes around when my mom forces them. I'm here every day during the week, so you can check your attitude."
"Well, you don't have to get nasty with me. We do have the right to ask you to leave."
"Who is the nurse supervisor today? Tonight? Whenever it is? Who's on now?"
She stiffens. "Margot."
I smile. Margot is one of my favorites. She makes the best Christmas cookies. The last two years, I've been in a cookie swap with her.
I stand up and head toward the door. "Dad, I'll be right back."
The aide starts running after me. "Now, I don't think we need to involve Margot in this, do we?"
I turn and look at her. "Your words have consequences. Don't use them if you can't pay the piper."
I turn back into my dad's room and resume my place by the bed. I didn't need to snap at her like that, but she didn't need to threaten me either. Just the mention of my sister and the implication that Jenna is here more than I am really got to me. Today of all days. I put the TV on and resume a matching catatonic state with my dad.
A little before nine, my mother comes racing in, hair frazzled and coat misbuttoned. "I should have known you would be here."
I just look at her. I can't even summon up the energy to speak to her.
"I've been calling your phone over and over."
I shrug. It occurs to me that I haven't heard my phone ring. "I must have left it in the car."
"But this was important. Your sister has been in a serious accident."
"I'm aware," I say dully.
My mother stares at me, waiting for more. "Don't you want to know more?"
I snap. "Yes, Mother. Tell me more. Tell me about how I go away on a romantic weekend with my boyfriend. I think it's odd that he wants to take separate cars but whatever. I think he might be getting things set up to propose, so who am I to question his actions. But then, he freaks out over a bat and leaves me there alone. He doesn't offer to bring me back with him. Nope, he splits, deserting me on Valentine's Day. I find out today that he was killed in an accident. And that in the accident with him was my sister. Now unless she teleported into the car at the last second, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear any of it. I'm here with Dad, and this is where I want to be."
"I know this must be uncomfortable for you, but you know how much trouble Jenna has handling difficult situations like this. Do you know how hard she is taking this? Rob died . In her arms. Think about how traumatic that's got to be for her."
That's it. I snap. Jumping up, I grab my mom's arm and drag her out of the room. "I'm not doing this in front of Dad." I drag her down the hall and through the front doors. We're in the parking lot, and I don't even notice the cold as I start lighting into her.
"Do not even try to defend her." I wave my finger, and my mother's open mouth snaps shut. "You have given Jenna every single get-out-of-jail-free card that exists. You have made excuses for her her entire life. You wanna know what the issue is? She's a spoiled brat. You wanna know why? You." I point my finger directly at my mom's chest. "You have never held her accountable or responsible for
"Oh, I must have fallen asleep. Sorry."
"Are you Simon's ... daughter?"
"Yeah. I'm Sadie."
"I didn't realize he has two daughters. I've met your sister before."
Even thinking about her makes me bristle. "Oh, what? On Christmas or Easter when my mom forces her to visit?"
"Yeah, it was a holiday I think. But I don't recall ever seeing you here." Her tone is snooty and judgmental.
I do not need to justify myself to this woman. Not at all. But you bet your ass I'm going to. "That's because I leave the holidays and the weekends to the family who doesn't give a shit and only comes around when my mom forces them. I'm here every day during the week, so you can check your attitude."
"Well, you don't have to get nasty with me. We do have the right to ask you to leave."
"Who is the nurse supervisor today? Tonight? Whenever it is? Who's on now?"
She stiffens. "Margot."
I smile. Margot is one of my favorites. She makes the best Christmas cookies. The last two years, I've been in a cookie swap with her.
I stand up and head toward the door. "Dad, I'll be right back."
The aide starts running after me. "Now, I don't think we need to involve Margot in this, do we?"
I turn and look at her. "Your words have consequences. Don't use them if you can't pay the piper."
I turn back into my dad's room and resume my place by the bed. I didn't need to snap at her like that, but she didn't need to threaten me either. Just the mention of my sister and the implication that Jenna is here more than I am really got to me. Today of all days. I put the TV on and resume a matching catatonic state with my dad.
A little before nine, my mother comes racing in, hair frazzled and coat misbuttoned. "I should have known you would be here."
I just look at her. I can't even summon up the energy to speak to her.
"I've been calling your phone over and over."
I shrug. It occurs to me that I haven't heard my phone ring. "I must have left it in the car."
"But this was important. Your sister has been in a serious accident."
"I'm aware," I say dully.
My mother stares at me, waiting for more. "Don't you want to know more?"
I snap. "Yes, Mother. Tell me more. Tell me about how I go away on a romantic weekend with my boyfriend. I think it's odd that he wants to take separate cars but whatever. I think he might be getting things set up to propose, so who am I to question his actions. But then, he freaks out over a bat and leaves me there alone. He doesn't offer to bring me back with him. Nope, he splits, deserting me on Valentine's Day. I find out today that he was killed in an accident. And that in the accident with him was my sister. Now unless she teleported into the car at the last second, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear any of it. I'm here with Dad, and this is where I want to be."
"I know this must be uncomfortable for you, but you know how much trouble Jenna has handling difficult situations like this. Do you know how hard she is taking this? Rob died . In her arms. Think about how traumatic that's got to be for her."
That's it. I snap. Jumping up, I grab my mom's arm and drag her out of the room. "I'm not doing this in front of Dad." I drag her down the hall and through the front doors. We're in the parking lot, and I don't even notice the cold as I start lighting into her.
"Do not even try to defend her." I wave my finger, and my mother's open mouth snaps shut. "You have given Jenna every single get-out-of-jail-free card that exists. You have made excuses for her her entire life. You wanna know what the issue is? She's a spoiled brat. You wanna know why? You." I point my finger directly at my mom's chest. "You have never held her accountable or responsible for
Similar Books
Billionaire Baby Bump: Pregnancy Romance (A Billionaire BWWM Romance HAH Book 9)
BWWM Club, J A Fielding
![Their Mating Illusion [Paranormal Protection Unit 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)](https://fs.collectorofbookboyfriends.com/515914/thumbs/152x264/their-mating-illusion-paranormal-protection-unit-2-siren-publishing-classic.png)
