“Yeah.” I get into the driver’s seat.
He gets into the passenger side and whistles. “This is fully loaded. Did you get the extra large display, too?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you say anything else besides ‘yeah’?”
I shrug and roll my eyes, “yeah.”
“Okay…” he turns his head and looks out the window. Hopefully, he just stays quiet and lets me think for a bit. I hate that I’m bringing him to a house that could be upside down right now but I had no other choice. I didn’t want him to feel like a prisoner in that house any longer. I turn on the music and Who’s with me by USS fills the car. I’m surprised to see Emmett start singing along and bumping his head. I’ve only heard hip hop coming from his room.
“I see you looking at me.” He turns and grins at me, “I like all music. Don’t look so surprised.”
“Do you really want to leave New York and live here? Isn’t that a huge change for you?” I ask him.
“It is a huge change, but I want to be where Ember is.” He shrugs his shoulders. I get this twinge of jealousy in my stomach and immediately try to dispel it. Vin and I haven’t had the best relationship but for the past two weeks, we have both been putting forth the effort, I just hope that eventually I will have a brother like Emmett.
“I made out with Ember on her first day at Precious Blood Academy.” I smirk.
“Really?” His nose crinkles.
“Yeah,” I shrug, “she’s hot.”
“You think my sister is hot?”
“Yeah, but don’t tell Vin or anything. He’s irrational when it comes to her.” I chuckle.
“So, you think I’m hot then.” I swerve the car as I turn my head to look at him.
“What?”
“Well, we’re identical, if you think she’s hot then you must think I’m hot.”
“I think you’re annoying.” I huff out.
“So, I’m hot and annoying. I’ll take it.” He says while chuckling.
Thank God we pull onto my street because I am about to throw his ass out of my car, E’s twin or not. The gate to my driveway is open and that can only mean my mother has been walking the streets again. I start to get that familiar twinge of guilt but I tamper it down. Vin and Ember are right, I’m supposed to be her responsibility and not the other way around.
“You live here?” Emmett’s voice fills with wonder as my house comes into view.
“This was never a home,” I grumble, “just a place to sleep and eat.”
“I know that feeling,” he nods. “I have a home now with Ember, you do too.”
I know he’s right, I do have a home with Vin and Ember and they are more my family than my own mother but I don’t bother to answer as I park the Civic in front of a large pile of clothes. This time, it looks like mine. “Stay here, I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Sure.” He shrugs as he looks through his phone.
I walk up to the front door and it’s wide open. I look around the foyer and hear footsteps rushing towards me.
“Mister Travis?” Sonja says as she rounds the corner.
“Yeah,” I answer on an exhale.
“I am just going out to grab those clothes.” She holds up a few garbage bags.
“It’s fine, I’ll do it. I came to get more stuff anyways.” I take the bags from her. “How has she been?”
“Oh, everything is just fine here, Mister Travis.” She waves me off, “you don’t worry.”
“It’s Travis, Sonja.” I shake my head, “and things don’t look so fine.” I gesture towards my clothes on the driveway.
“It does not matter, she just get a little angry. You are in much better place and with your brother, yes?”
“I am in his girlfriend’s house, but yes, Vincent is there a lot.”
“That all that matter, you make good with your brother and continue school.”
I nod and start up the stairs to check out the state of my room. I can only imagine she trashed it in a drunken stupor.
“She is sleeping, maybe you be quick and leave before she get up.” Sonja calls after me. She’s the only one that knows what I went through as a child in this loveless home.
My room is a fucking mess, she even found the strength to flip my extra thick king-sized mattress. I walk around the room and gather some clothes she didn’t throw over my balcony and my baseball gear that she surprisingly left untouched in my closet. My balcony has some clothes strewn around and a few of my books as well. I love my literature and all the classics. I pick up the books and pack them inside one of the bags and head back downstairs.
I find Emmett and Sonja in the driveway picking up my clothes and packing them into the garbage bags. I’m all of a sudden hit with shame as I watch Emmett conversing with Sonja. Now he knows just how fucked up living here was and he has to help me pick up the clothes my own mother threw everywhere.
I walk up to them and quickly stuff the last few items into one of my bags and start throwing them all into the backseat of my car. I turn back to see them both watching me with similar looks of pity. “Let’s go,” I say to Emmett and then I look to Sonja, “call me if you need anything or if she gets out of hand.” She nods and pats my back.
“Who have you got there with you? Isn’t he just gorgeous?” I hear her rough rasp from the front door and my heart goes into overdrive. This is what I wanted Emmett not to see. “Is he your boyfriend? Your father always said you were a little faggot.”
“Get inside.” I fume at her as I round to the driver’s side of my car, “and sleep it off.”
“Don’t bother
