Well, I guess I deserve that.
“Just checking in on her.”
“She’s fine.” He snaps and I get the feeling things aren’t fine.
“I’ll have to drop by her house then.” I shrug and turn to my car.
“Her mother would eat you alive,” he huffs, “and then that would make Ivy worse.”
“Worse how?”
“She has these episodes.” He runs his hand through his hair, “depression hits her hard and she doesn’t want to leave her room.”
“When did that start?”
“When her grandma died and then… Charlotte.” He begins to look uncomfortable.
“I don’t want to cause problems,” I tell him. “I just want to see her.”
“So do I.” He exhales, “she’s my best friend but it’s hard to get through to her right now. We just have to wait it out.”
Fuck that.
“Alright.” I nod. “Your face looks like shit.”
“Thanks.” He grins wide and heads back to his car.
“Neil?” I hear Amelia and turn to see her with the group of mean girls.
“Hey.” I nod at her.
Her friend Vanessa is salivating at the mouth and I have the overwhelming urge to tell her to fuck off.
“What are you doing here?” Amelia asks.
“Need a ride?”
“No, I’m riding with Veronica.” Right, Veronica, not Vanessa.
“Cool.” I turn and open the door. “See you at home.”
“Okay.” She bites her lip and looks slightly worried.
“Everything is fine.”
She nods and the tension leaves her body.
“Is your brother single?” I hear Veronica ask as I’m shutting the door.
Not a chance, bitch.
I hate that Ivy’s house is locked up like Fort Knox. I’ve been parked on the street by her gate for hours and just saw her dad pull in. Maybe I could text Mr. Greene and tell him I have a question about a car, but that sounds stupid.
The gates start to open and I look for the car that’s exiting, only to see a small figure walking to the road. Ivy walks slowly, her hoodie pulled up on her head, and approaches my car. My heart is beating wildly and I’m craving for a look at her face.
She opens the passenger door and slowly sits in the seat, lightly closing the door behind her.
“My family thinks you’re stalking me.” She states quietly, her voice void of any emotion. “We can see you on the cameras.”
Well shit.
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you, I was worried.”
“I’m fine.” Robotic.
“Are you?” I reach out and touch her arm. She pulls away and sucks in a breath.
“I just haven’t been feeling well.”
“Alright,” I pull my hand back and scratch my head. “Did your phone blow up in your face?”
“Nope.” She answers but I see a slight curve on her lips.
“Pity.”
“I’m just not feeling good lately, I need some time to forget.” She whispers.
“Forget what?”
“Forget life.” She turns to open the car door and I stop her with my hand on her arm.
“I’m not asking you to explain to me what’s going on,” I twist a lock of her hair around my finger, “but could you please just answer a text? Once a day?”
“I don’t know where my phone is.” She sounds on the verge of tears. “I think I lost it.”
“In your house?”
“No,” she sucks in a large breath. “At the strip maybe.”
It sounds like a lie but I don’t know which part exactly.
“Okay. I’ll send you a new phone.”
Her eyes finally turn and land on mine, air escapes me when I see the depth of their despair.
“You’re going to buy me a new phone?” She sounds sceptical.
“Mr. Greene works me hard but he pays me really well.” I smile at her.
I get no reaction.
“Just receive the package and answer a text a day.”
“I’ll try.” She whispers, her voice breaking.
Then she gets out of my car and slowly walks back through the gates, the sound of them closing behind her deafening.
What happened after I saw her at the strip? What triggered this?
It’s been a week and I still can’t bear to be around people. Seeing Neil a few days ago almost sent me right back into the black depth I’ve been slowly clawing my way out of.
This would happen every few months in New York and usually after Dean took my punishments to depraved levels. Being pissed on is a new level for me.
I did receive a new phone from Neil yesterday and it’s still sitting on my bed, in its box. I’ve been trying to work myself up to open it and see what his texts say.
“I helped him set it up.” Saxon says at my doorway.
Number one rule of my depressive states… my room door stays open at all times. So, I have no choice but to endure my family.
“It’s replaced your old phone. What happened to the other phone?” He asks.
“Lost it.” My voice croaks from misuse. And all my collection of photos is lost with it. Everything I filed away to remind myself that I made my own choices, gone.
“He’s persistent and I don’t know how much more time you have until he’s banging our front door down.”
Then Saxon leaves my doorway and I hear his door open and shut. Lucky fucker can close his door.
I grab the phone off the top of a pile of textbooks and open the box, my heart picking up speed for the first time this week. Aunt Adri has been dropping off my homework all week and I haven’t even cracked the cover on one textbook.
I pull the phone out and there’s a little folded up piece of paper under it. I unfold it and feel the corners of my mouth twitch.
Don’t waste it, Greene.
I swipe my thumb across the screen and see it has indeed been hooked up to my old number. I have a few messages from Carmelo, Cam, and there’s Neil’s number but the name says, ‘Hotter than Sin’. What a loser.
I open his messages first and the twitching in my lips turns into a small smile. There are three.
Hotter than Sin: This phone cost
