"Let her faults rest with her, none of us know the full story, and you're doing more damage than good, okay?" I pull her in for a hug and pat her back.
She's young and still carrying feelings that feel like the end of the world, I don't want her getting older with regret in her heart.
"Thanks, Ivy." She whispers and pulls away, "I'll try."
That's all I can ask for.
It's been nearly three years since I've driven to this house and it strikes me how close it is to Molly's house. Adam Van Dyke the rapist lives a street over from Rodney and Shay Jones. Being here is creeping me out way more now.
Amelia let me know that Neil called in sick today and was still in bed when she left the house this morning. I know Shay isn't home because she owns the only gym in Whitsborough. I'm sitting in the Jones' driveway, trying to muster the nerve to get out of this vehicle, and knock on his front door. I know he's home, his car is here.
I take a deep breath and hop out quickly before I can change my mind, jogging up to his porch. I ring the doorbell and wait. It takes the guy five minutes to get to the door and when he opens it, he looks like utter shit.
"You really are sick." My eyes rove all over his face.
He cracks a ghost of a smile and leans into the door, "you worried about me, Ivy Greene?"
"Yes." I go with honesty, "and hungry so I ordered a meat lover's pizza and a Hawaiian because anyone capable of eating that much meat on a pizza is a psychopath."
His thick arm reaches up and grips the top of his head as he laughs, his shirt riding up, revealing his abs.
"Come in then." He opens the door wider, "I'm glad you're here."
"I skipped classes today for you." I slip off my shoes, "you better be glad."
He chuckles again and then stops abruptly to haul me into his arms. He tightens his arms around my shoulders and his nose hits my hair, inhaling deep. I stand completely still for a second, waiting to see if my anxiety will rush me at his touch, and then relax when it doesn't, wrapping my arms around his waist.
"I'm not sick." He whispers.
"I know."
"How do you know?" He asks, his chin moving against the crown of my head.
"Because I looked the same way when I was grieving your sister."
He tenses for a second and then I feel him nod, "only you didn't have someone to order you pizza and check up on you."
"No." I agree.
I didn't, I was stuck in a boarding school, being ridiculed everyday, and enduring abuse a few times a week. I certainly didn't get pizza.
He presses his lips to my forehead and any lingering doubts about my anxiety disappear when I feel my chest warming up to him. His touch doesn't freak me out and his scent makes me feel safe and protected.
"I brought a list of movies, I assume you have Netflix?"
Once again his head tips back, his laugh loud in the empty house, and he leads me into his family room. "Yeah, we have Netflix."
We've watched Mean Girls, Hocus Pocus, and Dirty Dancing. We're both nearly half asleep from a pizza coma when the front door opens.
"Neil?" Amelia's voice calls out.
"In here." He replies.
Amelia pops her head in and sees me nestled into Neil's side, his arm around my shoulders.
"Hey." She looks at me, "I didn't know you would be coming by."
"Why would you?" I raise a brow, "I came to see your brother."
I hate being rude with her but honestly I'm not fucking sure what she's trying to prove. She's becoming annoying and I can honestly say it's because of the shit she's running Charlotte's name through. Also the fact that she seems to think I need to tell her when I'm visiting her brother.
"Right." She nods. "Well, you two have fun." Then she disappears back around the corner.
"I think those long claws you have can be retracted now." He snorts.
"Sorry," I smile at him.
"Let's go to my room, Shay should be home soon, too." He starts to stand and then freezes, "unless you want to stay here, it's up to you."
"It's fine." I wave him ahead of me.
He leads me up the stairs and past what I remember to be Charlotte's bedroom, my chest growing tight. I miss her so much. I continue following Neil to his bedroom and as soon as I step inside, I inhale his scent. It's soothing and all male.
"Your room is clean." I look around.
"Yeah, yours isn't." He snorts.
"You were in there one time." I roll my eyes.
"And it was a fucking sty."
I laugh and he joins in, sitting on the chair by the bed. I take a seat on the bed and feel the air in the room change, we need to fucking talk.
"About that phone call last night." I begin.
"Yeah, I'm sorry..."
"Why?" I cut him off, "why all the questions?"
"Amelia told me our father caught Charlotte with drugs," he leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees, "and I couldn't believe it. That's not how I remember her."
"Okay." I nod for him to continue.
"Amelia knew it was something about pills but she was too young to retain all of the information." My heart accelerates with the word pills. "So, I figured you being her best friend, if she was doing it, then you must've done it with her."
"That's stupid." I sound calm but I am far from it.
"Then when I asked you and you said Oxy, I knew there was something there." He states, looking me in the eye.
Why the fuck did I answer him honestly?
"You see," he sits back again, his eyes intent on my face. "Our mother was in a pretty bad accident at work and she injured her back, she went through a few surgeries but some of
