Page 121 of The Darkest Note

Behind on mortgage payments?

I blink and blink, waiting for the words to change.

They don’t.

Sure that this must be some mistake, I call the bank to verify.

“It says here that a Miss Monica Cooper withdrew the funds herself,” the perky bank worker says.

A chill runs down my spine. I dig my fingers into the cell phone.

“Will there be anything else?” she chirps.

“No. Nothing else.”

I sink into the couch, my head spinning. A feeling of dread slithers down my back.

Don’t panic, Cadence.

First things first. I need to find a way to pay the bank. If not, Viola and I might be homeless. Rick only agreed to sign the guardianship papers because of mom’s last request, but he won’t take us in. Breeze doesn’t have enough space for the both of us.

There’s no way I’ll allow my sister to sleep on the street. Throwing my blanket off, I throw on a pair of jeans, sneakers and a T-shirt and show up to the diner. It’s so busy that the manager allows me to work my shift as long as I keep a mask on.

Later that night, I get a call from the lounge inviting me to do an impromptu event.

“It’s in an hour. Do you think you can make it?”

“Yes, I’ll be right there.”

Viola comes home when I’m about to leave.

She takes one look at my outfit and frowns. “Why are you wearing the wig? Did you do your own makeup?”

“Yeah. Does it look okay?”

“I guess.” She frowns. “Are you going to perform?”

I avoid her question. “There’s a burger from the diner on the stove. You just have to microwave it.” I hop on one foot and zip up my boots. “Make sure you do your homework before you play on your phone.”

Viola grabs my hand. Her big brown eyes peer into mine. “Cadence, you’re sick.”

“Thanks, sis,” I say dryly.

She frowns. “I meant physically ill. You shouldn’t be going anywhere right now.”

“I don’t have time for this, Vi. I need to leave.”

“No.” She wraps her fingers around me.

“Vi, let go.”

“You’re going to work yourself to death if you keep going like this.”

Her insistence is the match on my powder keg of a stress ball. After getting pushed into a pool, almost drowning, and, now, realizing that we’re going to be evicted, I snap.

“Can’t you see I’m doing this to take care of us!” I yell.

Hurt pools in her clear brown eyes.