Page 16 of The Ruthless Note

And it sure as hell won’t be mine.

I have to be tougher. That’s the only way I can graduate from Redwood Prep and find a good job to keep a roof over Vi’s head and food in her stomach. Nothing else matters.

Stripping out of my clothes, I step into the shower. As the water slips over my shoulders and thighs, I close my eyes and breathe deeply.

My plan to keep my spot in Redwood Prep went off without a hitch, but I still feel uneasy. Now that she’s been humiliated in front of the entire school, Christa will have a target on my back. She was devious enough to push me in the pool last time. Her next move might be even more insidious.

I think I have some time before she strikes. With all eyes on her, she’ll be forced to lay low for a bit. The entire school knows what she did to me. Plus I told her dad to keep her in line. Since Miller was so capable in restoring my grades, I have faith that he’ll at least talk to Christa. But I’m not stupid enough to think any of that will be able to restrain her.

From now on, I need to keep my eyes peeled.

I step out of the cold shower and wrap a towel around my chest.

My phone lights up from the corner of the sink. I pick it up, stunned to see Hunter’s name blaring across the screen.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” his deep voice curls around my body, “I hope it’s not too late to call.”

“No, of course not.” I put the phone on speaker, grab my daily moisturizer and pump the cream on the tips of my fingers.

“Rick mentioned that he ran into you a while back.”

My hands freeze halfway to my face. “He did?”

“He seemed a little bummed out about it too. He wouldn’t give me any details, but I got the sense that he wasn’t expecting you to, you know, look so much likeher.It kind of freaked him out.”

I inhale deeply. “Rick said he’d met mom once.”

“Yeah, she came by the home one time. Dressed up in a red wig and smelling like piss. She looked scary. Rick didn’t want to meet her, but he didn’t want tonotmeet her either, I think. He didn’t want to regret it if he walked away and never saw her again.” Hunter pauses. “Which was probably a good call because that’s exactly what happened.”

“How old was he at the time?” I whisper.

“Not sure. Eleven? Twelve maybe?”

My breath gushes out.

Mom really did a number on him. Why didn’t she just leave Rick alone if she wasn’t going to be in his life?

“What did she say to him that day?” I ask.

“Don’t know. Rick never spoke about it, and I didn’t push. There are some things you gotta save for yourself, you know? People keep their darkness locked up for a reason. It’s the only way they can keep going.”

“I get that,” I whisper, tilting my head back.

My heart aches for my half-brother. Vi and I didn’t have the best life, but at least we had each other. Rick had to face the world all by himself, not knowing why he’d been abandoned.

Hunter clears his throat. “Anyway, with all that’s going on, his girlfriend suggested we plan something for his birthday next month to cheer him up. I’m inviting you and Vi. You interested?”

“Do you think Rickwantsus there?”

“Hell yeah. He’s got a family and whether he’ll admit it or not, family matters to people like us. You don’t go through what we did and not appreciate the people who have your back.”

I hesitate. Rick hasn’t been all that enthusiastic about having two half-sisters. He probably resents us even more after mom left him with all the responsibility of taking care of us.

“Rick won’t say, but he does care for you guys,” Hunter prods.

“Okay. I’ll be there. And I’ll bring Vi.”