Page 99 of Make Me Pretty

I look over both of them. The guy avoids my gaze, but the woman? She stares right back, wrinkled mouth pursed as I meet gray eyes.

It all sinks to the fucking floor.

“Hi, I’m Bill?—”

“Bill, like…” My eyes are still darting between them. Seconds tick by. It all feels so wrong when the echoes resound, the name jogging a memory. “You’re Abel’s social worker.” I remember Abel telling me that the night I broke into his room.

Bill nods once, sharply. “I am.” His eyes dart behind me. “Look, is your mom home? I know she works nights?—”

“What’s going on?” I feel the vibration in my bones. It’s a loud hum. But it burns.

“Peris, who is it, baby?” Mom says from behind me.

“I—” I snap my jaw shut, gaze traveling back to the woman I think I recognize.

Her eyes are tight, but she gives me a crooked smile that sends a chill rippling down my spine. When she sticks her hand out, wrinkled, tattooed skin is all I see.

“I’m Lucy Silver. Abel’s mom.”

I stumble back, expecting to fall against the wall, but instead, I fall into the body of my mother. Her hands wrap around my biceps, steadying me as she stares over my shoulder. I glance up, something sick curling in my gut.

Rotten. Bad.

Something that doesn’t belong but has now made its home.

“Can I help you?” Mom’s voice is the sharpest,the coldest,I’ve heard it in years. Since…since Luke.

Just as the woman—fuck, Abel’smom—opens her mouth to reply, her eyes snap to her right, as do the rest of ours.

Abel’s curled around the corner of the entryway, and I’veneverseen him look so small. Eyes blown wide, thick, pink lips twisted with his confusion. “Lucy?”Fuck, even his voice is small.

I don’t like this.

This is wrong.

“Abel—” I choke out, but that fucking bitch cuts me off.

“Abel, my baby, it’s so good to see you.” She tries to step over the threshold, arms extended towardmyfucking pup. I lunge forward, and with a death grip on the door, I slam it shut, right in their faces.

Both Ma and I are unconcerned of who stands on the other side as we face Abel. He’s a sickly shade of gray, eyes wide and glassy as he stares blankly at the wall. He blinks, and two single tear drops slide down the apples of his cheeks.

I reach forward to swipe them away, words caught in my throat.

This isn’t right.

This isn’t how it’s supposed tobe.

Abel jerks back just before our skin touches. I hiss, aching for the graze of his atoms against mine. He sucks in a breath, wide eyes darting around but not seeming to notice a thing as he backs up into another wall.

His entire body is wracked with tremors so deep and strong, his teeth chatter uncontrollably.

“Abel…” I rasp because I can’t choke out more than that. “Abel, come here.”

“It’ll be okay, honey. We’ll figure this out.” Mom tries to ease his pain, too. I can feel it, but if anything, her calming words are really what sets him off.

His eyes finally focus as his head jerks up. “It’ll beokay?” he says, voice several octaves higher. Mom and I glance at each other. We share the same worry.

Abel’s about to break.