Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
I hug Quinn and apologize again for what I did. After checking in with my parents, I tell my dad I’ll send him all the info on Plum’s tour and set up a time tomorrow for them to meet. Mom gives me a hug and tells me she’ll be over to see Ben in the next day or two. I don’t bother to tell her or my dad that Ben’s mom and brother are at the house. I’m hoping to rectify that situation before Mom shows up.
12
BEN
I don’t know how long I stay outside, watching the taillights of Elle’s car disappear down the road. It isn’t until Brad comes outside and says we were out of beer, and he wants to order pizza that I realize I’ve been out here for maybe an hour or so. If Quinn had said this . . . well, he wouldn’t have. He would’ve gotten in his car, gone to the store, stopped at the pizza parlor and returned with everything. Neither my brother nor even my mother can bring themselves to do such a simple task. Elle’s right, they freeload. And they do so because of who her dad is, and that’s not right. What makes this situation worse is I’m the sick one. I’m the one who is facing surgery—life altering surgery, plus the treatment that goes with killing the cancer cells—and my family can’t even step up. They expect me to take care of them.
What a fucking joke.
When I get back inside, the mess I told them to clean up hasn’t changed. Brad is rummaging through the refrigerator, mumbling something under his breath, and my mom is flipping through the channels on the television, while eating a bag of chips. I shake my head and wonder why.
Why do I put up with this?
Why do I need these people in my life?
Why are they like this?
Mom glances my way and smiles. Unfortunately, I can’t return the gesture because I’m not happy. I’m not happy about my status with Elle, my life as it is now, my health, or my family. I hate to admit it, but Elle’s right, my mother and brother shouldn’t be here because they’re not here to support me.
“Bradley, who’s running your garage while you’re here?”
He’s moved from the refrigerator to the cupboards and slams the cabinet door. “When Mom called and told me you were sick, I closed up shop. I figured I needed to be here.”
Is he really here for me though? He’s not helping out around the house or making sure I’m okay.
“And you?” I ask as I look at my mom. “What about your job? I get that you lost the house and showed up here, aren’t they expecting you at work?”
“Well, I lost that about three months ago,” she says, as if it’s no big deal.
“And you didn’t find another one?”
“I applied around.” She shrugs.
Right, God forbid you get a job.
“Well, I’m going to set some rules. If you don’t like them, leave. I’m at the point in my life right now where I simply don’t care.”
Brad comes out of the kitchen and crosses his arms over his chest. “Don’t be ungrateful, little brother.”
I scoff and shake my head. “Here’s the thing, if you’re going to stay here, you’re going to pick up after yourself. Elle isn’t responsible for cleaning or supplying you with food, and neither am I. This is our house, and we like it to be a certain way. Granted, when you arrived, it wasn’t exactly clean, however that doesn’t entitle you to be pigs.”
“You listen to that girl way too much,” Bradley says.
“It’s because he’s a whipped little boy,” my mother cackles and Bradley follows suit.
“Laugh all you want, but this is her house as well. We haven’t made any decisions on how to split it, and she has a right to be concerned. With that said, I have a feeling she’s gone to her parents and told them about my diagnosis, which means Katelyn is sure to come over and Harrison will too, eventually. This place needs to be cleaned and done so now. Not to mention, the germ infestation isn’t going to be good for my recuperation.”
“I don’t have germs,” Brad says.
I roll my eyes. “Everyone has germs, you dumbass.” I head toward my office knowing they’re not going to clean. They may start, but something will come on the television and their attention will be elsewhere. Back at my computer, I pull up the website Elle and I have used for housekeeping and request some services. It’s not something I plan for, but the house needs to be cleaned before I come back with a compromised immune system. After I complete the booking, I put my headphones on and return to work. I need every distraction possible and need to not think about what’s going on in my body or my heart.