“I offered to go, but no, I’m not as trustworthy as the prized pony.” Poppy grumbles.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I bark out at her.
“Come on, you know there is nothing you could do that would upset them. You’re practically perfect in their eyes. I think it’s why they’ve given me so much hell all these years. Remember when I was dating Patrick and Dad screamed across the house, asking me why I couldn’t be more like you?” Poppy takes her arm away from around the booth.
“You mean the dude who almost got you arrested? If it wasn’t for the fact that cop was a mega fan of Dad’s you would’ve gone to jail, Poppy! He had marijuana in his freaking car. Damn!” I want to scream at her, tell her this is why Dad even said something like that. But what she doesn’t realize is if I really believed I could get away with everything, I would’ve told him who I am by now.
Who I really am. That his baby girl is a lesbian, and she isn’t ashamed of it, but she’s terrified she’ll lose her entire family.
Chapter Four
Keira
“Are you fucking kidding me? Do you really think you can ship me off to some addiction center?!” Sasha snarls at me with all her might, not understanding I’m trying to help her. Instead, she sees me as the enemy.
I raise my hand up in defeat, showing her, I’m not going to be confrontational in a physical sense. She’s already begun pacing the room, like a raging bull ready to tear down an entire crowd. I know I need to be patient and smart with how I word everything right now.
“You need to go, Sasha. Look at yourself. I mean, look at what you’re turning into.” Regina, one of the Corporate Cares employees speaks up. I shut my eyes in frustration, knowing she was only trying to help, but what she’s done is quite the opposite.
“You have some nerve. Everyone uses things to cope with life, because guess what, it’s horrible. I mean, look at where we work. A place for orphans. These poor little creatures who’ve been abandoned, abused, or whatever their personal situations are . . . God, why is the world so cruel? Why must things always be like this? I don’t understand! I don’t understand any of this!” Sasha falls to the ground of the small office building on the property the boy’s home is located. We’re in a room, just the four of us, safely away from prying ears, while Morris stands guard at the boy’s home. He wanted to be here with us, but I assured him we could handle Sasha. Her shoulders shake as she sobs and she wraps her arms around herself, which I’m assuming is to provide some sort of comfort.
I begin to walk over to her when pressure wraps around my forearm, and the first thing I see is Mason’s gold watch. He shakes his head, “I wouldn’t get close to her.”
Ripping my arm away, I shoot him a glare and go over to where Sasha is kneeling, crying her eyes out on the floor. “Sasha,” I say her name in a cool tone, careful not to scare her. I don’t know what’s going on with her, but I’m certain something is going on. I’ve known her for years now, and she’s never been an irresponsible woman until the last six weeks or so, right after she took a two-week medical leave. I’m not allowed to ask questions, but I’m certain something happened, and from the looks of it, it couldn’t have been good.
I don’t know what exactly takes over me, but I feel the need to touch her, to place my hand on her shoulder and offer her some sort of comfort. I expect her to whip her head around and start screaming at me, to tell me to never touch her again, maybe even to slam her fists against my chest . . . but she doesn’t do that.
Instead the tears pour over her cheeks in an effortless flow. Her chest rises and falls and for the first time since I’ve seen her, I see her for how she feels—broken.
“Whatever’s going on, you aren’t alone, Sasha. You’re not just my coworker. You’re my friend, and I want you to know that. I’m here because you’re my friend and I can see you suffering. I know you’re crying out for someone to help you, but my position with Corporate Cares also complicates things. You know I can’t have you working here while you’re ill. But I won’t fire you, okay? I just want you to go get some help and come back when you’re feeling up to it. We’ll get the paperwork sorted so you’re taking an extended medical leave. This way we’ll hire a temp, and your job will still be waiting for you. Okay?” I take my hand and wipe away the stream of tears.
“I’m so sorry for what I said to them, how I scared those poor kids . . . I’m just so angry, so angry at the world . . .” Sasha sobs.
The woman is pulling at my heartstrings more than she knows.
I nod, coming from a completely understanding place. “I know you are, and it’s okay to feel what you’re feeling right now. Allow these emotions to flow through you and release them. Don’t keep them pent up. There’s no need for it.”
Sasha’s face goes cold like she’s seen a ghost, and then she cries over and over again. Her cries turn into something I think you’d only hear from a wounded animal. “He left me because I kept the baby and then it died. It died, Keira . . . and I don’t know what to do with all the pain.”
Dear God.
I’ve only heard horror stories about miscarriage, but I’m empathetic to the agony that must be coursing through her. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around her body and hold her close. “Just breathe. That’s all you have to do right now. I have you a spot in the nation’s best addiction clinic. I promise we will get you help, Sasha. You aren’t alone, and don’t ever think you are. You will make it through this, and I know it feels like you won’t right now, but don’t focus on the future. Take it one day, one hour, one moment, or even one second at a time. That’s all you have to focus on. Do you hear me?” My voice chokes up near the end of what I’m saying, but Sasha’s continuous nod against my shoulder makes me feel like I’ve done something.
I could’ve fired her today.
I could’ve not given a damn about her, but I didn’t.
Because at Corporate Cares, we actually care.
That’s my job here, to not only find qualified individuals, but those who would’ve acted in the same manner I have tonight.
Chapter Five
Gemma
Today is going to be a great day. That’s the phrase I keep telling myself as I’m on this airplane, white knuckling the arms of my seat. Only my family knows how terrified I am of flying, but I’m far too stubborn to call my primary care physician and let them know this fact. If she knew, she’d probably prescribe me two Xanax. One for the flight to Los Angeles, and one for the flight back to New Orleans.
Inhaling deeply, I try my best to not listen to the way my heart beats heavily in my chest. It feels like the cabin of the plane is closing in around me, and before I know it, I’m about two seconds from spiraling into the world’s worst panic attack.
“Breathe,” my brother, Brax’, shows up out of nowhere. Despite his bad boy look, he’s the most zen person I know. Brax’ has travelled the world, spent time in monasteries in Asia, slept in huts in Zimbabwe, and studied reiki with some of the best masters in the world. And he does this all in the off season. But Brax’, he’s always thrown our entire family for a loop. He doesn’t race stock cars like our dad or Clayton does. Trent’ was the first one in our family to sway from racing stock cars, diving straight into exotics . . . but man, Brax’ had to really swerve left from the rest of the family.