sleeping with Brody?”
Hannah could see the storm brewing in her sister’s eyes, but she nodded anyway.
“Unfuckingbelievable. No wonder you don’t want me hitting on him. You’re already banging him. When were you going to tell me? Huh?” Beth raged, and Hannah let her, knowing she had a right. “God, I am so fucking stupid.”
Beth’s foul language sounded so crude, and Hannah winced. She might be used to her sister’s temper, but she’d never seen her lose it like this.
“I’m sorry, Beth. I promise, we’re going to take a road trip as soon as we can find a way for all of us to—”
“Like I’ll believe you. You and this stupid house and town. We should have left as soon as we realized everyone was dead. But oh no, we can’t because Hannah’s afraid of the big, wide world.” Beth’s tone and words mocked her. Hannah cringed at the pent-up bitterness her sister spewed. “Let’s hide here in the house we grew up in because god fucking forbid you should leave your safety blanket.”
Hannah couldn’t help herself. She flinched. I am not afraid to leave. I happen to like it here. Why is it I’m the only one who does? “I’m sorry you feel that way. I promise we’ll find somewhere with people for you. I want you to be happy, Beth.” Hannah’s voice broke.
“Don’t bother. I don’t want your help.” Beth pushed past Hannah, almost running into Fred in his wheelchair.
“Whoa, girl, where are you going so fast?” asked their uncle.
“Nowhere apparently,” Beth said bitterly before disappearing from sight.
Fred turned to look at Hannah with his brows raised. “What the heck was that about?”
“Beth found out Brody and I are involved and freaked. I don’t blame her.” She ducked her head in sorrow, waiting for Fred’s rebuke.
“About time you and Brody patched things up. As for Beth, she’ll get over it. You always did coddle her too much. You’ve done the best you could, Hannah girl, and don’t you forget it.”
“She just wants someone to love. I can’t blame her. And I want to give her what she wants. She’s right. I am chicken to leave home. I don’t know anything else.”
Fred snorted. “Beth’s just impatient. She doesn’t understand that some things have to be taken slowly. The girl is young yet. A few more weeks or months ain’t gonna kill her. Don’t you let what she says bother you none. There’s nothing wrong with loving one’s home. Don’t forget, just because we go on a trip or even if we find somewhere that’s better for us, doesn’t mean we can’t come back.”
Hannah smiled at her uncle. He always had the right words. “Yeah, I know. I love you, Uncle Fred.”
“I love you, too. Now stop this pity business and hold yourself straight. Beth will get over it.”
I sure hope so. I’ve never seen her this mad.
But Beth didn’t get over it. She acted impulsively as usual, something Hannah realized only when they couldn’t find Beth the next morning and discovered Brody’s motorcycle missing.
Chapter Eighteen
“Calm down, kitten. I’ll find her,” Brody lied, not knowing what else to say with Hannah so crazed with worry over her sister’s disappearance. The selfish brat. He could understand her impatience, but there was impatient and then there was running off in a tantrum with almost no supplies and no clue about the danger she could face.
“How will you find her?” wailed Hannah. “She could be anywhere. What if she’s hurt? Oh god. This is all my fault.” She collapsed on the couch, her face buried in her hands while her shoulders shook.
Was it wrong Brody wanted to shake Beth until her teeth rattled for doing this to her sister? Ungrateful, little brat. “I am pretty sure she’ll have headed to that Amish settlement. I’ll hunt around for another working motorbike and go looking for her. I’ll bring her back, I promise.”
Brody rode Hannah’s pedal bike into town, glad no one could see him on the pink emasculator—at
Hannah could see the storm brewing in her sister’s eyes, but she nodded anyway.
“Unfuckingbelievable. No wonder you don’t want me hitting on him. You’re already banging him. When were you going to tell me? Huh?” Beth raged, and Hannah let her, knowing she had a right. “God, I am so fucking stupid.”
Beth’s foul language sounded so crude, and Hannah winced. She might be used to her sister’s temper, but she’d never seen her lose it like this.
“I’m sorry, Beth. I promise, we’re going to take a road trip as soon as we can find a way for all of us to—”
“Like I’ll believe you. You and this stupid house and town. We should have left as soon as we realized everyone was dead. But oh no, we can’t because Hannah’s afraid of the big, wide world.” Beth’s tone and words mocked her. Hannah cringed at the pent-up bitterness her sister spewed. “Let’s hide here in the house we grew up in because god fucking forbid you should leave your safety blanket.”
Hannah couldn’t help herself. She flinched. I am not afraid to leave. I happen to like it here. Why is it I’m the only one who does? “I’m sorry you feel that way. I promise we’ll find somewhere with people for you. I want you to be happy, Beth.” Hannah’s voice broke.
“Don’t bother. I don’t want your help.” Beth pushed past Hannah, almost running into Fred in his wheelchair.
“Whoa, girl, where are you going so fast?” asked their uncle.
“Nowhere apparently,” Beth said bitterly before disappearing from sight.
Fred turned to look at Hannah with his brows raised. “What the heck was that about?”
“Beth found out Brody and I are involved and freaked. I don’t blame her.” She ducked her head in sorrow, waiting for Fred’s rebuke.
“About time you and Brody patched things up. As for Beth, she’ll get over it. You always did coddle her too much. You’ve done the best you could, Hannah girl, and don’t you forget it.”
“She just wants someone to love. I can’t blame her. And I want to give her what she wants. She’s right. I am chicken to leave home. I don’t know anything else.”
Fred snorted. “Beth’s just impatient. She doesn’t understand that some things have to be taken slowly. The girl is young yet. A few more weeks or months ain’t gonna kill her. Don’t you let what she says bother you none. There’s nothing wrong with loving one’s home. Don’t forget, just because we go on a trip or even if we find somewhere that’s better for us, doesn’t mean we can’t come back.”
Hannah smiled at her uncle. He always had the right words. “Yeah, I know. I love you, Uncle Fred.”
“I love you, too. Now stop this pity business and hold yourself straight. Beth will get over it.”
I sure hope so. I’ve never seen her this mad.
But Beth didn’t get over it. She acted impulsively as usual, something Hannah realized only when they couldn’t find Beth the next morning and discovered Brody’s motorcycle missing.
Chapter Eighteen
“Calm down, kitten. I’ll find her,” Brody lied, not knowing what else to say with Hannah so crazed with worry over her sister’s disappearance. The selfish brat. He could understand her impatience, but there was impatient and then there was running off in a tantrum with almost no supplies and no clue about the danger she could face.
“How will you find her?” wailed Hannah. “She could be anywhere. What if she’s hurt? Oh god. This is all my fault.” She collapsed on the couch, her face buried in her hands while her shoulders shook.
Was it wrong Brody wanted to shake Beth until her teeth rattled for doing this to her sister? Ungrateful, little brat. “I am pretty sure she’ll have headed to that Amish settlement. I’ll hunt around for another working motorbike and go looking for her. I’ll bring her back, I promise.”
Brody rode Hannah’s pedal bike into town, glad no one could see him on the pink emasculator—at
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