He always tried to do what she wanted; it was just never enough. The difference between the way she treated Hunter and Sam was almost criminal. Sam thought mommas weren’t supposed to play favorites. She doted on Hunter, giving him all of the praise and attention a child deserved. With Sam, he was an extra piece of baggage in her life she wished she could drop.
Hunter tried his best to offset his mother’s abuse and neglect, being the best big brother possible. He played with Sam. They were best friends. He watched his football games and helped him with his homework when he needed it.
But it wasn’t enough.
Sam walked out of the trailer and trudged through the field separating the trailer park from Ever’s small brick home.
He could hear the yelling before he reached the yard, and he began to run. He crept up the steps and peeked into the beveled window next to the front door.
He saw her father towering over her small frame, screaming at the top of his lungs about how worthless she was. It was a familiar spiel, but it would end up so much worse for Ever than it did for him.
He cringed as he saw the big man’s hand come down, and Ever was knocked, sobbing, to the floor.
Sam’s hands fisted beside him, but the door was locked. Even if he busted in, what could he do? He was an eleven-year-old boy fighting a giant. And Ever would get it so much worse if he interfered. It had happened once before when they were nine. Sam came up behind her father and hit him with a stick.
Sam had to take Ever to the Urgent Care that night, pulling her in the wagon attached to the back of his bike. The nurse on call was the sheriff’s wife, a good family friend of Ever’s father. She simply nodded at Ever’s story of falling off her bike and sent them on home.
So he waited. He sat on the porch steps and covered his ears, waiting for the fighting to stop. When it did, he peeked in the window again to see Ever’s father sprawled out on the couch, snoring.
He walked around the house to her bedroom window. He raised it quietly and climbed over the sill.
Ever was curled into a small ball on her bed, tears flowing down her face. A welt was beginning to form just above her cheekbone, and the sight of it fueled the fire that had been burning inside of Sam since he’d met her. This man was evil, and Ever had to live in a house with the Devil every single day.
He lay down behind her, wrapping his arms around her as best he could, and just held her while she cried.
When her tears were dried up, she sat up and nodded. He helped her up and walked her to the window, where he assisted her over the sill.
They walked together, his arms cradled carefully around her, back to Sam’s trailer. Sam thought there should be a trail worn into the grass, as often as they walked this route together. He poked his head in the front door, looking for his mother. When he noted that she was nowhere to be found, he brought Ever inside and towed her to his room.
He closed the door and locked it. Then they curled up on the bed and held each other, like two broken birds, tightly for the rest of the night.
Nine
W e need to talk, Prince. Can you come over?”
Aston listened as Princeton agreed, and she hung up her phone. She sighed and closed her eyes, soaking up the morning sun as it burned into her skin.
“What made you finally see the light about Princeton?” Reed asked from the chair next to hers.
“I don’t know, Reed.” Aston imagined taking the sun’s rays and absorbing them into every portion of her body, using them for strength. “It’s just time to move on, you know? Prince and I have been together for five years, and we’re still in the same place we were when we were fifteen. I want to be crazy in love. I want that for him, too.”
Reed nodded. He sent a sideways glance over to his sister. “I never understood what you were doing with him, A. It’s not that Princeton’s this horrible guy. He’s just not your guy. Everyone knew it
Hunter tried his best to offset his mother’s abuse and neglect, being the best big brother possible. He played with Sam. They were best friends. He watched his football games and helped him with his homework when he needed it.
But it wasn’t enough.
Sam walked out of the trailer and trudged through the field separating the trailer park from Ever’s small brick home.
He could hear the yelling before he reached the yard, and he began to run. He crept up the steps and peeked into the beveled window next to the front door.
He saw her father towering over her small frame, screaming at the top of his lungs about how worthless she was. It was a familiar spiel, but it would end up so much worse for Ever than it did for him.
He cringed as he saw the big man’s hand come down, and Ever was knocked, sobbing, to the floor.
Sam’s hands fisted beside him, but the door was locked. Even if he busted in, what could he do? He was an eleven-year-old boy fighting a giant. And Ever would get it so much worse if he interfered. It had happened once before when they were nine. Sam came up behind her father and hit him with a stick.
Sam had to take Ever to the Urgent Care that night, pulling her in the wagon attached to the back of his bike. The nurse on call was the sheriff’s wife, a good family friend of Ever’s father. She simply nodded at Ever’s story of falling off her bike and sent them on home.
So he waited. He sat on the porch steps and covered his ears, waiting for the fighting to stop. When it did, he peeked in the window again to see Ever’s father sprawled out on the couch, snoring.
He walked around the house to her bedroom window. He raised it quietly and climbed over the sill.
Ever was curled into a small ball on her bed, tears flowing down her face. A welt was beginning to form just above her cheekbone, and the sight of it fueled the fire that had been burning inside of Sam since he’d met her. This man was evil, and Ever had to live in a house with the Devil every single day.
He lay down behind her, wrapping his arms around her as best he could, and just held her while she cried.
When her tears were dried up, she sat up and nodded. He helped her up and walked her to the window, where he assisted her over the sill.
They walked together, his arms cradled carefully around her, back to Sam’s trailer. Sam thought there should be a trail worn into the grass, as often as they walked this route together. He poked his head in the front door, looking for his mother. When he noted that she was nowhere to be found, he brought Ever inside and towed her to his room.
He closed the door and locked it. Then they curled up on the bed and held each other, like two broken birds, tightly for the rest of the night.
Nine
W e need to talk, Prince. Can you come over?”
Aston listened as Princeton agreed, and she hung up her phone. She sighed and closed her eyes, soaking up the morning sun as it burned into her skin.
“What made you finally see the light about Princeton?” Reed asked from the chair next to hers.
“I don’t know, Reed.” Aston imagined taking the sun’s rays and absorbing them into every portion of her body, using them for strength. “It’s just time to move on, you know? Prince and I have been together for five years, and we’re still in the same place we were when we were fifteen. I want to be crazy in love. I want that for him, too.”
Reed nodded. He sent a sideways glance over to his sister. “I never understood what you were doing with him, A. It’s not that Princeton’s this horrible guy. He’s just not your guy. Everyone knew it
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