Page 56 of Shattered Oaths

I can’t live in this town, knowing that my mom is right up the road with no food in the fridge. I can’t run into her in the supermarket and turn a blind eye while she shoves something up her sweater and makes a run for it.

She’s my mom.

And I’ll never stop holding onto the hope that maybe one day, she’ll finally change.

I blink down at her through bleary eyes as she continues to struggle against me, reaching for the bottle and much like it does every time I step foot inside this house, a little part of me dies inside. My shoulders go slack, head dropping in defeat as I hold out the bottle.

She snatches it with a relieved sigh and throws her head back, taking long mouthfuls. When she’s done, she breathes heavy, giving me a look that tells me she knows exactly what I’m thinking, and she doesn’t give the slightest fuck.

Tilting her chin, she eyes the bag slung over my shoulder. “You got any money for me?”

And there it is.

I shake my head, turning away from her in disappointment and making my way toward the door. “Cigarettes are in the bag. I’ll see you next week.”

***

It’s almost dark out by the time I get back to Noah’s house. After leaving my mom’s, I spent the entire afternoon driving around mindlessly.

Every week, it’s the same. I drop off groceries, she does or says something that has me leaving there half theperson I was when I walked in the door and I spend the next few hours driving around, numb.

When I lived with the girls, it was a little easier. I knew I was returning to a house full of energy and life with friends that could put a smile on my face within seconds of me walking through the door. But when I moved in with Justin, I knew I couldn’t go home straight after. I did once. And he took one look at me, taking in the deep set to my shoulders and the redness circling my eyes and he shook his head in disgust, picked up his coat and walked right out the front door.

I’ve kept up the same routine since then, not wanting to bother anyone with the burden of my alcoholic mother. After all, I’m the one who chooses to continue torturing myself.

I reach over and grab my bag from the back seat before climbing out of the car and locking it behind me. Noah’s truck is parked at the bottom of the steps, and I’m surprised by the relief I feel at the sight of it. I really don’t feel like being alone right now.

I’m barely through the front door when Noah’s calls out for me. “Bells?”

“Yeah,” I reply. If I weren’t so mentally drained right now, I’d find it amusing how he calls out for me every time one of us walk in the door. It’s not like it’s going to be anybody else.

“I have a surprise for you.” His voice is giddy as he rounds the corner to the entry hall, the smile quickly dropping from his face when he catches sight of me.

“What’s wrong?”

I pull my lips between my teeth and avert my gaze, busying myself with removing my shoes to keep myemotions in check. Once I’m certain I’m not going to break down in tears for a third time on this man, I look back at him. “I went to my mom’s today.”

Noah’s expression morphs from concerned to knowing as he nods. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” I say on a sigh, not needing to explain to him. He’s witnessed it firsthand throughout the years.

“Wanna talk about it?” He asks, and I don’t doubt for a second that if I said yes and recounted every little detail, he would listen.

But the last thing I want to do is talk about it. So, I shake my head. “No. I really don’t.”

He dips his chin. “Okay. Do you want to see your surprise?”

My body goes lax with relief and I nod. “Yes.”

Noah smiles and holds out his hand. “Come.”

I take it, following him into the living room. My mood instantly brightens when I see the array of blankets and pillows spread out all over the floor. All of the furniture has been pushed to the side to make space for the blankets. Netflix is queued up on the TV, a comedy already selected and ready to press play. The overhead lights are off with only the small lamp in the corner bathing the room in a soft glow. The end table has been pulled forward, two glasses of wine, a pack of cards and a pile of board games sitting atop it.

I blink up at Noah at a loss for words. He smiles down at me and those damn butterflies flutter wildly in my stomach. “There’s pizza on the way, so you have time to shower and change if you want to.”

I swallow down the boulder of emotion that lodges in my throat and nod, doing exactly that.

CHAPTER 25