Page 17 of Silver Sinner

"Listen." Amy pulls herself to her feet. "I'm trying here, okay? Not everyone has money to fall back on like you do!"

I gape at her, standing in the middle of my rundown kitchen with peeling walls, an oven that only warms two hobs, and a window nailed shut because the lock broke. I'm just as poor as she is—more so, even. "You're ridiculous. Get out."

"No, Layla please, I'm sorry!" She rushes toward me, but as she takes my hand, I snatch my hand away.

"Get out, Amy."

"Please! Drake dumped me! I'm heartbroken and I've lost my job! What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go?!"

"I don't care! I trusted you, and you can't even tell me a straight story. I'm so angry at you that I can't even look at you without wanting to kill you, so get the hell out of my apartment."

"Layla—"

"Get out!" Turning away, I face the broken window and grit my teeth. "Get your stuff and get out."

Amy's sigh makes my spine coil in on itself as I wait for the next level of her argument, or any pleading that I let her stay here. But in the end, she merely walks away.

I track her footsteps back up the hall to the spare room, then lean against the counter and close my eyes.

I trusted her to keep Maddie safe while I was working.

Instead, she had her around a criminal with drugs in the house that, given Maddie's infinite curiosity, could have killed her.

The anger swirling in my chest collides with worry, and I barely get my breathing under control by the time Amy reappears.

"Fuck you, Layla," she snaps. "I'd never kick you out when you were in need."

Slowly, I turn to face her. "I'd never have your kid around drugs, Amy."

Her glare turns venomous.

She slams her way out of my apartment without another word. I hurry after her and immediately lock the door as it closes, then I move into the living room where Maddie's watching her cartoons, oblivious.

I scoop her into my arms, much to her annoyed yelp as toast balls in her fist. She remains focused on the cartoon characters dancing across the screen while I kiss the top of her head.

"Mommy," Maddie whines when I don't release her fast enough. "I'm watching!"

"I know, baby. I know." Releasing her, she slides from my lap and back onto her cushions, never once taking her eyes off the screen. "Mommy's sorry."

The scent of burnt toast drags me back into the kitchen, where the two slices of bread for me pop out of the toaster charred and black. Amy's words swim in my mind, along with her accusation that I have money to fall back on.

Ever since I divulged some of my past to her, she greatly misinterpreted my experience and it was too painful to repeat, so I let her think that.

Now, the thought of correcting her after so long just feels pointless.

And useless.

As I toss the cremated remains of my breakfast, my phone buzzes loudly on the counter with a message from an unknown number.

[Unknown] We need to talk.

Staring at it, my heart lifts ever so slightly as Pierce's face wanders into my thoughts. Would he be able to find out my number? He seems rich enough that he probably has someone who can do that. I unlock my phone with a tap of the code but as the message fully opens, my heart sinks.

It's not Pierce.

It's the same number that's texted me on and off over the years with various demands and threats that are never followed through. I've never replied to him. Never acknowledged him. This, like every other useless message from him, carries no weight, so I simply swipe it closed as Maddie comes running into the kitchen with crumbs on her face.

"Finished!" she declares. "Park now?"