Page 57 of Secondhand Soul

If he hadn’t just melted my heart about how he loves me like a son, I’d snap at him for trying to pull that touchy-feely psychobabble on me.

As it is, I’m slightly—just slightly, mind you—glad that she’s still in town.

And I’m thrilled that I don’t have to see her.

BY FRIDAY, IT’S LIKE an itch that I can’t scratch.

I have to see her.

I hear Rhea speaking to her on the phone. Hear her voice on the speaker as Rhea talks and types, teaching Victoria long-distance because I’m the crazy one who doesn’t want an assassin in the house with my mother!

Rhea catches me as I head home Friday night. I’m hungry, and I’ve decided to get something from Jade Forest because I refuse to go near the grocery store parking lot, refuse to risk looking at the RV and maybe seeing her there.

“Can you go take this to Victoria?”

“I don’t—”

“It’s her pay. Cash.”

“I don’t—”

Rhea shoves the envelope in my hand. “Our birthmother had an ultrasound today with her specialist. She’s supposed to call us in— Oh, God. Oh, God, where’s Manny?” she gasps as the phone starts to buzz in her hand. “It’s her!”

“I’m here!” Manny barrels out of the shop and into Rhea, snagging her up like she’s meant to be attached to her side. “Is it her?”

“It’s her!” Rhea holds out the phone and looks at me. “Do you want to stay?” she asks.

“Uh. No.” No. I don’t want to get attached to something that might never be. Or to someone who changes everything in my life.

Only what if it’s for the better? My little baby sister. My little brother, the little buddy who will want piggyback rides, who will be a little helper in the shop?

Victoria could change your life for the better, too, you know, whispers the voice in charge of torture.

Ughhhh. I liked it better when all I did was watch television and drink.

I turn away with the envelope full of cash and hurry into the frosty December night.

VICTORIA MOVES EASILY now. She answers my knock with a soft padding of feet that my enhanced ears pick up, and she looks...

Well, I suddenly understand the definition of temptation.

She’s in a little black sweater that barely covers her ass, and she looks startled to see me, making her eyes go wide and her mouth form a perfect, pale pink O of shock.

I remember that mouth on mine. On my cock.

Fuck. “Money. Payday.” I throw the envelope at her feet and turn to leave.

“I thought you were the pizza guy. You want to come in?” she asks softly.

“No. I do not.”

“Oh. Okay. Thank you for dropping this off. Is Rhea okay?”

“Mhm. She had a call.”

“Oh, right. From their birthmother?”

I whirl back and stomp up the steps to the RV’s entrance, making her squeak and recoil. “How do you know that?”