Page 94 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

“But Mommy—”

“Not now, Charlie.” I shooed her toward the door.

I twisted the knob when Ruth’s shrill voice stopped me short of our hasty exit. “Just like last time, eh? Runnin’ off without a good-bye? This time gettin’ in a fancy car. Think you’re still too good for this neighborhood, Thea? Think you’re still betta than me? Cuz you’re not. You’re still just stupid trash.”

I guess she was still bitter about how our friendship had ended.

Ruth had been my age and a classmate in school. She’d been my best friend, or so I’d thought. In reality, Ruth had used me for years. When she wanted my desk in English to sit by a cute boy, I gave it to her even though I’d sat down first. When she needed twenty dollars our sophomore year to buy a new backpack, I lent her the money even though I’d been saving it for winter shoes—she never paid me back.

But Ruth had been the friend I’d have given anything for. My meager things had been hers for the taking. And she’d taken and taken and taken. I’d let her, until the day I found her fucking my boyfriend in the supply closet of the bar where we both worked.

I let loose my temper on my asshole boyfriend. He was drunk and pretending not to realize his mistake. But Ruth knew exactly what she’d been doing. After he zipped up his pants and stumbled out of the bar, she told me it wasn’t her fault, but mine. I hadn’t been keeping him satisfied, so he’d strayed.

That had been the final straw.

In that moment, I realized just how toxic and selfish Ruth was and finally listened to Jackson and Hazel’s advice. Cutting her out had been a long time coming. Without a word to Ruth, I quit my job and moved out of Brooklyn. I found a hole-in-the-wall apartment in Manhattan a couple blocks away from Jackson and started tending bar at the hotel where I eventually met Logan.

Where Charlie had started.

And because of the little girl clinging to my hand, wondering what was happening, I wasn’t going to let this bitch talk to me like that for another second.

I turned from the door, standing tall. “I have never been and will never be trash. And I’m not too good for this neighborhood, Ruth. But I am too good for you. Have a nice life.”

Her face turned a splotchy shade of fuchsia, but I ignored her and held my chin high as I led Charlie outside and to the car. When the door closed behind us, I didn’t spare another glance at Giovanni’s.

I didn’t want to remember it like I’d seen it today.

“Anywhere else, ma’am?” the driver asked as I helped get Charlie buckled.

“Yes, would you please go down this block and take a right? I’ll tell you where to stop.” I was talking fast from the adrenaline in my veins, but he caught it all and pulled away from the curb.

“Where are we going now?” Charlie asked.

“You’ll see.” I gave her a smile and bent to kiss her forehead. It only took a minute to get where I wanted to go, and I told the driver to pull over.

“See that building?” I asked Charlie, pointing through the side window.

She craned her neck to see and nodded. “Yeah.”

“That’s where I grew up. That was where I lived.”

“You lived there with Gran?”

I nodded. “That’s right. This is where I met Gran.”

The orphanage, much like Giovanni’s, wasn’t the expansive and towering building I remembered from my youth. It actually wasn’t much bigger than Lark Cove School. It had been abandoned, all of the windows dark and boarded up. The doors were locked shut with a chain.

But it had once been home and I wanted Charlie to know where I’d come from.

I’d spent many lonely days and nights in that building. I’d had countless nights wishing for someone to love me, endless days hoping someone would want me to be a part of their family.

That’s all I’d ever wished for.

A family. Unconditional love.

It hadn’t happened right away, but Charlie was all of those wishes come true.

Maybe Hazel had been right. Maybe coming back here would help me put to rest the memories from the past.