Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 84344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Alex, if it was up to me, I would say sure, but it’s not.” She walks to her, and she rubs her bare arm with her hand. “There are steps to go through. You have to attend an informational meeting, complete an application, undergo background checks and clearances, attend training and classes.”
“Well, wherever you take him,” Alex says, wiping away a tear. “Will he still be able to get to the hockey school?”
“I’ll make sure of it,” she assures us. “Even if I have to pick him up and drive him myself.”
“I can help,” I tell her. “Whatever he needs.”
“Am I leaving?” Maddox says, getting up and sitting on the paper-thin mattress.
“Hey,” Julia says, walking over to him and sitting on the floor in front of him. “I’m Julia.” She holds out her hand. “I’m a friend of Alex and Dylan.” She smiles at him, folding her legs, not giving zero fucks that two days ago she was staying in a five-star resort, and now she’s in the ghetto.
“Are you going to take me?” he asks, his eyes motionless.
“Just for a bit.” She lies to him, and I want to speak up, but I bite my tongue. “Just until we find your mom, and she can come get you.”
“She said she’s never coming back,” Maddox says, and if I thought I was going to throw up before, it’s nothing like listening to him say the words.
“We will see,” Julia says. “Do you know where your dad is?” He shakes his head and shrugs. “Do you have an auntie that you guys go and visit?” And he just shakes his head. “A grandma?” Maddox just shakes his head, not saying anything, and I can just imagine the turmoil going through his head. The thought that he is alone with no one that he can go to is unbearable to me.
“Okay, well, I’m going to take you to my friend’s house,” Julia says to him.
“Is there a bed there?” he asks, and Alex trembles beside me. I turn her and pull her in my arms. “And a blanket.”
“There is a bed and a blanket,” Julia says. “And tomorrow, you get to go back to the hockey camp.”
“Okay,” he says, getting up and not saying a word.
My feet move before I can even understand what is going on. “Hey.” I squat down in front of him. “Tomorrow, I’ll be waiting for you at the rink,” I say, and his eyes just look at me like he’s heard that before. Empty promises. “Pinky swear.” I hold out my pinky. “You know what that means?” I ask, and all he does is look at me. “Means that I have no choice but to show up.” Julia gets up and walks over to the officers with Alex beside her. “I know how it feels,” I tell him, my own tears starting to burn at the corner of my eyes. “I had a dad who didn’t want me either.” I look down. “But I didn’t have Julia or Alex, and I can tell you they are going to make sure you’re okay.”
“Okay, report is done,” Julia says. “Now off to Paula and Roberto,” she tells him. “Do you like cats?” He shrugs. “They have one cat called Stuart Little.” She smiles at him, and he just looks at me once before turning, and we walk out of the house.
I stand beside Alex while they load him up in Julia’s car. She closes the door and looks at us. “I’ll call you when I get everything settled.” I nod my head at her as we watch her get into the car. Maddox puts his head to the side, resting it on the door, not looking at us. And I don’t know why I’m happy he didn’t because I don’t know if I would have survived it.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say, looking around to see that eyes are on us. I push Alex toward the car and put her in, walking around the car and getting in. Neither of us says anything as we make our way back home.
When we walk in, Mac comes to us, and my body feels like it’s numb. “Are you hungry?” I hear Alex talking to Mac, and all I can do is walk over to the couch and sit down. My head goes back, and I close my eyes, and all I see is that fucking mattress in the middle of the room. A mattress with so many stains it turned orange. “Hey,” I hear Alex say softly as she comes over to me, and I don’t even notice that tears are running down my face. She stops in front of me, getting on her knees between my legs. “Julia is going to make sure he’s okay,” she says, reassuring myself and her also.