"Don't you dare fucking talk to me like that." I snapped at the seething boy in front of me.
"Like what, princess? Like you're full of shit? Someone had to say it!" He yelled back.
"No, don't talk to me like you're better than me! You and I are the...
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★★★
"Woah!" I shouted, bounding over to her with Rafe by my side. We both helped her up and she rubbed her head a little. "What happened?" She asked, and I smiled weakly, looking back at Rafe for help.
He shrugged while we made sure she was okay and when she finally had the strength to stand, she did. "Are you okay?" I asked, and she nodded. "I'm fine. You said your name was Stevie, right?" She asked, and I nodded, a sullen expression still on my face.
I didn't know how to act around her, it was a very sensitive situation. "I don't really know what to say," She said, and I took a deep breath. I was no longer nervous, I was getting mad.
"I have questions," I announced, and she nodded. "Rightly so. Ask whatever you want," She said, clearly struggling. She seemed very nervous and not at ease with the conversation, and that was fine with me. She can deal with being uncomfortable after abandoning me.
"Where's my dad? How did you end up with Ward? Why did you leave me with Helen? Why did Helen tell me you were dead?" I said, tears welling up in my eyes as my voice raised to a higher octave.
Rafe could sense my anger bubbling up and put a hand on my shoulder to try to calm me down, but I shot him a look that made him remove it instantly.
"I... I understand you're mad, but-"
"But what? But nothing. You left me," I said through a choked sob rising within me.
"You might want to sit down. I'll tell you everything, just please, sit," Rose said, a sickly-sweet tone exuding from her perfectly glossed lips. I sucked in my breath and sat down at the counter to hear her out. I would give her five minutes, no more, no less, then I would say what I came here to say.
"Your father was a friend of Ward's years ago. He worked in the marina and was friendly with everyone. I... I began seeing Ward recreationally and when your father found out, he was upset. He had depression, which was part of the reason I couldn't live with him anymore, but I left you with Helen because she was a better parent than your father. He found out about Ward and me after resurfacing from one of his disappearing acts and got to wound up that he committed suicide. I was devastated, but-"
"But you had a rich guy to fall back on so it was fine? It was a way to leave your shitty life on the Cut behind?" I cut in, not believing what I was hearing.
"No, I-" She started, but I continued to get mad. This was the most unbelievable thing I had ever heard. It was absurd.
"You left me behind. The only reason I found out was that you were too idiotic to leave Kildare Island. I have a photo of you and dad, and I saw you at Midsummers. You ditched, simple as that. You didn't want to deal with me, so you left me with your pile-of-shit sister who abused me my entire life and never gave a fuck about me! You abandoned me!" I shouted.
