Shot In The Dark [Book 1]

2.2 - It's Our Problem

"I want to. I want to be there for you. I want you to know that I care for you Margo. And not just as a friend. I want us to do this together, is that okay?" His statement makes me freeze, not knowing what to say next. "Margo please let me come with you. Please."

His eyes are filled with so much emotion, you would think he wasn't able to spare any for the rest of us.

"You only need to pack for a day. We're leaving the same night." I finally respond.

"I'll pack for three. I'll be over here by tomorrow morning and I won't leave your side until we get back. You're not alone in this, okay?" He plants and kiss on my cheek and runs off like a child that was told they can stay the night at their friends house.

If only he knew how horrible this trip will really be.

———

We leave the car and slowly walk up the trail that leads to the small trailer I used to live in. This place is a terrible area of the neighbourhood and it reeks of drugs and anger.

Koleton reaches up to knock on the door, pushing a small tricycle out of the way so I don't trip as I follow closely behind him. Calum has been silent since the plane landed, giving my hand small reassuring squeezes every once in a while as if to remind me he's still here.

"Coming!" A small voice yells, opening the door clumsily. Koleton slides out of the way so I can look down at Nixon, my younger brother. "Who are you?"

His question causes my stomach to knot up the same way it did when I got the call. He stares at me and it feels like I'm looking at my reflection.

"Can you go get your mommy?" I manage to speak up and he nods, quickly running away from the door.

After a few moments, she finally approaches the door. Clearly under some type of influence.

"Come in, come in. Watch your step, the house is a mess. I haven't gotten the chance to clean it." She pushes the screen door open, allowing us to walk inside.

The house is filled with the same type of mess it always has been. Trash and toys everywhere, the smell of different drugs and alcoholic drinks filling my nostrils.

I don't bother sitting down, scared of what may come out of the couch if I do. "Why did you call me to come here?"

"Because I- we, missed you." She groans taking a puff from the cigarette in her hand.

"Bull shit. Nixon isn't even old enough to remember me, Abigail doesn't care enough to believe I didn't want to abandon her and Ellie doesn't even know of my existence. So that leaves me to ask you the question one more time, Diane. Why did you fucking call me?" I snap, surprising everyone in the room with my sudden anger.

"I just answered you, bitch." She snaps, standing up. "Because I fucking missed you."

She reaches her hand towards a table filled with different drugs, trash, toys, you name it. Koleton pulls out his gun and cocks it, causing me to reach my hand out and push it away as Calum wraps his arm around my waist in a protective manner.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Margo. You don't honestly believe I would hurt you." She lets out a laugh and it leaves a ringing in my ears.

"Do you want money or something?" I ignore her question, asking my own.

"No, your father sends me lots of money."

"Oh yeah? How much does he send you? How much of it goes to the kids? By the way, he's not my fucking father. Don't you dare make the mistake of giving him that title ever again." I spit the words out like venom and she raises her eyebrows, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

"He told me he saw you one night at his warehouse, did you know that? He said he was working with one of his clients and you just so happened to be there, hiding behind a fence. You should really work on your stealth skills doll-face." I furrow my eyebrows, not having any recollection of the night she's talking about.

"Are you on drugs or something? You know what, don't answer that, but I promise I was never in a fucking warehouse." I laugh, as if she just told the best joke in the world.

"Oh, but honey, you were. He even said he tried to shoot you, but your boyfriend right there shot him first." She points at Calum and I feel the memories flooding back.

It was the same night Louis almost got us killed.

"That was him? He almost fucking murdered me!" I raise my voice and she lets out a laugh.

"Yeah, I just said that. You must be a real blonde, jesus you're slow."

I stare at her in disbelief, not knowing how to feel about the whole situation.

"Don't let your boyfriend act all innocent either. Do you know why he and his friends didn't have a big reaction about the whole thing? Or why your friend Abe is really gone? I bet you don't even know what your manager has to do with all of this either. God, you're so naive." She laughs as if this is some sort of joke as my world crumbles around me. I turn to look at Calum, noticing he seems as if he's just seen a ghost. "Don't look so lost baby, I'm sure he'll explain everything after he gets you in bed. Or he'll leave you just like everyone else."

I turn to look at her again, snatching Calum's gun out of his waistband and pointing it at her without another thought as tears stream down my face.

"Don't you dare talk about him like you know him. Calum and my friends would never hurt me. If you really want to talk about people leaving me, you can start with yourself." I sniffle, trying not to let my mind get the best of me.

"Margo, hand me the gun." Calum whispers and I shake him off of me, walking closer to the woman I stupidly used to call my mother.

"Give me one good fucking reason not to blow your brains out Diane. Just one. Right here in this living room where you and the man that is a lame excuse of a father would let those guys take advantage me. Right here where I raised myself and my siblings while trying to raise you as well because you were to fucked in the head to do it yourself. Right here where I fucking attempted to kill myself numerous times and you never once asked if I was okay. Come on Diane, give me one good fucking reason." I press the gun to her temple as she trembles with fear, not knowing what to do next.

"Margo, give me the gun, please." Calum approaches me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

I turn to look at him, noticing he doesn't even recognize me either. I drop the gun into his hand and look back down at the trembling woman.

"Next time this happens, I'm killing you with out hesitation." I spit on her and walk towards the front door before turning around to look at her again. I pull around five-hundred dollars out of my pocket and set it on the table beside the door. "If I find out this went anywhere except to the kids I'm calling child protective services and telling them this house isn't fit for anyone to live in. They'll condemn it with out a second thought and it'll leave you homeless."

She stares at me in disbelief as I open the front door, not thinking twice before leaving the house I once foolishly called my home. "Be better for them."