Page 4 of The Obvious Check
“I’m thankful I’ve been blessed with one of the best families in the world.”
Those words have played in my head ever since my family was ripped apart six years ago. My parents were gone in an instant, leaving me and my sister behind. Adley was snapped up quickly by a foster family because of her age. Me? I got shipped out of state, all the way to California to the only group home that had space. No one wanted to deal with a teenager who lost her parents, after all.
I pull out my phone, waiting for the screen to light up, and when it does, it’s hard to read through the cracks splintering across the glass. It’s ancient, a relic I can’t afford to replace, but it still texts and has the most important pictures to me on it.
Savannah:I miss you, love bug.
I stare at the message, wondering if there’s any point in even pushing this with Adley. Her foster family might not care for her, but she has a roof over her head, and the local prep school accepted her as part of their outreach to underprivileged students. She’s even got an older foster sister, Briar, who’s beenthrough this for longer. One who she’s spent more time with than me.
Adley:Miss you too, Care Bear. I can’t wait to see you again soon.
Pain shoots through my fingers as I read the message again.
No. This is the right thing for Adley.
Her foster family only keeps her and Briar around to bankroll their real daughter’s education. They don’t love either of them. They don’t give Adley the attention, the guidance, or the care a teenage girl needs.
I might not be able to offer her a fancy prep school, but I love her more than anyone else on this planet ever will, and that’s got to count for something.
I wipe away the single tear that drops onto my phone screen, sighing when it gets lost in the cracks across it. Then I press the gallery button and scroll through the photos. That’s the main benefit of using my father’s old phone. I have pictures taken from his perspective whenever I need them.
Smiles. That’s all I see. A happy, vibrant family, and my heart aches over the fact there are barely any photos of my father with us. He was always the one to capture the moment and now the moment’s gone. Just like him.
I miss him. I missthem.I want to go back. I want to be happy again.
The tears come hard now, blurring everything, so I toss my phone onto the passenger seat and rest my head against the window. Just for a second. I need to pull it together, figure out where I’m going to park my car and get some sleep tonight.
Reaching for the key, I stuff my hands in my pocket, only to feel the business card from earlier.
Luke McCabe.
The number stares back at me, sharp and silent. A reminder. A possibility. A choice.
Maybe I should call him. It’s not like I have anything to lose anymore, and if I get the money I need for Adley, then maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Chapter 1
“Which one is she?” Dash, my so-called best friend, asks, his eyes scanning the stream of students filing into my economics class. His knee knocks mine again in a subtle attempt to get my attention. Yeah, he’s trying real hard to act like there’s nothing weird going on between us, but even he can’t deny the festering tension.
He fucked my sister.
God, that’s an image I don’t need in my head this morning. They’redating.There, that’s a little less abrasive on my poor brain. The point is, he and my sister snuck around behind my back for fuck knows how long and everyone, my entire team included, expects me to bounce back from it. To just pretend the bro code meant nothing.
Yeah, I’m not that good of a guy.
Never have been.
I lean forward, hawking the entrance like a debt collector waiting for his mark. My pulse stays steady. My breathing is stable. Yeah, she’s not here. Pathetic doesn’t begin to cover what I’ve become. We’ve exchanged maybe ten words outside of ourstudy group, but my body reacts to her like a fucking tuning fork that only vibrates on her frequency.
“She’s not here yet,” I mutter.
Last one in, first one out: Her signature move. Be seen by as few people as possible and maybe, just maybe, people might forget she exists. Everyone else might lose her in the crowd. I never will. My watch says we’ve got two minutes before class starts, so she’ll be here soon.
And… there.
My gaze locks in, easily picking out the long, dark hair shifting through the crowd, parting the sea of mediocrity with her greatness. Her green eyes dart from face to face and her shoulders hunch as if she’s trying to fold herself into nothing. Wasted effort. I haven’t stopped staring since I first spotted her last year… right before her waste-of-oxygen boyfriend claimed his territory. My jaw clenches just thinking about that asshole and how undeserving he is of that title. Doesn’t she realize she’s a supernova in a universe of burned-out matchsticks?
“She’s here now,” Dash mutters, watching me like I just missed an open net.
