Blood roared past her ears, but his words were clear.Still, she refused to believe him.Everything he’d ever done and said to her couldn’t be a lie.This was some practical joke.An attempt to stop her from rejoining the troupe.
Dizziness washed over Jillian, and she realized why.She’d stopped breathing.A bad habit she’d perfected as a child when she couldn’t get her way.She sucked in air as memories from the past zipped through her head.Children on their street and those they’d meet at the performances asking her what it felt like to be a Finnegan.
“Great!I have the best family in the world,” she’d say with pride.
All lies?She didn’t think so.How many noses had she bloodied when some kid dared to say she wasn’t really a Finnegan because she was adopted?How many times had she been sent to the principal because she’d threatened to beat up someone?Even Ricky had sucker punched a few A-holes for messing with his sister.
She was a Finnegan and proud of it.
Tears burned the back of Jillian’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall.She glanced at the others.Except for Uncle Rowan, they all stared at her father in horror.Daniel Finnegan was not her father?No, she refused to believe it.This was something he’d cooked up for some twisted reason.
“Cian?Ricky?”She needed just one person to tell her it was a lie or a joke.Maybe stand up to her father and call him a liar.
Her brothers shook their heads.From their expressions, this was news to them.
Jillian whipped around and faced her uncle.“Uncle Rowan?”she asked.“Is this true?”
He nodded.“Sorry, kiddo.”
A knife twisted in her gut would have been less painful.Jillian tried to swallow, but her mouth had turned into sandpaper.
“Why didn’t you tell me bef—” Her voice shook to a stop.“Before?”she whispered.
He father glared, eyes icy, his hands clenched on top of the covers, but he didn’t speak.
“Why?”Jillian shouted.
“Because I made a promise to your mother,” her father, or the man she’d believed was Dad, snapped.“Take your money and leave,” he growled.“We don’t need it.And don’t ever come back here again.”
Hysteria bubbled to the surface, and Jillian laughed harshly.“Don’t worry, Da…Mr.Finnegan.I won’t dirty your doorsteps again.”She reached for the duffel bag, unzipped it, and turned it upside down.The wads of bills fell onto the bed, a few landing on the floor.“Keep the money.It should make up for what you spent on my clothes, food, dance and gymnastic lessons.”She turned to leave.
“I don’t want your money,” he called out, and Jillian paused.She bit her lower lip to stop herself from saying something she’d regret.Exhaling, she continued toward the door.
Ricky reached for her arm.“Jill—”
“Don’t, Ricky.”She yanked opened the door and carefully closed it behind her when she wanted to slam it.Old habits died hard.Tears welled in her eyes.Another old habit.She always criedaftera confrontation, not during.
She stopped, lifted her chin, and blinked rapidly.The door opened behind her and she took off, not wanting to see or talk to a Finnegan.Ever.Again.
~*~
Thugs and money were a terrible combination.No matter how Lex looked at it, something bad was going on with Jillian’s family.He should be inside by her side, not dealing with gawking neighborhood kids.They kept inching closer and closer until they surrounded the helicopter.
Sophia had decided she didn’t want her friends to join them after all and was seated with Mathews at the front, asking questions and waving to her friends.A star in the making.
“Mister, is this your helicopter?”one boy asked.
“How fast does it go?”another asked.
“Can you do tricks in the air?My Uncle Jimmy has a plane and he can make it do loop-de-loops in the air.But his plane is this small.”The boy indicated with his pudgy hands.
Yeah, toy planes.Lex smiled at the boy and explained why his helicopter couldn’t do that.Question after question, but he still didn’t let them get on board.You allowed one on, you had to allow them all.
His eyes went to the front entrance of Jillian’s home.He didn’t want to worry about her, but he couldn’t help it.Coming from a large family, he knew how one incident by a single member could affect everyone.The Fitzgeralds had their share of scandals, so he was used to family crises.
Lex was beginning to lose his patience when the door opened and Jillian stepped out.From the way she gripped the duffel bag to her pale face, he knew something was wrong.
“Okay, boys and girls, we are about to take off.Go back to your mommies and daddies,” Lex said as he pushed away from the helicopter and went to meet Jillian.Her eyes were empty, yet her chin trembled.She bit hard on her lower lip.“Are you—?”
