"Sometimes it fucks off to Italy to try and distract itself."
"Silly trouble." Lucas chuckled as I heard the front door open.
Two men walked in, lifting Steve from the floor with ease.
"Silly fucker drank too much," muttered one, as the other pistol-whipped him in the face.
"Drank himself into a stupor. Where do you want him, Boss?"
Lucas gazed at my dad, who nodded solemnly.
"Take him for a drive. Show him the river."
The larger of the two grinned manically as he nodded.
"Can I use the acid?"
"You're like a fucking preschooler. Get out."
I pressed my face to his chest, inhaling his scent as he tilted my head back to look at him.
"Seriously, I need you under some protection."
I kissed him then as Mom cleared her throat.
"Uh guys, maybe you too should take this elsewhere..." she laughed softly as I blushed.
"No problem, Mom."
32
ZANE
I kissed Layla’s hand as we walked into the hospital, releasing her as she walked forward with her mom.
My heart ached for her, but I knew this was something they needed to do together. Mom slid her arm around me, and Dad took a seat beside us on the plastic chairs.
“When I said I wanted to come to Australia, I didn’t mean under these circumstances,” Mom said quietly, as Dad sighed.
“I’m sorry, Raven.”
She nodded as we watched Rosie and Layla disappear around the corner.
“Rosie still loves him. Can you imagine how she feels right now?”
“It’s horrific. But I’m still fucked off with him; if Finn had any fucking brain cells, Layla wouldn’t be going through what she is right now.” I snapped as my parents exchanged a look.
“Addicts aren’tstupid, Zane. It’s a horrible situation.”
I grunted in response, studying the notice board beside me with boredom. Plenty of self-help leaflets and caring people to talk to when times got rough, yet people barely use them.
People like Finn.
How long had the drug abuse been going on? Was this why he and Rosie had split?
“Zane, stop thinking. You’ll drive yourself mad,” sighed Dad as he gazed at me. He looked tired, and I decided to tell him as much.
“When will you stop and relax, Dad?”
