Abandon by Cassia Leo Read Free Book Online

screen, it’s as if the clouds have parted and shined a light on this tiny corner of the hospital cafeteria. Then I read the message and I resist the urge to throw my phone across the room.
     
    Senia: Thanks for the kind message. Now kindly stop texting me. I’m not interested in being one of your concubines.
     
    I probably don’t deserve anything better than this from Senia, but it still feels like a kick in the nuts right now. In any case, I don’t have it in me to chase her any more. It was sort of fun for the last twelve days to bug her with cheesy text messages, but it just feels stupid and pathetic now.
     
    Me: Whatever you say.
     
    Molly stands up and I grab her hand before she can leave. “Where are you going?”
    “I have to go to the restroom. Want to join me?”
    “You think that’s funny, but I actually—”
    “Potty-trained me. I know. You’ve told me a million times. It’s gross.”
    “Get out of here before I tell everyone in this cafeteria about the time you shit in Grandma’s flower pot.”
    “There’s no one here.”
    “Then I’ll write a song about it.”
    “You haven’t written anything in years,” she mutters, then she walks away.
    My phone vibrates again and a tremor of regret reverberates inside me for all the ways I haven’t been good enough for Molly. I must be such a fucking disappointment to her. I used to write songs for her all the time and I’d sing her to sleep. I stopped writing three years ago. It’s pointless. No one needs me to write songs. They need me to play my fucking instrument and bring the band the occasional bit of bad press.
    I turn my phone over on the table to check the screen and this message brings the faintest hint of a smile to my lips.
     
    Senia: Are you okay?
    Me: No. I’m at the hospital.
    Senia: What’s wrong?
     
    I don’t have to tell her anything. Something tells me that Senia will probably come running to my side if I speak the right empty promises. But I really don’t feel like fucking her.
    I just need to talk.
     
    Me: Can I call you later?
     
    She makes me wait a torturous forty minutes for her response. Molly is back from the restroom and seated across from me, using my phone to text her friends, but even Molly smiles when she sees the text message pop up on my screen.
     
    Senia: Fine. But you’d better not tell me you’re pregnant.

Chapter Nine
    Once the doctor releases Grandma, I help her to my car and Molly climbs into the backseat. Grandma’s blood pressure was still on the low side, so they asked us to keep a close eye on her and to make sure she gets plenty of rest.
    “Molly will make the turkey tomorrow,” I assure her as she leans her head back and closes her eyes.
    “The turkey’s been sitting there in that brine for too long. It’s no good any more,” she replies softly. “I’m sorry I screwed up. I just didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t fall asleep.”
    “Grandma, why don’t you just try the chemo?”
    “Because it won’t do a damn thing but make me sicker. I don’t want you two cleaning up my messes. I just want to go quietly.”
    Molly sniffles loudly in the backseat and I resist the urge to look in the rearview mirror. I don’t want to see what this is doing to her.
    “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Grandma says, reaching into the backseat to comfort Molly. “I don’t mean to scare you.”
    “Too late,” Molly grumbles. “Can you take me to Carissa’s?”
    “No, you’re staying home with me and Grandma.”
    She groans roughly, the sound garbled by the tears clogging her throat.
    “Just take her to her friend’s house,” Grandma insists.
    I crane my neck a little to get a look at Molly in the rearview mirror and I find her hugging her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. Normally, I’d tell her to get her dirty shoes off my leather seats, but she doesn’t need that; she needs a friend.
    After I drop her off at Carissa’s, Grandma and I arrive home a few minutes later and