Secret Catch by Cassie Mae, Jessica Salyer Read Free Book Online

leave?”
    “Yes. You need to wash your arm.”
    “Right. And you won’t tell?” I do my puppy face again.
    She sighs. “I won’t tell. But you have to promise to play more games with me.”
    I put my hand over my heart. “Promise.”
    “Goodnight.” She kisses the corner of my left eye while I kiss her forehead and stand. The nightlight passed her test, so I flick the overhead off and leave the door open a tiny crack. Parker doesn’t like to be trapped.
    I hop down the stairs to clean the game up, but Hunter’s putting the box lid on as I get in the kitchen. I don’t know if it’s ’cause Mom made him, or if he cleaned on his own, but I say, “Thanks.”
    “Yup.”
    “You crashing here tonight?”
    He shakes his head and leans on the table. “Nah. Gonna stay at Alina’s. Her dickhead boyfriend messed up again, so I’m keeping her company.”
    “What kind of company?”
    “Same as always. I’m the go-to friend-zoned schmuck she runs to when shit hits the fan.”
    “When are you gonna tell her to dump his sorry ass and go after yours?”
    He shrugs and I drop it. Hunter and Alina have been friends for who knows how long. I don’t get too involved with it, but it’s sort of obvious how he feels about her.
    “What about you?”
    “Huh?”
    He nods toward my Sharpied up arm. “Looks like a phone number.”
    “Yeah.”
    “In girly writing.”
    “Yeah.”
    He pushes off the table and rolls his eyes. “Just don’t let Mom see it.”
    “Parker already gave me the lecture.”
    “Listen to her. She’s the smartest out of all of us.”
    Hunter smirks and punches me hard in the thigh, giving me a dead leg. I curse at him as he bolts to the family room.
    I slouch to the floor and pull my cell out of my pocket. I was trying to distract myself all night so I wouldn’t be looking at the clock every two seconds waiting for it to be past nine. It’s 8:47 now, and already I feel like time is crawling as I watch the clock tick.
    Rubbing the feeling back into my leg, I scroll through my contacts list and program Sam in. I hope I’m able to walk to my room before 9:00, because no way in hell am I making this call within hearing distance of my family members.
     

 
     
     

     
    Of the twenty-four hours in a day, I would say Mom’s in her bed at least sixteen of them. When she’s not in her bed, she just mopes around the house, so out of it she barely eats or talks to us. She’s sleeping, and I wait till I’m sure she’s still breathing before letting the door click shut. I would love to have my mom back. Have her make great dinners and give me hugs and kisses. I want to say something as I leave her room with the bag of garbage I gathered from the side of her bed. I want to tell her to pull it together, and that we all lost Dad. Or maybe explain about how she’s supposed to be the adult, and she’s letting us down.
    But I say nothing. I’ve had my sixty seconds already today.
    I quietly click the door shut, but I end up screaming a muffled cry when I run face-first into a hard chest and strong cologne.
    Brad laughs as I step back and smack him in the gut.
    “Shit, don’t do that!”
    “Sorry. Next time I’ll bring a trumpet and announce my grand entrances.”
    I roll my eyes and maneuver around him, knowing he’ll follow me downstairs. It’s no surprise when I see his pillow and overnight bag near the couch.
    “Hope you don’t mind…” he starts.
    “I don’t mind,” I tell him with a wave of my hand. He doesn’t have to talk about it if he doesn’t want to.
    “It’ll be just tonight I think. He had whiskey so…”
    “I get it. It’s fine.”
    “Thanks, Sammy.”
    I give him a mock mad face. “Stop calling me that!”
    “You let Josh.”
    “Well, he’s six.”
    Brad’s grin widens, and he reaches out and squishes my cheeks. “Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…”
    Batting at him with the garbage bag, I laugh and bump him back with my hip. “You keep away, or I’ll…” My voice stops