When To Let Go by J.M. Sevilla Read Free Book Online Page A

Wes do that to Ava. Not anymore. She wanted Parker to do it again and again.
    She slowly opened her eyes.
    “Don't tell anyone I did that, okay?” His eyes pleaded with hers, “Your dad would kill me and then we'd never get to hang out anymore.”
    Violet didn't want that either. Next to her mom, dad, and siblings, Parker was her favorite person to be around.
    Violet only nodded, still a little dazed from experiencing her first kiss.
    The next day she handed over the money and a few days after that Parker was gone.

Chapter 7
Drop Out Of Life
    Maggie hopped out of the passenger side of one of the track’s racing cars.
    “When can I learn to do that?” She asked her dad who was coming out of the driver’s side.
    “When you're tall enough to reach the pedals.”
    Maggie pouted. That would never happen. She was the shortest person in her class. Most first graders were taller than her. How was she supposed to become the best drifter the world had ever seen by the time she was sixteen if she never got to practice?
    “Why don't we go again?” Her dad suggested, hating to disappoint his daughter. “I can start teaching you how to use the stick?”
    Maggie beamed, “Okay!”
    This had been their after school routine since the beginning. She'd get home from school, and if there were no races or classes going on her dad would take her on the track for a few runs. Every time she'd ask to learn he'd say no, then feel guilty and let her go another lap with him.
    “Not fair!” Xavier called out from behind the guardrail, “I was next.”
    Maggie made a face at him. He was already getting to learn to drive with his dad, and loved to brag about how he would be the best one day.
    Not if Maggie could help it.
    That was when their dads decided on a race.
    Maggie and Xavier loved when they did that.
    The two kids rushed to the passenger seats of their dad's cars.
    Maggie's favorite feeling in the world was being in a car as it traveled at high speeds, taking curves without skipping a beat, daring the road to turn against them.
    She and Xavier always thought the races were real, not knowing their dads went slower than they would have if they weren't there, keeping their distance to avoid crashes. Every morning the dads met in Noah's office, flipping a coin to see who'd “win” that day if they happened to find time to “race”.
    When dusk was settling in they had to go home. Maggie was surprised to see that her aunts were there. She excitedly ran inside her home, hoping it meant they were having dinner with them.
    What she found was Ava crying on the couch in Aunt Stevie's arms, who was also shedding tears.
    Wes was watching Ava like he always did.
    Her mom was sitting on a bar stool, watching as Aunt Naomi squatted in front of Violet, making them eye level, “Are you sure you don't know what happened to Parker? He didn't mention anything?”
    Maggie saw the fear in Violet’s eyes as she replied, “No. He only talks to me about cars.”
    Why did Maggie feel like her sister was lying?
    She listened as her mom quietly explained to her dad that Parker wasn't in his bed that morning and never showed up for school. Ava had found a note in her backpack that said he'd be back soon and not to worry.
    How could Parker think Ava wouldn't worry about him? All she did was worry about him. She was always crying over the way he treated their moms and the fights he got into.
    Maggie decided that she hated Parker. He only made those that loved him cry. From now on, she wouldn’t care that Wes wanted to be Ava's protector. He'd do a better job than her stupid brother.
    Later that night, when Violet and Maggie were in the privacy of their room, she asked Violet if she was telling the truth about not knowing.
    “Of course,” her sister confirmed, turning off the bedroom light.
    It still felt like Violet was lying. Maggie brushed the feeling aside. Wesley, Violet, and her always told each other the truth. They weren't like most siblings that