Chapter 26
SHELBY
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Ienter the house and find Nick and Peter talking in the living room.
When they notice me, they stop.
My gaze bounces between them. “What’s wrong?”
Peter looks at Nick before nodding his head at me. “Tell her.”
“I found this note today when I came home from school.” He hands it to me.
All it says is, I warned you.
A chill runs down my spine, making me shiver.
“Roger,” I mutter.
“I thought so, too,” Nick says.
“What do you think he warned you about?” Peter asks.
“Luke’s sister.” I close my eyes, running my hand down my face. “He told Luke to stay away from me. If he didn’t, he’d send her back to him, piece-by-piece.”
Peter sits with his mouth open, trying to form words.
“She’s here now, so that’s not going to happen.” Nick grabs his phone. “I’ll call him and tell him about the letter.”
“Why didn’t you tell him when you saw him outside?” I ask. “You told me to tell him you wanted to talk to him, remember?”
“Yeah.” Nick rubs the back of his neck. “The news about Lea having a kid short-circuited my brain. A baby bomb will do that.”
“You’re pregnant?” my mother screeches from where she stands at the entrance to the living room, startling us. “I can’t believe this! You’re a slut, just like Hannah said, but I never thought you would let this happen. Do you even know who the father is?”
I blink a few times as I replay her words in my head.
She storms toward me, and her palm cracks down on my face. “How could you be so stupid?”
“Patty!” Peter shouts, stepping in between me and my mother.
Nick wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me away from her.
“I knew you would cause problems. That’s all you’ve done since you got here,” my mother shouts, glaring at me over Peter’s shoulder. “Now, you’re pregnant?”
“That’s enough, Patty!” Peter shakes my mother by her shoulders.
He moves her away and whispers something to her, but whatever he says pisses her off more.
“Yeah, that trash is pregnant!” She points in my direction.
“No, she’s not,” Peter growls at her. “And if you stopped for one second to ask instead of making the worst assumptions and attacking your daughter, you would have learned it’s Luke’s sister who had a son.”
“Luke doesn’t have a sister, Peter.” She facepalms. “You’re so gullible.”
He rubs his eyes. “Yes, Luke does. She ran away years ago.”
His eyes have bags under them, and he’s lost some of his color. This can’t be the only stress he’s dealing with.
My mom splutters. “Well, how was I supposed to know? Shelby hasn’t acted right since I first brought her into this house. She runs around with four boys, one of whom is your daughter’s boyfriend. She stole Hannah’s boyfriend!”
“Luke isn’t dating Hannah, Patty. They broke up a year ago.” He scrubs his hands through his hair. “Why are you acting like this? It’s like I don’t even know you.”
Mom’s eyes grow hard again before she pushes past him to storms toward me again. “You always do this! You ruin everything. I brought you here because of Peter, but I never wanted you here! I never wanted you, but your father did, so I kept you! Then he left, sticking me with you!”
Peter grabs my mom around her waist, stopping her from reaching me.
My jaw drops. Even in her past drug-induced hazes, she never talked to me like that.
“That is enough!” Peter spins around, pushing Patty away from him, creating more distance between us. “What is your problem? You need to breathe. I won’t have you talking to Shelby like that.”
Mom narrows her eyes at Peter, then sneers, “Oh, so you’re under her spell.” She glares over at me. “Did you crawl into my husband’s bed, too?”
“That’s it, Patty. One more vile word out of you…” Peter leaves the threat hanging in the air.
“You’ll what?” She throws her arms up. “I don’t care. I can’t stand to be in this house so long as that whore is here. Call me once you’ve come to your senses and tossed her out on her ass.”
Mom grabs her purse and keys, then storms out of the house, leaving the door wide open after her.
Peter follows, closing and locking the door behind her.
As he walks back into the living room, Mom drives off.
My heart breaks for him. “I’m sorry.”
“No, never apologize for your mother’s actions.” He places his hand on my shoulder. “She’s going through some things, but she needs to be the one to tell you.”
I wrap my arms around my waist. “Is she using again?”
He shakes his head. “No…” His hand comes up to his chin. “At least, I don’t think so.”
I shuffle and catch Nick’s stunned gaze, nodding toward his dad. “I need to go study for my exam tomorrow, then I’m going to crash. Don’t forget to call Luke, Nick.”
I walk forward and stop in front of Peter. Not sure if he’ll be okay with it, I reach out, waiting for him to accept my offer.
He looks at me for a moment before he steps forward and pulls me into a hug.
He releases me not long after, stepping back. “Have a good night.”
I head to the hall where my room is. At the opening, I glance back and see Nick with a hand on Dad’s shoulder, talking. Since Nick is helping his dad, I head to my room.
I shower, letting the hot water relax my muscles, and escape the confrontation with my mother. I push it aside, not wanting to think about it any further.
After the shower, I put on my favorite oversized T-shirt, which I snagged from Dom, and a pair of sleep shorts.
I grab my phone and text the guys goodnight, telling them I’ll study before bed.
I receive responses from them, including another thank you from Luke. I’m glad everything worked out for him and his family.
I snuggle into bed, then review my notes until I crash.
The next morning, I wake up early.
I grab my things and head to the testing center. I didn’t want to take the test on the computer. For some reason, I thought I’d do better by taking it in person.
I enter the Family Network and Adult Literacy program building and give the receptionist my name.
She takes me back to the same room I tested in yesterday.
Five of the ten desks have people in them. She hands me the test and the Scantron sheet and tells me the instructor will tell us when we can start.
I thank her before taking my seat.
The GED testing is divided into two days. Yesterday, I completed language arts, which took one hundred and fifty minutes. Then, they gave us a small break, and we jumped to science, which took another ninety minutes.
Today, I’ll take math and social studies, which will take one hundred eighty-five minutes.
I rush to fill in the bubbles before the timer goes off, then review my answers to make sure I didn’t miss any. For once, I finish before the time runs out.
Satisfied with my answers, I hand the instructor my answer sheet and test booklet.
He explains I’ll receive an email with my results in twenty-four hours.
I thank him and leave the room, heading outside.
One step closer to freedom, I close my eyes and tip my head back, letting the afternoon sun warm my face. The beautiful day makes for a perfect opportunity to ride Serenity.
I drive the long way home, and it’s before three when I pull into our driveway.
The guys should be out of school soon, and they’ll come over to celebrate me finishing my GED tests. It didn’t matter how often I pointed out that the results won’t have been posted yet. They were adamant.
I unlock the door and step in.
As soon as I turn around after locking the door, my eyes catch something lying on the floor. It’s something familiar, but my brain struggles to recognize it.
I take a step forward, then another.
“Mom!” I race over and kneel next to where she lies on the floor.
As I roll her over, a bottle of pills falls out of her hand.
I’m such an idiot. Of course, she’s been using, given her behavior. This is my fault. I’ve been so out of it that I didn’t catch the signs.
“I thought you weren’t going to do this again.” I can’t leave her passed out here.
Peter could come home any minute, and I don’t want him to find her like this, even if I intend to tell him that she’s using again.
As I shake her, though, I realize her chest isn’t rising.
I go into save Mom mode and place my fingers on her neck. Please let me find a pulse. But there’s nothing. I perform CPR on her.
I can’t believe this. She had everything she ever wanted.
I pant as I keep up my compressions.
I don’t know how long I’m doing compressions for when Nick walks in.
“Nick, call 9-1-1!” I shout, out of breath, as I keep counting off the compressions in my head. “Come on, Mom. Don’t do this.”
Nick puts the phone on speaker, then takes over the CPR.
“I need you to tell me what happened,” the dispatcher says.
“I don’t know.” Tears slide down my face. “I came home and found her on the floor. I thought she passed out. But when I rolled her over, I found a bottle of pills, and she wasn’t breathing.”
Nick counts in the background.
“Okay, miss, help is on the way. I want you to work with your brother to keep doing the compressions until they arrive. Can you do that?” The dispatcher’s voice guides me, keeping me rooted.
Per the dispatcher’s instructions, I switch out with Nick when he tires, counting out loud at their request.
Two EMTs come running in. One takes over the CPR while the other EMT jabs a naloxone pen against her thigh before moving to cut her shirt and bra open and putting the shock pads on her.
More EMTs file in, and Nick and I move back to give them room to work.
Luke runs in, then stops, taking in what’s happening. When his eyes land on me, his shoulders relax, then his brows pinch. He rushes over, wrapping me in his arms as they shock her.
It takes two jolts before the heart monitor registers an unsteady rhythm.
“Let’s move it!” one of the EMTs shouts.
They secure Mom on a gurney and wheel her out. Lea and Clara watch from their house as they load Mom into the back of the ambulance. Nick, Luke, and I come outside, then I lock the door.
Nick and Luke nod at me.
“We’ll be right behind you,” Luke says.
“You don’t have to. I’m used to this,” I say to him. “Nick, can you contact your dad?”
I climb into the back of the ambulance. The doors shut behind me before he answers. As soon as the ambulance starts rolling, the siren whoops.
One of the EMTs with me in the back asks me questions about her health history.
At my ready answers, he gives me a sad smile. “Been here before?”
Numb, I nod as I stare at my mother’s unconscious body.
When we arrive at the emergency room, they rush Mom back. A nurse points me to the waiting room.
People are everywhere, some in pain, some in tears. I find a seat in the back corner and wait.
I believed her when she said she changed, but not even love could fix her. I’m angry at her for doing this to Peter, Nick, and me. Hell, even Hannah is going to be devastated over this.
“Shelby!” I glance up at the sound of my name being called and find Cam jogging toward me.
“Why are you here?” I ask, confused.
“Nick called and told me about your mom being rushed to the hospital. I got here as fast as I could. The others should be here soon, too.”
I shrug. “She overdosed again.”
He sits beside me and puts his arms around me. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. This is what she does. She fooled me this time. I thought she would stay clean.” I laugh. “Joke’s on me, huh?”
“She tried Shelby,” Nick says. “Maybe things were too much for her.”
“You mean I’m too much for her?” My head drops, and I notice three more people in the room. “When did you guys get here?”
“You were staring out into space when we arrived. Cam told us the basics,” Mav says.
“You guys don’t need to waste your time here. Once they settle her, they’ll allow us to see her. Then, she’ll say how sorry she is and that she’ll never do it again. I’m done. I told her if she does this again, I’m gone,” I state.
Peter runs through the emergency room entrance and searches the faces.
I stand up, and he jogs over to me.
“What happened?” he gasps, out of breath.
“I came home and found her on the floor. She OD’d again.” I shake my head. “Peter, I’m sorry she pulled you into this.” My voice cracks.
“Shelby, I need to tell you something—” Peter’s interrupted when a doctor walks in.
“Tate family?” He waits for a response.
“Yes, that’s us.” Peter turns around.
“Can you follow me into this room over here?” he says.
My feet falter as my chest tightens.
This is different. They’ve never taken me into a private conference room. I look over my shoulder and motion for the guys to stay in the waiting room.
Nick, Peter, and I file into a small room. The doctor closes the door behind him.
“Please have a seat.” He waves at the seats behind us.
“I don’t need one.” I hug my arms across my stomach. “I’ve been through this before. I know what you’re going to say. She had an overdose and needs help. If she doesn’t receive help and continues using, her organs could start shutting down.”
“Shelby, please.” Peter looks over at me, a note of pleading in his voice.
I sigh and take a seat.
“I’m sorry, but Mrs. Tate didn’t make it,” he says.
Peter gasps, covering his mouth. He hunches his shaking shoulders. Nick’s mouth falls open. His eyes move to his father, then over to me.
My ears ring. I heard him wrong. She’s dead. No, that’s not right. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“What killed her?” Peter chokes out.
“We rushed a blood sample and found Fentanyl in her system. I’m sorry for your loss. If you have questions, have a nurse find me.” He leaves the room.
“Fentanyl? Where did she get that?” My chest constricts. “It’s normally oxycodone.”
I need to leave. I can’t breathe. I jump up and run out of the room.
The guys call my name, but I ignore them and run out of the emergency doors. Tears pour down my face and obscure my vision. I stop when I reach the parking lot’s end, unable to run any farther.
I bend over, gasping for breath.
Boots stomp on the ground behind me.
I stand up again and take a deep breath when I notice a figure across the highway. I wipe the tears from my eyes.
Roger.
The note Nick found. It wasn’t about Lea. It was about my mom.
Roger’s face splits into a macabre grin.
My legs give out, but Dom catches me.
I keep my eyes on Roger and mouth, You.
He winks and finger waves at me.
“Firefly, I’m so sorry,” he whispers.
Rage fills me, and I rip out of Dom’s arms.
“You did this!” I point at Roger.
Dom looks across the highway and lets out a growl.
Roger shrugs.
“I’m going to kill you!” I take a few steps into the street, not looking at the approaching cars.
Roger waves me over.
As I step into the street, Dom screams and drags me back just as a car whizzes by, narrowly missing me. “Baby, you can’t cross here! The traffic is too heavy. You’d be killed for sure.”
“Let me go!” I buck against Dom’s arms. “He killed my mom! I’m going to kill him!”
“We’ll get him, angel, but not right now.” Luke moves to block my view of Roger. “Peter needs us.”
“Oh my God, Peter.” I gasp.
When I glance back across the road, Roger is gone, and I stop fighting. “You can let me go, Dom. Roger is gone.”
His hold relaxes on me, but anger fills his voice. “He stood there, knowing how busy that road was. He wanted you or one of us to be hurt trying to cross, and you almost did!”
Luke grips Dom’s shoulder. “Take it easy on her. She’s been through a lot.”
Dom puts me down, and we return to the room where Nick sits with his dad. I throw my arms around Peter.
“I’m sorry,” I say, crying. “This is my fault.”
He wraps his arms around me. “No, dear girl, it’s not. How could it be?”
I sigh and worry what I’m about to say could end our relationship. “Roger had something to do with this. I just saw him outside.”
Uncomfortable accepting his support, I remove his arms from around me and glare down at my hands. “So, it’s my fault.”
Peter moves forward, placing his hand under my chin and lifting my head so I look at him. Tears shimmer in his eyes. “She was sick, Shelby. She made her own decisions. No one forced her to take those pills.”
“Roger could have hypnotized her into overdosing,” I say quietly.
“Patty had a problem, Shelby. I hoped her time in rehab and my love for her would be enough of a difference. But part of me always accepted that this was a possibility.” Peter kisses my head, then stands. “I have some things I need to take care of here. When I get home, we’ll start planning your mother’s funeral.”
I stand up and hug him tight in thanks.
“Excuse me. Is Shelby Winters in here?” an all-too-familiar woman asks.
Still in Peter’s arms, I peek around him. In the doorway is a short, stout woman with brown hair almost overtaken by gray.
I shake my head. Dammit. She’s quicker than I expected.
“I’m here, Mrs. Abney.” I step away from Peter.
“Aww, Shelby. I’m sorry about your mother. I hoped she would stay clean this time.” She shakes her head. “Well, you know the drill. Let’s go. I have a busy day.”
Security guards are with her. This could turn messy.
I glance at the guys. Damn, I’m going to miss them. Not wanting to make this any harder, I look at them one last time before I turn away.
“Bye,” I say softly as I lower my head and move toward Mrs. Abney.
Mav grabs my arm and draws me backward until we’re both behind the guys. They form a wall in front of us.
“What do you mean bye?” Pain laces Mav’s voice.
“Where the hell are you taking her?” Dom growls out.
“Boys, don’t make this any harder than it has to be,” Mrs. Abney says, her voice monotone. “Ms. Winters is a minor, and the relative she’s allowed to stay with passed. She’ll be going to a group home until she turns eighteen.”
“Over my dead body.” Mav holds me tighter.
“Just try to get through us!” Dom barks over his brother.
I rest my head on Mav’s chest. The others protest, too, but I block them out. The thought of going to another group home makes me sick.
“Quiet.” Peter steps toward Mrs. Abney. “Ma’am, I’m Dr. Peter Tate, Patty’s husband. Shelby lives with us. My son and I were about to take her home.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, Dr. Tate,” she says, not sounding sincere. “Did you adopt Ms. Winters?”
“No, I haven’t, but it doesn’t matter,” he says. “Shelby is my daughter, and she can stay at my house for as long as she wants.”
Mrs. Abney exhales, sounding exasperated over this whole situation. “That’s great, but if she doesn’t have a legal parent, she goes to a home.”
“She doesn’t need a parent. She’s been taking care of herself for years,” Cam berates Mrs. Abney.
“She’s our home,” Mav adds. “You can’t take her.”
“Her mother just died. Do you have to take her now?” Nick argues.
I glance at the two guards. One is eyeing Dom up. If I don’t take control, the guys could get in trouble.
Mrs. Abney hands Peter a business card. “You can call this number to find out about fostering her. But she’ll come with me until you are registered as a licensed foster parent.”
“And how long will that take?” Luke demands.
“She’s not going.” Mav pulls me tighter against him.
“I’m calling our lawyer,” Nick says.
“She’s our family, and we love her,” Cam snaps.
“I’d like to see you try to take her,” Dom threatens.
“Wait, what about her uncle?” Peter asks.
Mrs. Abney glances at the piece of paper. “He didn’t want her.”
“That was years ago!” I throw up my hands.
“It doesn’t matter if it was yesterday, Shelby. I’m sorry, but right now, you have to go.” She motions to the guards.
They take a step forward, and the guys go nuts.
“Guys.” I slip out of Mav’s arms and stand in front of them. “She’s doing her job. It’s nothing I haven’t been through before. I’ll be fine. It’s only three weeks before I turn eighteen.”
Cam truns to me. “We can make a run for it.”
I smile up at him. “You need to stay strong for Mav. He’s going to need you.”
He pulls me into a crushing hug. “I need you to stay strong, Princess.” His mouth covers me in a hungry kiss before he pulls back. “I love you with all my heart.”
“I love you, too.” I leave him to cup Mav’s cheek. “My Knight, I’ll be back in your arms before you know it.”
He pulls me tight against him. I can feel his body shaking. “We just got you back, and now they’re taking you from us. I can’t do this.”
“You’re stronger than you realize. I’m not leaving forever, Mav. I’ll be back, and I’ll have my phone. We can talk and video chat anytime you want.”
He loosens his hold on me and nods. His kiss is slow and passionate, and when we pull away from each other, we both have tears falling.
Next is Luke. “Carter is going to be mad that you have to cancel your play date.”
I chuckle and sniffle. “Tell him I’m sorry, and when I come back, we can play all day. Take care of your family. Roger’s not done. He still might come after your sister.”
“I will, and I want you to be careful. Mrs. Abney arrived awfully fast. Watch your back.” He cups my face and kisses the hell out of me.
Dom stands with his arms crossed. “You’re not going. If I have to fight the world, I will.”
I put my hand on his chest. “I don’t want you to. It’s only three weeks. It’s a walk in the park for me.”
He glances down at me and huffs. “I love you, Firefly.”
“And I love you, Grizzly.”
He bends and kisses my head. “I’ll kiss you properly when you get back.”
“Okay.” I go over to Nick.
He puts his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry this is happening.”
“This is normal for me. Take care of your dad for me. I’m worried about him.”
“I’ll watch him.” He frowns. “You watch your back.”
“Thanks.” I kiss his cheek.
I head over to where Peter is sitting in a chair with his head down. “Peter?”
His head snaps up, and his eyes are red with tears. He jumps up. “Shelby, I wish I could stop this from happening.”
“It’s all right, Peter, I’ll be fine. Let me know when the funeral is?” I ask, and he nods. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home. You made me part of your family, and I’ll never forget that.”
“Don’t.” Tears trail down his cheeks. “Don’t say that like this is goodbye. Nick had the right idea. I’m calling our lawyer. I’ll be damned if I let them keep you in another group home for three weeks.”
He pulls me into a hug and kisses my head. “I can’t stop her from taking you away, but I’ll have you home soon.”
Stepping back, I nod in agreement, even though experience tells me it won’t be that easy. I wave at my guys one last time and follow Mrs. Abney.
One of the guards reaches out to grab my arm.
“Don’t touch her,” Dom growls.
Mrs. Abney waves the guard off.
My heart feels heavy as we leave the hospital and cross the parking lot.
“Thank you for being smart about this. I didn’t want to call the police on your friends.” She walks up to her car and unlocks it.
As I climb into the car with her, I remember something Luke said. “How did you find out my mom died? We were just told.”
She drives away from the house before she glances at me. “I got a call from the hospital yesterday.”
My stomach drops. “That’s impossible. She passed away less than an hour ago.”
Her brows knit together. “That can’t be right.”
My heart drops. Roger. He was at the hospital. He called her, meaning he has something planned, now that she’s separated me from the family.
“Doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change that she passed away,” I huff out. “What home are you taking me to this time?”
“The ones in this state are full, so I’ll have to take you to one in the next state. It’s a place called Milestones Academy.”
My head snaps up. “Wait, a different state?” No, that shouldn’t be possible. “Fosters aren’t supposed to be moved across state lines.”
“My hands are tied on this, Shelby. There are no foster homes available. There’s only this Milestones Academy.”
I gnaw on my lip. Nothing about this is right, but Mrs. Abney is just like every other service person I’ve met while in foster care and doesn’t give a shit so long as she gets me off her hands.
I pull out my phone to update everyone about this new situation.
Shelby: I just found out she’s taking me out of state to a place called Milestones Academy.
Nick: Never heard of it. I’ll look it up.
Mav: Dom and I have our lawyer fast-tracking the emancipation paperwork. Our lawyer doesn’t think it should be a problem since you’ll be eighteen in three weeks, anyway.
Luke: This feels like Roger has a hand in this. Watch out for him.
Cam: I love you, and you can handle this.
Dom: I’m getting in my car and heading out to Milestones. If something happens, I’ll be there.
Shelby: As much as I want to see you, Dom, it would only cause trouble for me. Stay and work on your lawyer.
It’s nice to have them in my corner. I lean my head back on the headrest, looking out the window.
I sit for a while, watching the scenery pass, zoning out.
This seems like a bad dream. Mom’s dead, and Uncle Brett… Shit, I forgot about him. He shouldn’t hear about it over text.
Shelby: I forgot to tell Uncle Brett about my mom, Nick. Can you please take care of that for me?
Nick: Dad already did it.
Since climbing into the car, I’ve been fighting back tears, and now I’m close to losing the battle. Buildings and houses turn into blurry figures. This is worse than the last time I was hauled off to a group home. Now I know what it’s like to have a loving family.
Unable to stop the tears that pour out, my hands come up and cover my face. I was just getting to know my mom, and now she’s gone. My shoulders shake as I let loose.
“Oh, here, honey,” Mrs. Abney says.
I peek out of my hands and see Mrs. Abney holding a tissue box.
I take a few, wipe my tears, and blow my nose.
Five minutes later, Cin texts me.
Cin: I’m so sorry about your mom, Shelby. I can’t believe you’re going to a group home again.
Shelby: Neither can I, but at least this will be the last time. How’s your dad?
Cin: Upset. He thought things were going well for her. How are you?
Shelby: Angry. Sad. I knew her dying was a strong possibility, but I thought things would be different because of how much she loved Peter. And, before the shit with Roger, we were working on reconnecting. But that was a lie.
Cin: I’m so sorry. Nick told me about what happened last night. I can’t believe the things she said to you.
Me: That type of thing seems more real to me than how she was when I first moved into the Tate’s house.
I need to tell her the rest.
Shelby: I’m scared. Mrs. Abney is taking me to a home called Milestones. It’s in another state, which shouldn’t be legal. But when I brought that up, she said her hands were tied because nowhere in-state can take me.
Shelby: She also received a call from the hospital hours before Mom was brought in.
Shelby: Roger showed up at the hospital. He wanted me to know he’s behind all of this.
Cin: Nick said the guys are working every angle to get you back as soon as possible. Whatever you do, stay in touch with us.
Shelby: I’ll do my best.
The car slows, and I glance out the windshield to see us pulling into a parking lot.
Shelby: We’re here.
Cin: Be careful, and text me when you can.
Shelby: I love you.
Cin: Love you, too.
I take my phone and stuff it into the cup of my bra, where the slight padding hides its shape. Mrs. Abney was so engrossed in driving that she didn’t see me texting.
As she parks, I look up at the building. It looks like a three-story apartment building.
“I don’t know much about this place.” She gathers her stuff. “I’ve never taken someone here before.”
“Why would you when it’s in a different state than where you work?”
She gives me a slight stink eye.
“It can’t be worse than Ashland. Let’s get this over with.” I slide out of the car.
I thought I would never have to do this again. I shake my head. What happens if this place is worse than Ashland?