Chapter Four
Broken Trust
T
he day starts like any other; me stuck tagging along with my brother Sonny and his shadow, Ron. Same damn park, same damn routine. It’s like Sonny’s allergic to taking me anywhere else just because I’m his little sister.
Fat chance I’ll embarrass him by existing.
But today’s different. My brother’s new girlfriend is coming.
And I couldn’t care less. I’ve never liked any of his girlfriends. They’re all the same—loud, ghetto, and desperate for attention. Doing the absolute most, like being extra is a quality personality trait. Just recycled hoes with different names.
Sonny and Ron sit up front, clowning as usual, laughter bouncing off the car windows. They tell jokes so dark and twisted most people would call the psych ward—but they’re doubled over like it’s comedy gold.
I’m in the back, rolling my eyes, tossing in comments here and there. Half the shit isn’t even funny, but I laugh anyway.
The energy between them is contagious, even when I try to pretend I’m above it.
Then Ron does what Ron always does—something stupid. He leaves his keys dangling in the ignition. My eyes lock on them like a dare. Before either of them realizes, I slide into the front seat, hit the locks, and lean toward the window, grinning wide.
“Y’all really left the keys in the car?” I taunt.
I throw it in reverse, careful but quick, my hands locked on the wheel. My heart’s pounding, but I’m not stupid—I know what I’m doing.
I swing around the divider fast, just enough to feel the rush, adrenaline burning through me.
Sonny and Ron are in the middle of the park, yelling, hyping me up like I’m the main event.
And I eat it up—every bit of it.
Until she shows up.
His girlfriend pulls in blasting music, doors rattling, smirk glued to her face like she owns the place. She doesn’t hesitate—not even a beat. She guns it around the divider in the opposite direction. Headlights slice through mine, blinding my view.
I jerk the wheel, brakes screeching. We stop inches away from crashing. My chest caves, all the air in my body gone, but somehow my pulse is still racing. I know I was doing fine and being careful.
A slight reckless but I had it under control.
Until Miss I-Wanna-Show-Out decided to turn my moment into a damn demolition derby.
Sonny runs up, face twisted, voice cracking with anger. Ron’s right behind him. They’re both shouting, cussing me out like I’m the reckless one. “What the fuck were you thinking? What if you crashed? Dumbass.”
Minutes later, the whole park glows red-and-blue. I sink into the backseat, legs shaking while Sonny and Ron talk to the cops.
“Who was driving?” the officer asks.
“I was,” Sonny lies, smooth as butter. “Just having a little fun officer.” My stomach knots. I know I messed up. And now he’s covering for me.
Fuck.
The ride home is dead quiet. I whisper, desperately, “I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again. Just—please don’t tell Mom.”
Sonny doesn’t even look at me. His jaw’s locked, eyes forward. Finally, he mutters, “I won’t… but don’t ever do that shit again.”
I rush to defend myself, hoping he’ll understand. “It wasn’t even my fault. I was fine until she pulled up—”
“Doesn’t matter,” he snaps, cold as ice. “The cops showed up Jainey. I could’ve gone to jail. You think Mom’s gonna hear about this and blame anyone but me?”
“You know how she is, Sonny—she’s only gonna care that I did it.”
I really hope he can keep this one between us. I don’t ask him for much—I never have. The least he can do is protect his little sister and keep his fucking mouth shut.
Roger’s car is parked out front—and my stomach drops.
I rush to my bedroom slamming door behind me, praying Sonny keeps his word. A few minutes later, I hear his voice in the living room with Roger.
My heart plummets.
He’s telling him.
I just fucking know it.
Then I hear her voice—sharp, slicing through the house.“JAINEY!”
My body goes numb. I manage to drag myself into the living room so she doesn’t have to call me twice.
That’ll only make things worst.
Sonny, Ron, and Roger all stand around watching me with pathetic looks on all their faces.
From behind I feel two hands on my back, that sends me sprawling to my knees. I turn over to see her hair wrapped in a towel, water dripping down her neck, face twisted with rage.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she screams. “Driving someone else’s car? You don’t even know how to fucking drive!”
Her hand cracks across my face before I can even respond. Her fist slam into my stomach, knocking the air out of me. I throw my hands up to shield my face and stomach the best I can, but it doesn’t stop her.
The room tilts, the ringing in my ears crashing against the bitter taste of metal on my tongue. My body and my pride folding. I want to scream, to cry, to do something, but the words won’t move past my throat.
“I’d be responsible if something happened to that car!” she yells, each word landing with another punch to my body. “You got money to fix it? No! You’re broke. You don’t have a shit!”
Roger tries to step in, muttering her name, but she shoves him away like he’s nothing.
Her fury’s all for me.
He hovers there, useless, watching like this is something that’ll burn itself out if he just waits long enough.
Maybe he’s right.
Maybe it will.
I let the blows land until she’s too tired to keep going. It’s easier that way—easier than trying to fight back against something that’s been winning my whole life.
From the corner of my eye, I catch Sonny. He won’t even look at me. The same brother who swore he wouldn’t tell looks pale—at least, as pale as his brown skin can get. He has the nerve to sit there looking hurt, like he’s the one bleeding.
I still can’t believe he fucking told her. Handed me over like it was nothing. Like our sibling loyalty never existed.
Ron turns away fast, eyes falling to the floor, pretending he didn’t just watch me get my ass beat.
Maybe it’s easier for him to pretend I deserve it.
Finally out of breath, she straightens and yells, “Go to your room. You’re grounded—three months. No phone, no going out with your friends, nothing. Maybe then you’ll think twice before pulling some dumb shit again.”
“God, I’m so tired of you, if it’s not Sonny then it’s you!.”
Tears sting as I push myself up, my face burning, my body aching. I don’t even argue because what’s there point.
I limp to my room, every step heavier than the last. She barely touched my legs, but my body aches so bad it’s hard to walk straight.
Every breath reminding me where her fists landed, proof that she doesn’t just want to hurt me—she wants me to feel it.
But it’s not the just bruises that gut me—it’s the betrayal. Sonny swore he had my back, and the second he saw Roger, he told and Ron didn’t even bother to stop him from doing that.
They all let it happen. That’s the part I can’t shake—the way they stood there, like I wasn’t worth saving.
Like I was some scene playing out on TV instead of a person they claimed to care about.
Their silence hurts worst than her hits, wrapping around me, sinking deep until it hollowed something out inside me.
It’s one thing to be hurt. It’s another to realize no one in my family wanted to stop it.
I bury my face in my pillow, promising myself, I’ll never trust them again.
The words taste bitter on my tongue, but they’re the only truth I have left. My body throbs and my eyes sting, but it’s the kind of pain that doesn’t ask for comfort—it just reminds me I’m still here.
Somewhere down the hall, their voices fade into laughter, wiping away the whole moment like it never existed.
I pull the blanket over my head, drowning their laughter under my own quiet tears—next time, I won’t need saving.
I’m tired—tired in a way sleep can’t touch. Every time I let myself have hope, it backfires.
But I’m tired of being the broken girl everyone in here walks over.
Tired of being the girl who has to survive everything quietly.
And the worst part is.. I don’t even know who I’d be if I wasn’t a mess all the time.
But I know I’m tired of living like this.
I want to see what my life can look like when hurt isn’t the loudest part of me—who I’ll become once I finally choose myself.