Chapter 7

David couldn't be that heartless. He gave me love and warmth, then disappeared from my life.

I wanted to get David back.

But he'd blocked my number and deleted me from all his social media.

After a lot of effort, I finally managed to find him at a restaurant.

He completely ignored me, opened the car door, shielding Ashtyn's head so she wouldn't hit it.

I stepped forward.

"David, I'm sorry," I said.

Only after making sure Ashtyn was settled did he finally throw me a glance.

"What exactly did you do wrong?" he asked.

I glanced at Ashtyn.

She was sitting in the car, looking bored as she fiddled with her nails.

I didn't think I'd done anything wrong.

But I couldn't lose David.

"I shouldn't have hurt Ashtyn," I said.

Ashtyn scoffed.

David remained stone-faced.

"Do you really get what you did wrong?" he asked.

"Yeah..." I replied.

"Are you going to mess up again?" he asked.

"No, I swear I won't," I replied.

I took a deep breath and added, "I'll make sure to memorize that list by heart."

David gave me a long, searching look, then threw out a parting remark.

"I'll be back later," he said.

Then he took off, not even looking back.

I chased after him for a couple steps, but my steps faltered and I came to a halt.

At least he said he'd be back.

At least I wouldn't be alone in this empty house anymore.

But my giving in didn't make things any better.

It was painfully clear that things had changed.

Ashtyn started showing up whenever she wanted, without a care in the world.

She helped herself to our house keys, took over our master bedroom, and started redecorating our place however she liked.

David was fine with it.

"She treats this place like her home," he said.

But I didn't want a sister who had feelings for her brother that went way beyond what a sister should.

One day after work, I walked in to find Ashtyn coming out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but David's shirt.

The shirt barely covered her butt.

She wasn't wearing any underwear. If she lifted her arms even a little, everything would be on display.

I was about to lose it. I shoved her into the bedroom and, without thinking, threw a pair of underwear right at her face.

"How can you be so shameless?" I snapped.

Tears streamed down her face as she angrily ripped off the shirt and stormed out of the room completely naked.

David panicked, rushed over, pulled her back, and quickly wrapped his jacket around her to cover her up.

She buried her face in David's chest, crying like her world was ending.

Ashtyn sobbed, "I've already forced myself to play the role of a sister, so why does she still hate me?

"I don't have any parents or siblings. I want this place to be my home.

"Why can't she let me have this one tiny thing?"

"David, I might as well die. I miss my parents so much. Maybe I should go be with them," she sobbed.

David always carried guilt over Ashtyn's parents.

Ashtyn's sobs were like a knife, twisting deep into his heart.

He held Ashtyn close, her naked body pressed against him, and looked at me with disappointment written all over his face.

David said, "I really thought you'd changed, that you wouldn't keep picking on Ashtyn anymore.

"Why do you always have to be so harsh? Why do you have to bully a girl who, like you, has no one left in this world?

"Lacey, you feel like a stranger to me now."

*****

David took Ashtyn with him and walked out.

I didn't have the energy to go after them. I slumped by the elevator, feeling completely exhausted.

After that, we were back to our silent war again.

Even with David in the next room, I still felt afraid late at night.

The same emptiness and cold silence washed over me, the night closing in, thick and suffocating as ink.

Meanwhile, Ashtyn acted like nothing had happened, coming and going as she pleased.

One time, her period came, and she couldn't find any tampons at home.

When I got the call, I rushed out to buy some and hurried back. When I got home, she was lying on the couch, curled up and holding her stomach in pain.

David was right there beside her, gently rubbing her belly, telling her not to be scared, and even made her some hot chocolate.

I handed her the pads, and after David checked them, his expression darkened.

David asked, "Are you even keeping up with the checklist?

"How could you forget when Ashtyn's period is? Why didn't you have things ready ahead of time?

"None of the tampons you bought are the ones Ashtyn actually likes.

"Lacey, how many times are you going to let me down?"

I was completely drained, both physically and emotionally.

David remembered every single detail about Ashtyn.

But he never once prepared hot chocolate for me when I was on my period.

That night, Ashtyn's cramps were so bad that David had to take her to the hospital.

I was left alone in the room, so tired that my breath came in short, ragged gasps.

It was the middle of summer, but I felt cold and empty, overwhelmed by a crushing sense of helplessness.

I stared up at the ceiling, and almost instinctively, called out, "Mom."

Of course, no one answered.

I called out again.