Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(84)

“Bullshit. You abandoned him.” She rams a finger into my chest.      “You and me. We’re a mistake. You’re a leaver. My father left me, Saint Scott      left me, and I will never be left again.”

Yet Beth is the one who leaves. She retreats to the shopping      plaza and disappears into the grocery store. She told me on the way into      Louisville to drop her off and come back for her later. I never intended to let      Beth walk away, but her words rock me. Is she right? Did I abandon Mark?





Chapter 44

Beth

I CUT IN THE       SUPERMARKET, duck back out, and beeline it for the Last Stop,      avoiding the group of skateboarders. I’m careful, guarding Echo’s money that      burns the back pocket of my jeans. More pickpockets hang here than people with      high school diplomas.

Denny slaps his hand on the counter when I step into the      bar. “Get out, kid.”

Pool balls click against each other as a guy in jeans and a      leather vest plays solo. Two older men in blue factory uniforms slouch over      beers at the bar. My heart drains of any shred of hope I had gained in Groveton      when I see the blond-haired mess at the table in the corner. Holding myself      proud, I glide to the bar. “Whatever Isaiah is paying you, I’ll pay you double      to keep your mouth shut.”

He chuckles darkly. “That’s the same offer he gave me      concerning you. Go play with your boyfriend and stay out of my bar.”

“Isaiah isn’t my boyfriend.”

Wearing a smart-ass smile, Denny grabs a wet shot glass out      of a tub and dries it with a towel. “Have you told him that?”

When I say nothing back, Denny gestures to Mom. “She’s been      crying today. Trent was arrested by the cops last night for drunk driving and      they impounded her car. Get her out and spend some time with her.”

Yay and damn. Without Isaiah on board, I need a car and      Mom’s piece of crap is our only way out of Louisville. On the rare good side, I      don’t have to worry about Trent beating the shit out of either one of us      today.

“Next time you come into my bar, I’m calling Isaiah to drag      you back out,” Denny says. “Even if she’s crying.”

Next to a half-empty bottle of tequila, Mom’s head lies in      her folded arms. She’s thinner. The rush of emotions creates a light-headed      sensation. This poor, pathetic creature is my mom and I’ve completely failed      her. “Let’s go, Mom.”

She doesn’t stir. I sweep the hair from her face. Several of      the strands fall to the floor and stick to my hand. God, has she eaten at all?      Yellow-and-brown patches litter the left side of her face. On her right wrist,      Mom wears a black brace. I nudge her with a tender touch. “Mom, it’s      Elisabeth.”

Her eyelids flutter open and her hollow blue eyes have a      sunken quality. “Baby?”

“It’s me. Let’s go home.”

Mom reaches out as if I’m a ghost. Her fingertips barely      brush my leg before her arm drops to her side. “Are you a dream?”

“When was the last time you ate?”

With her head still on her arms, she surveys me. “You used      to buy food for me and make it, didn’t you? Ham and cheese on white with mustard      tucked in the fridge. That was you.”

My insides wither like a plant without water. Who did she      think took care of her? I close my eyes and search for my perspective. Being at      Scott’s has made me soft. I need to be more aware for both me and Mom. “Let’s      go.”

I place an arm around her shoulder blades and yank at her      body. “Come on. You need to stand. I can’t drag you home.”

“I hate it when you yell, Elisabeth.”

“I didn’t yell.” But I’m being a bitch. Like most toddlers,      Mom obeys a strong reprimand. Also like most toddlers, she often obeys the wrong      person.

“Yes, you did,” she mutters. “You’re always angry.”

Even with me holding her up, she still sways from side to      side. The door to the back room is shut. Hell. This means we’ll have to go out      the front. Baby steps are a struggle for her and I calculate how long it will      take me to get her home at this rate. So many things to do before I meet      Ryan—grocery shop, figure out how to get the car out of impoundment, and nail      down the date to leave.