What Isn’t Mine, I Don’t Want Chapter 08

What Isn’t Mine, I Don’t Want Chapter 08

I hadn’t slept long before my phone buzzing woke me.

After I’d shut it off the day before, I’d left Adrian alone the whole time.

I only turned it back on once I was home.

He’d called me over and over, and sent more than a dozen

messages.

Nora, did you really go back to Hartwell?

Where are you right now, can we talk, get off the train and I’ll come find you!

I’ve already had it out with Sienna. From now on Mom and I won’t listen to her, just come back now and you can come home right away!

Nora, will you answer me, I know you’ve been wronged, I’m sorry…

I skimmed the messages and didn’t reply to any of them.

Until a new one came in.

Mom’s blood pressure spiked, it’s bad, she’s been hospitalized.

I stared at that one for a while, then wrote back.

Is that my fault?

Since I came to New York, I’ve seen Mom a handful of times. Why does her getting sick land on me?

The other end showed he was typing.

I waited a long while before he answered.

I’m sorry, Nora. Mom getting sick has nothing to do with you. Sienna’s the one who set her off.

I’ll send Sienna abroad, get her out of your sight for good. Would that work?

I let out a cold little laugh and set the phone down..

Last year, I’d brought this up with Adrian myself.

I said we could send Sienna abroad, since the family had no shortage of money or connections.

If she had her own life overseas, maybe she wouldn’t mind my being around so much.

Afraid he’d be upset, I’d even promised I’d never keep Sienna from coming back.

That even if she only came home two months a year, I’d treat her like family.

And what did my brother say?

“Abroad? She’s barely more than a kid.”

“It isn’t safe out there. Set me aside, Mom would never have a moment’s peace.”

“Don’t bring this idea up again. I won’t agree to it.”

I picked the phone up again and typed it out to Adrian,

word by word.

Stop calling me, stop messaging me. I’m not coming back.

Then, before he could reply, I blocked him.

The next few days, I lived easy.

Adrian didn’t reach out, and the phone stayed quiet day after day.

I bought a couple of pigs again, and a few chicks.

While it was still summer, I filled the yard with ■

vegetables.

I was busy from morning on, not too tired, like I’d gone back to those days right after my mom and dad passed./

What I didn’t expect was that half a month later, Adrian and the rest of them actually showed up.

This time, Mom and Sienna came too.