What Isn’t Mine, I Don’t Want Chapter 04

What Isn’t Mine, I Don’t Want Chapter 04

“Quit making a scene.”

Outside the room, my brother caught my arm and dropped his voice.

“Go back in and be happy. It’s your birthday, after all.”

I followed him in. My friends had the cake set up.

Sienna was off to the side drinking, and looked away the moment I walked in.

I got seated in the middle of everyone. Someone egged me on.

“Nora won that round, right? You said she could ask Adrian for one thing.”

Probably scared I’d bring up taking the family name again, my brother said it cool and flat.

“I only said that to humor Sienna. Doesn’t count a second time.”

I didn’t say anything. A girl pushed candles into the cake and gave an awkward laugh.

“Hurry and make a wish, Nora. It’s almost midnight.”

I lifted the corner of my mouth and put my palms together.

“I want to go home.”

CRASH.

The glass flew out of Sienna’s hand.

“I knew you meant it. A birthday is nothing special!”

She screamed it at me, then spun and ran out of the room.

My brother shot me a furious look, got up, and went after her.

His friends glanced at each other and left, one after another.

The room that had been so loud a minute ago emptied out fast, until it was just me.

I picked up a knife and a plate and cut three slices of cake.

Two across from me. One in front of myself.

“Mom, Dad, it’s really sweet. Go on, eat.”

“Tomorrow I’m coming home to be with you.”

After I said it, I ate the whole slice alone.

Then I took out my phone.

And booked a ticket home for the next day.

The train left the following afternoon.

I gave myself plenty of time to pack.

All the designer things my brother and Mom had given me over the years, I’d never been able to bring myself to use.

Now I packed every one of them into my suitcase, ready to take them with me.

Near noon the next day I called my brother, meaning to tell him I was leaving.

Before I could get a word out, he said it cold.

“If this is about coming home, save it.”

“Sienna threw a fit all night. Mom’s blood pressure spiked, she nearly ended up in the hospital.”

“I just barely got her calmed down. Didn’t sleep all night. I can’t hear about this again.”

I let out a breath.

“Can we meet? There’s something I need to tell you.”

He turned me down without a second’s pause.

“In a few days. I’m taking Sienna shopping today.”

“Okay.”

I didn’t say anything else. I hung up and kept packing.

When I pulled open the nightstand drawer, a photo frame slid out.

One look and my eyes stung. I bent down quick to pick it up.

It was a picture of my mom and dad.

The only thing I’d brought with me to New York.

Back in town, we were poor, but they were so good to me.

They’d give me the freshest cut of meat, scrimp and save to keep me in school.

Girls back home married young. The year I turned eighteen, somebody tried to set me up.

They ran the matchmaker off, said their daughter was born for a good life, that she wasn’t getting married off that early.

If they could see me now, slinking away like this.

They’d be pacing in circles up in heaven, worried sick.

I wiped the corner of my eye and put the photo in the suitcase.

The bank card still had a hundred-some thousand on it, all allowance my brother had handed me.

I counted up the bags and jewelry in the case.

Decided I’d sell it all before I went back. Maybe another hundred grand out of it.

So the trip to New York hadn’t been a total loss, I told myself.

Carrying that thought, I picked up my suitcase and walked out of the house I’d lived in for three years.

I’d barely made it to the mall when I ran straight into my brother.