Chapter 258: Baby Sister
*Not anything fancy, she won’t like that. But it needs to have that car seat locking system in it. – Chance*
Chance had talked to Repo and Gearhead about a car for Rye. He knew that she would be pissed at him. He also knew that if he let her do what she had suggested, she would never get a new car. Not as long as the craptastic Volvo still ran.
At this point, it should probably be taken out to a pasture and shot.
That was not going to happen. He knew this because it had been two weeks since they talked about it, and she still had not called either shop. So, he did.
Daily. To see if she had called either one. When she still had not talked to either, he asked them to send him emails on the available mom cars. He was looking at the one from Repo as he listened to the conversation taking place in the common room, just outside his office.
Cookie and his crew had finished the house. Clay had finished decorating it. Sticks had finished making the furniture for the nursery. Karan was trying to convince Rye to go see the house before going furniture shopping. Karan had helped Clay and Cookie put the house together and wanted the furnishings to be a surprise.
And for her not to be sleeping on a damned pull-out couch.
“Don’t you want to know what it looks like? That way you know what would look good? What will fit the rooms?” Karan pointed out.
“I guess I should see the size. That way I know what to eliminate from the Salvation Army.” Rye finally agreed.
“You’re not getting furniture from the Salvation Army.” Karan objected.
“Why not? It’s where I got my couch and dresser.” Rye said defiantly. “They have regulations and laws to follow.”
Karan was certain that there was a little girl somewhere that probably missed her pink dresser with unicorn stickers. She was willing to return it to the little girl. And throw in the ugly green couch for free.
“Fine, but you’re not getting a mattress from there.” Karan conceded.
“My couch is a pull out. I don’t need a bed.” With that declaration, Rye gathered her twelve four-year-old students, and they went upstairs to their classroom.
That damned pull out. Karan wondered if the high school still held an end of year bonfire. And if that fucking couch could be buried in the center of the woodpile.
Karan watched her leave, not knowing that their exchange was being observed from inside the office with both doors wide open. Something that was happening more and more lately. Giving an exasperated sigh, she walked into the office.
“She still plans on sleeping on that damned pull out.” Karan said plopping down in a chair in Chance’s office, grabbing a green lollipop from Chance’s stash on his desk.
“Figured.” He gave her a small smirk, not looking up from the email that Repo had sent him.
The front door alarm chimed, and she glanced at Chance’s tablet behind him. The figure had her trying to get a better view.
“Who the hell is that?” Karan asked sitting up and looking out his window into the lobby.
Chance looked over and then stood up. “Go get Rye.”
She was going to ask again but he was already out the door. Grabbing a member of the kitchen staff, Karan sent them to get Rye.
“Leigh Anne?” Chance said approaching the woman.
Her clothes were the same ones from the Chinese restaurant. This time there was no jacket, and he could see the track marks. And the bruises.
“I remember you.” Leigh Anne said quietly. “You were with baby sister.”
“Yes, I was. How did you get the bruises?”
She looked at her arms and didn’t even seem to see the bruises or her arms. Shrugging her shoulders, Leigh Anne looked back at Chance, unconsciously picking at the scabs on her arms. “You know Rye?”
Chance nodded. “She’s my… friend.”
From where Karan now stood behind the counter with her phone in hand, she cocked an eyebrow at this statement.
“I’ve got friends.” Leigh Anne stepped closer and touched his name on his shirt. “Can you be my friend?”
“I can be your friend, but nothing more.” He confirmed.
“Leigh Anne?” Rye asked softly as she came through the door.
“Hey, baby sister.” Leigh Anne said smiling at her.
“Big sister.” Rye said recognizing the signs of coming down off her high.
“I need you.” Leigh Anne pleaded.
“I’ve told you before, I’ll help you get clean, but I won’t help you get high.” Rye said coldly.
“You don’t know what I went through for you.” She accused her little sister. “Twenty bucks is the least you can do for me.”
“I know exactly what you went through for me.” She replied quietly. “And I regret that it happened to you. I’ll help you anyway I can. Except put poison in your body.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Just because I wasn’t whored out by our mother doesn’t mean it was easy on me.”
Leigh Anne walked over and slapped Rye across the face. Rye didn’t even flinch.
“You still don’t hit as hard as she did. Don’t come back unless you want to get clean.”
Rye turned away and went into Chance’s office. Karan cocked an eyebrow at him at he gave a small shrug.
“Leigh Anne, I need you to leave now. Don’t come back unless you want our help to get clean.” Chance said placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her to the door.
“She’s better than me.” She mumbled at the door.
“You’re better than this.” He gently told her. “I hope you come back. But only if you want help.”
“No, I’m not. She’s her father’s daughter. But I’m our mother’s whore.” Leigh Anne walked out and across the street to a gas station. She approached a rundown sedan and got in the passenger seat. Before the door was closed, it was already pulling away.
