CHAPTER FOUR
Cricket watched her sister without saying a word. Inside, she was trembling. Every time her sister made these sort of plans, something bad happened. She hated the fact that she didn’t have the courage to stand up to Cordy. She wanted to walk away from the chaos and heartbreak a dozen times or more over the last nine years, since her dad died but she knew she couldn’t walk out now. When her dad died, she’d been too young to live on her own but now she had Dusty to worry about. God only knew what his life would be like if she left him behind. Cricket knew she couldn’t leave him to his mother’s not so tender mercies.
She opened the door behind her and saw the young boy sit up. When he saw her, he smiled and when she motioned for him to be quiet, he knew instinctively that his mother was in the other room. He settled down in the bed he shared with Cricket and began playing quietly.
Cricket closed the door and turned to Cordy. She was still pacing and muttering to herself. Cricket knew enough not to bother her in the planning stage of her schemes. She didn’t want to know what Cordy was up too anyways, but Cordy’s schemes always had a habit of coming back and biting them both in the ass. “What are you going to do?” Cricket asked softly.
Cordy glanced at the clock on the wall. “Shit, I have to get to work.” Glancing over at her sister she sneered, “I’ll have to get back to you on my plans for Deke. Stay inside today, I don’t want the neighbors to see you or the kid.”
“Why do we always have to stay hidden?” Cricket asked.
Cordy stomped over to her and slapped her hard again. “Because I say so! I can’t deal with stupid people today. I’ll be back after work.”
Cricket watched as she went to the other bedroom. Tears ran down her face as she swiped the blood from her lip. Then she heard Cordy getting ready for her job. She bartended a few hours each day at the bar down the street. Since they had moved here three months ago, Cordy hadn’t allowed either her or Dusty outside during the daylight hours. She was keeping them hidden but for what reason she never said.
Cricket turned and went back into the bedroom she shared with Dusty. She smiled when she saw her nephew. He was such a sweet kid.
Small for his age, he grinned up at her as they both heard the front door slam. “Wow, are you okay?” Dusty asked when he saw the bruises on her cheek. He hated that his mother hurt Cricket.
Cricket went over to the bed and ruffled her fingers through his hair. It was a sandy brown color with streaks of gold. He must look like his father. Cricket smiled because he didn’t look much like his mother, nor did he have her temper. And for that, Cricket felt very thankful. One of Cordy was more than enough.
Dusty’s hair looked a little on the long side and Cricket decided he needed a haircut.
His beautiful green eyes twinkled as he ducked away from her fingers. “Stop it Cricket,” he whined.
“Come on big guy, let’s get something to eat.” She grinned.
“Can we go outside yet?” he whispered. A glimmer of hope in his eyes
Cricket sadly hated to tell him no. “Your mom doesn’t think so, not yet anyway.”
Dusty didn’t say a word but looked away.
Cricket could see a single tear roll down his cheek.
“Okay,” he whispered as he inhaled deeply. Exhaling, he gazed at her, “Maybe tomorrow?”
“Maybe, I’ll work on her when she gets home,” she promised.
Dusty sighed heavily and got to his feet. Peeking up at his aunt, he whispered, “Why does she hate us so much? Did I do something wrong?”
Cricket knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around his thin little body. “No buddy, you didn’t do anything wrong, and neither did I.” Kissing his cheek, she told him, “I just don’t think your mom knows what she wants and she’s looking for something she may never find. I think she’s built up a dream in her mind that was never meant to be and now, she can’t get beyond that disappointment. She’s just an unhappy person right now and we need to understand that.”
“But you love me, don’t you?” Dusty asked in a small voice.
“You bet I do, buddy,” Cricket whispered. Hugging him close, she breathed in his sweet baby scent. “I love you to the moon and back.”
Dusty giggled. “I love you to the moon and back,” he repeated back as his arms went around her neck.
Cricket choked up while his arms tightened. Then she got to her feet with him still in her arms. “It’s you and me kiddo. We look after each other and I’ve got your back always.”
“And I got your back too, Cricket,” he vowed. “I’ll always have your back.”
Cricket carried him out of the bedroom and their lonely day began.
~* * * *~
Cricket watched out the window as evening approached. She’d been waiting and watching for Cordy for what seemed like hours already. She knew her sister had been done at the bar by early afternoon. When she didn’t come home, Cricket began to get really nervous. Now, it was dark outside and she still wasn’t home.
Cricket didn’t like it. Cordy hadn’t been in a good mood this morning and she was sure her mood hadn’t improved. Cricket had been thinking about her announcement this morning. The more she thought about it the less she liked it.
They had met Deke Tory the year before he left Maine. Cordy had been eleven years old, while she had only been six, and Cordy had fallen hard for the older boy. Deke had been sixteen when they met, seventeen when he left the MC. It had been a hard year. Cricket and Cordy’s mom had died the year before and their dad needed to move on with his life. They’d been living around Saranac Lake in New York but after their mother died, Orrin couldn’t stay in New York anymore. He moved his daughters to Bangor, Maine to join some friends of his and joined the MC there.
It had been hard for them, moving away from everything they’d known and it had been a struggle to get settled. Cordy had pushed her around, been mean to her when Orrin wasn’t around and for the next few years, they’d played a game of holy terror when Dad wasn’t around. Then Orrin died when she was fifteen and Cordy didn’t have to pretend anymore. Cricket’s life became a nightmare and she couldn’t wait until she was eighteen and could leave.
That never happened. When Cricket was seventeen Cordy got pregnant and the sisters made a deal. Cricket would take care of the baby and Cordy would earn the money to take care of them all. When Dusty was born, Cordy used the baby to get her sister completely under her thumb and the last six years had become a living nightmare.
It was midnight before Cordy finally came home.
The thing that scared Cricket the most was the fact her sister was now in a good mood. Any way you sliced it that was never a good thing. Cricket laid there in the dark with Dusty’s small body pressed up against her own and listened to Cordy in the other room. She was sighing and laughing and there wasn’t anyone with her. Her grip on Dusty became even tighter as Cricket squeezed her eyes shut.