The Enemy - Kelsey Clayton Page 0,88

up and go toward my room, I find my mom at the bottom of the stairs. It's clear she's upset, but she isn't defending me.

"You're seriously just going to let him kick me out like that?"

She sighs. "You got involved with his daughter, Cade. What do you expect me to do?"

I scoff. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe be a fucking mother for once since you met him."

Pushing past her, I go upstairs to start packing my shit. I pull a couple duffle bags out of my closet and throw everything I can fit into it. All my clothes. All my surfing trophies. The picture of Bryce, Jayden, and I from when we were younger that sits on my nightstand.

"You're leaving?" Molly's voice sounds from my doorway.

My motions halt, and I look over to find her staring at me, her eyes wet with tears. I sigh heavily and walk over to her, dropping down so we're level with each other.

"Yeah," I break the news softly. "I'm going to go stay at Dad's for a bit."

A tear escapes and slips down her cheek. "Take me with you."

"I wish I could, Mollz, but you have to stay with Mom."

She wraps her arms around me tightly and begins to sob. I hold her close, just letting her cry it out. Fuck Ken for doing this to her, and fuck my mom for not doing anything about it. I can't wait until the day Molly turns eighteen. At least then, she'll be able to come with me anywhere.

Pulling away, I wipe her tears and stand up. It's hard, knowing I'm leaving my baby sister with the wolves, but what other choice do I have?

I grab the bags from my bed and go downstairs. Ken watches me from the door of his office with a nasty scowl on his face. Just as I reach the door, Lennon calls my name. I stop and turn around, finding her at the top of the stairs.

"Lennon," her father says her name as a warning.

She ignores him entirely and runs down the stairs. "Take me with you."

"Lennon!" he roars.

Turning toward him, she glares. "I wasn't talking to you."

Her gaze meets mine once again. She's waiting patiently for my answer, but the words get caught in my throat. This is it. The moment I always swore she would pick her dad. And instead, she's standing here, in front of him, picking me.

But I can't let her do that.

I can't let her give up the only family she has, when all I've wanted is to put mine back together. I know what it's like to feel like you have no one, and I won't do that to her.

"I'm sorry, but no."

At the sound of my words, all hope drains from her face. "What?"

I shake my head and look away. "I can't take you with me. You belong here. You have your entire life ahead of you, and you need your dad to be a part of it."

"Cade," she cries. "Don't do this."

"It's already done. I'm sorry."

I take a step toward her and kiss her forehead. Molly watches confused, but she seems more sad than anything. I nudge her with my elbow, since my hands are full, and give her the best grin I can manage. She opens the door for me, and I walk out of the house for the last time.

Thankfully, the top is still down from when I went surfing this morning, so I'm able to toss my bags into the back without any issue—except for the one with the trophies. That one gets a little more care.

"Wait!" Lennon shouts.

She comes running out the door, with tears soaking her face, and stands in front of me—no longer the strong hard-ass I've seen so often. No. This Lennon is different. Vulnerable. Scared.

"Len, go back inside."

"No." Her shoulders sag in defeat. "You can't leave. Not without me."

I exhale, wishing this was easier. "I can, and I am."

As I turn to get in the Jeep, she calls my name again. "I love you."

Fuck. Hearing her say those three little words isn't something I expected. Even more unexpected, is how they make me feel. It's not the first time someone has said that to me, but it's certainly the first time I've wanted to say it back.

But it doesn't change anything. She's still better off here—without me—and she's not going to accept that unless I give her a reason to.

"What do you want me to say?" I ask with an obvious attitude. "That I