Reclaim - Aly Martinez Page 0,8

wonder your mom left you ungrateful pieces of shit. You ruined my whole fucking life.” His fist sailed through the air, landing hard against her brother's face.

I gasped and slapped a hand over my mouth as he fell back against the house and sank to his butt.

The man once again advanced, but Nora jumped between them, crouching low like a lion ready to attack. “Dad, no!”

Holy shit. That was her dad?

A blast of panic hit me, stealing my breath all over again. I had no idea what to do. If her brother, who was twice my size, couldn’t take this guy, I would have been next to worthless.

I could get help though. Surely someone else must have heard the chaos. Frantic, I spun in a circle. Multiple porch lights were on, but my hopes fell when I saw bent blinds with shadowy figures lurking behind them. Bile crawled up the back of my throat. People were just watching like this was some kind of sport.

By the time I turned back around, her brother was on his feet again, his murderous gaze locked on his father.

“Get to Thea’s,” he barked at Nora.

She tugged on his arm. “No. Please, Ramsey. Come with me. It’s not worth it. He’s not worth it. Please. Please. Please!” she screamed through her tears. “Daddy, go away! Leave him alone!”

Hearing her call that monster “daddy” felt like the tip of a dagger raking down my spine.

He slurred something I couldn’t quite make out and then spit at them before finally stumbling to a beat-up truck. After he climbed inside, it rumbled to life like a fork in a garbage disposal.

I couldn’t see Nora’s face, but I didn’t take another breath until his taillights disappeared around the corner.

As soon as he was gone, the door a few houses down swung open and a girl with flowing, brown hair, darker than Nora’s, came running out barefoot. “Ramsey!”

“Shit,” he mumbled before calling back, “I’m okay.” He pulled Nora into his side and hugged her tight. “We’re both okay.”

The girl stopped in front of him and pressed up onto her toes to check his bleeding nose. “I hate that man!”

“Me too, Sparrow. Me too.” Ramsey laughed. Like a real honest-to-God chuckle. And if I hadn’t already been stunned into silence by what I’d just witnessed, I would have been shocked that he could still remember how to laugh after an actual fistfight with his dad.

Nora stepped out of her brother’s arms and wiped the tears from under her eyes. “I got you some gum.”

He had blood smeared across his face, but his grin was massive as he peered down at her. “How did you know I was on my last piece?”

“You’re always on your last piece,” the girl he’d called Sparrow smarted.

Nora giggled. And just like her brother’s laugh, it was so real that it transformed my stunned silence into outright, mouth-gaping confusion.

Who the heck were these kids? I was still shaking, and I hadn’t even been involved in the fight. Sure, my dad yelled at me, but he’d never hauled off and punched me. Or pushed me. Or spit on me. Or told me I’d ruined his life. Jesus Christ, what kind of dad did that to their kids?

I couldn’t even begin to wrap my mind around how I’d ever smile again after something like that.

But Nora did.

Guilt slapped me like a cold wind in the middle of winter. I’d treated her like a jerk at the creek, simply because I’d been mad that I had to spend the summer with my grandparents. My grandparents who had never once put their hands on me. Who supplied me three home-cooked meals a day, and every now and again, my grandma would sneak me an ice cream sandwich.

Jesus, I really was Freaking Camden Cole.

They walked inside together, and in an act only slightly creepier than following her home, I sat in the edge of woods and stared at her front door for a long while. I wanted to help, but I had no idea how. Before she’d blown up on me, I’d been planning to let her in on my worm scheme. That would at least put some money in her pocket. But if her mom was gone like her dad had said, she needed more than just a few bucks a day.

I debated telling my grandparents, but they really enjoyed turning a blind eye even within their own family. I couldn’t imagine they’d leap into action for a stranger.

I could call