Chapter 5
I darted to the kitchen. The eggs were toast–literally, Charcoal–black and smoking like a
tire fire.
The apartment was choking on smoke, getting thicker by the second. I hovered there, useless and furious at myself.
I couldn’t fix this. I couldn’t save him.
Because I was already dead.
Maybe Luca was meant to go with me. Maybe today was his day too.
And then I heard it. The front door unlocking.
Bill.
He stepped inside, already scowling. The second he saw the smoke, he started shouting ” Rhea! What the hell is this? Can’t you see the place looks like a BBQ pit? Are you blind?”
He stomped into the kitchen, slapped off the stove, and cranked the exhaust fan.
Luca peeked out from behind the couch. The second he spotted Bill, he ran straight into his arms, sobbing hard.
And what did Bill do? Did he ask him if he was okay? Nope. He frowned. “Where’s your mom? She left you here alone to go grocery shopping, didn’t she? Unreal.”
Then, he whipped out his phone and started firing off one–minute voice messages, all in rapid–fire succession.
He tried video–calling next. Except my phone was dead. Luca had drained the battery playing some game earlier.
“Her phone’s off too?” Bill growled. “Figures. Probably sulking somewhere. She gets to sit at home all day while I bust my ass, and she still finds ways to act ungrateful.”
He hung up, throwing a string of curses under his breath.
And then, Ima waltzed in, all dramatic concern. “Bill, what’s going on? Rhea’s not home?
“Unbelievable. She left the poor kid here by himself? That’s so irresponsible.”
She dug into her oversized purse and pulled out two cookies, handing them to Luca like she was some fairy godmother.
Luca was so hungry he ripped into the cookie without even peeling off all the wrapper, swallowing it like his life depended on it.
“Look at this kid, starving like this. What kind of mother does that?” Ima cooed, stroking
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 5
Luca’s cheek. “Luca, honey, your mommy’s so mean for not feeding you. Come with me. I’ll get you something amazing to eat, okay?”
She scooped him up, acting overly affectionate
Normally, Luca wouldn’t let her near him, but unger does things to a kid. He nodded, too weak to fight.
“Bill, let’s take him out for something to eat,” Ima said, kissing Luca’s cheek.
Bill barely glanced up from his phone, clearly over his failed attempts to reach me. When he saw Luca snuggled into Ima, though, he gave a nod.
Before they left, Luca tugged on Bill’s sleeve, pointing toward the bedroom. “Mommy’s sleeping.”
But Bill was too busy exchanging flirty smirks with Ima to even register what Luca said. Ima noticed, though. Her eyes flicked toward the bedroom door, but instead of speaking up, she just strolled out with them.
I let out a long sigh of relief. At least Luca would get fed. At least he’d be okay–for now.
I thought I’d stay behind, trapped in the apartment. But no. Something pulled me along, like a thread I couldn’t cut, and before I knew it, I was floating out the door after them.
From behind, they looked like a perfect family. Hand in hand, Ima and Bill each held one of Luca’s tiny hands, swinging him between them.
It hit me like a punch to the chest. Soon, Luca would start calling her “Mommy.”
And someday, he’d forget I ever existed.
