Read Online CROSS (A Gentry Boys Novella) by Cora Brent - Free Book Online
Authors: Cora Brent
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knew that she did.
“I love it,” she said with quiet awe, holding it in her manicured fingers like it was a rare diamond. That was why I loved Roe so much. She had everything money could buy but she was still the kind of girl who treasured an eight-dollar sentimental gift from her best friend.
We were interrupted by a loud knock on the door and a spray of giggles.
Roe opened the door and my two sisters spilled into the room. Penny stalked in primly with all the worldly arrogance of a newly minted teenager. Katie followed, full of nine-year-old laughter that didn’t require anything specific.
“What are you guys doing?” Katie asked, poking around in Roe’s overnight bag.
“Plotting a global takeover,” I answered.
My sister wrinkled her nose. “Huh?”
“You’re wearing a ton of makeup,” sniffed Penny with disapproval. “Wait until Dad sees.”
“Dad won’t care. And anyway you’ll have to get used to it because it’s been tattooed on.”
“Well, you look like a clown.”
“Penny?” ventured Roe. “Would you like to try some makeup?”
“I would!” shouted Katie with her hand in the air.
“I guess,” said Penny with an eye roll. “Just don’t make me look like a circus clown.”
Roe sat down and went about the serious work of applying makeup to my little sisters. Katie was delighted with the pink lip gloss and blush. Penny tried hard not to look too pleased over the way Roe was able to highlight her cheekbones and added a hint of color to her lips.
“Thanks,” she said almost too softly to hear as she stared wistfully at her own reflection. Then she blinked and turned to me with full-blown sour adolescence. “Dad wants to know what you have planned for dinner.”
“There’s a tuna casserole in the fridge. All you need to do is heat it up at three fifty for twenty minutes.”
“And where are you going?” Penny asked as she paused in the doorway.
“Out,” I shrugged, glancing at my phone and wondering why Con hadn’t called yet. He was done with work over an hour ago and I thought he’d be here as soon as he ran home to shower and change.
“I saw your boyfriend leave,” announced Katie as if she’d read my mind. She turned to Roe. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Noooo. I’m too young to have a boyfriend,” answered Roe with wide-eyed mock innocence. She winked at me.
I tried to get my sister’s attention. “Katie, you saw Con? He was here?”
My sister combed her hair with her fingers. “Nope.”
Penny was listening at the door and decided to join the conversation. “He and his brother ran off together a little while ago, probably to go snort paint in a ditch somewhere.” She nodded at Roe. “Are you staying here again tonight?”
Roe shook her head. “I wish. But I promised my dad I’d be home by eight.”
Katie suddenly hugged Roe around the waist. Roe looked startled for a moment but pleased as she patted the little girl’s back. It made me feel guilty, seeing my kid sister searching for affection. She’d gotten a raw deal, having only been in kindergarten when our mother died. Our dad tried his best but he spent too many hours a day working double shifts at the prison in order to make ends meet. He felt guilty for depending too much on me. He felt guilty because he couldn’t help my mother when she was alive, and can’t deal with her at all now that she’s dead. I felt guilty because I’m a crappy substitute for a real mother. And then I felt even more guilty about counting down the months until I could get out of here. Too much guilt, all around.
We found my father dozing off on the couch. He must have only just gotten home. He still wore the white polyester shirt and blue trousers of his prison uniform. He woke up abruptly when Katie jumped on his legs.
“Stinker,” he joked, tickling her while she
“I love it,” she said with quiet awe, holding it in her manicured fingers like it was a rare diamond. That was why I loved Roe so much. She had everything money could buy but she was still the kind of girl who treasured an eight-dollar sentimental gift from her best friend.
We were interrupted by a loud knock on the door and a spray of giggles.
Roe opened the door and my two sisters spilled into the room. Penny stalked in primly with all the worldly arrogance of a newly minted teenager. Katie followed, full of nine-year-old laughter that didn’t require anything specific.
“What are you guys doing?” Katie asked, poking around in Roe’s overnight bag.
“Plotting a global takeover,” I answered.
My sister wrinkled her nose. “Huh?”
“You’re wearing a ton of makeup,” sniffed Penny with disapproval. “Wait until Dad sees.”
“Dad won’t care. And anyway you’ll have to get used to it because it’s been tattooed on.”
“Well, you look like a clown.”
“Penny?” ventured Roe. “Would you like to try some makeup?”
“I would!” shouted Katie with her hand in the air.
“I guess,” said Penny with an eye roll. “Just don’t make me look like a circus clown.”
Roe sat down and went about the serious work of applying makeup to my little sisters. Katie was delighted with the pink lip gloss and blush. Penny tried hard not to look too pleased over the way Roe was able to highlight her cheekbones and added a hint of color to her lips.
“Thanks,” she said almost too softly to hear as she stared wistfully at her own reflection. Then she blinked and turned to me with full-blown sour adolescence. “Dad wants to know what you have planned for dinner.”
“There’s a tuna casserole in the fridge. All you need to do is heat it up at three fifty for twenty minutes.”
“And where are you going?” Penny asked as she paused in the doorway.
“Out,” I shrugged, glancing at my phone and wondering why Con hadn’t called yet. He was done with work over an hour ago and I thought he’d be here as soon as he ran home to shower and change.
“I saw your boyfriend leave,” announced Katie as if she’d read my mind. She turned to Roe. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Noooo. I’m too young to have a boyfriend,” answered Roe with wide-eyed mock innocence. She winked at me.
I tried to get my sister’s attention. “Katie, you saw Con? He was here?”
My sister combed her hair with her fingers. “Nope.”
Penny was listening at the door and decided to join the conversation. “He and his brother ran off together a little while ago, probably to go snort paint in a ditch somewhere.” She nodded at Roe. “Are you staying here again tonight?”
Roe shook her head. “I wish. But I promised my dad I’d be home by eight.”
Katie suddenly hugged Roe around the waist. Roe looked startled for a moment but pleased as she patted the little girl’s back. It made me feel guilty, seeing my kid sister searching for affection. She’d gotten a raw deal, having only been in kindergarten when our mother died. Our dad tried his best but he spent too many hours a day working double shifts at the prison in order to make ends meet. He felt guilty for depending too much on me. He felt guilty because he couldn’t help my mother when she was alive, and can’t deal with her at all now that she’s dead. I felt guilty because I’m a crappy substitute for a real mother. And then I felt even more guilty about counting down the months until I could get out of here. Too much guilt, all around.
We found my father dozing off on the couch. He must have only just gotten home. He still wore the white polyester shirt and blue trousers of his prison uniform. He woke up abruptly when Katie jumped on his legs.
“Stinker,” he joked, tickling her while she
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