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Barbie’s jeering cackle sounds from behind me My shoulders hike up toI want Barbie to witness I brought hoht in front of her, not even a half hour later

“Yes, but—” Mako’s turning and stor out of the house before I can finish my sentence—or rather, my lame excuse

I’ after hi words follow me out “Wait till he finds out Billy’s your father, too”

I almost stop I almost turn back around and de She’s just egging on the fight to hurt me There’s no way Billy’s my father One of them would’ve told me that already

“Mako, wait!” I shout, not giving a shit that there’s a s as they witness the Ghost of Shallow Hill chase after an unknownin this town

“Just… fuck! Get in the goddamn car, River” He rips open his door, throws hi him to drive off withoutthe door before he’s peeling out of the driveway, leaving skid marks in our wake

Both fists are curled around the steering wheel so tightly, the leather is popping beneath his grip White knuckles glare atme that I fucked up

Again

His ar fills the tense silence with short, staccato bursts

“Do you have a picture of hi his tone

“Yes,” I whisper,like ash Tears blur my vision as I pull my phone out and search for the only picture of Billy I have I took it years ago, before I left He was particularly savage that night, brutalizingme apart mentally and physically I had already securedwithin a week I still don’t knohy I took it, but I sneaked it in when Billy was glaring at ht The reasons of Billy’s anger escapeis the abuse he inflicted because of it

The bright light of my phone illu phone The second his eyes land on the picture, he’s sto the car to the side of the road My body pitches forward froer, Mako still cares about h to bar his arm across my chest and push me back into the seat

“FUCK!” he roars

I julassMako curls his fist and pounds it into the steering wheel, so hard that the car is blaring fro the horn

“Mako, stop! What’s wrong?!” I scream, my voice desperate and scared I’m not scared of Mako per se, but I’m scared of what his reactions means I don’t understand his reaction to the picture