There was no getting out of seeing her today, though. She was dropping Jenna off with Shane and Harper so that she could tour with us this summer. I couldn’t wait to see my sister, needed to see her and just have her hug me so desperately. But if I wasn’t there when our parents dropped her off I knew I wouldn’t hear the end of the nagging until at least Christmas. Of next year.

Feeling drained, I forced myself to climb out of bed and into the shower. Getting ready didn’t take nearly as long now that most of my hair was gone. Once my hair was dry, I swallowed one of the daily vitamins that were sitting on my sink before brushing my teeth and starting on my makeup. If my mother saw the dark circles under my eyes she would only have another thing to bitch at me about.

Linc had already gone out for his morning workout with Liam and Marissa was either still in bed or she and Rhett had gone out for breakfast, something that they normally did at least once a week. If Linc was my best friend, then Rhett was for sure Marissa’s. I was glad that no one was around. I didn’t want to have to face Linc and his concern, and Rhett was no better. If Marissa wasn’t off in a world of her own pain, she probably would have been as well.

Fucking rockers always breaking our hearts.

Gritting my teeth at that thought, I grabbed my keys and wallet as I left. Twenty minutes later I arrived at Shane and Harper’s apartment. It was the same one he and Drake had shared until Lana had gotten pregnant with Nevaeh and they’d moved into their house. It was a nice three-bedroom apartment that was roomy and had cost more than a small fortune when Emmie had bought it for my brothers.

Ranger started barking the moment I pushed the doorbell. Moments later, Shane opened the door with a sour look on his face, letting me know without words that our father and Stella had arrived already. I squared my shoulders and lifted my head a little in hopes of gaining a little extra confidence before having to face my parents.

“Morning, Nat.” Shane stepped forward to kiss my cheek before letting me in. “Good luck.”

I gave him a small, tight smile as I entered the apartment. Ranger came over to greet me with a lick to my hand before running back to find Harper. That dog loved her more than anything, was very protective over her, and I was sure that my brother and the German shepherd considered each other rivals for her attention. I followed after the dog, hoping that he might protect me from my mother for the next few hours.

Everyone was in the living room. Harper on the recliner with her feet pulled up under her, a cup of coffee in her hands. My mother and father had taken the couch leaving my sister to take the smaller reclining sofa. As soon as I spotted my sister, the pain around my heart lightened just a fraction. I bypassed my mother and father to wrap my arms around the beautiful girl who had already jumped to her feet.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I told her with a happy little laugh.

I hadn’t seen Jenna since Christmas when I’d flown with her out to California to spend the holiday with Shane and Drake and the rest of their crazy family. Harper had kindly invited Stella and Clyde out to stay with them at their Santa Monica house. Of course, my mother had practically broken her neck when she’d looked down her nose at Harper’s invitation and made up an excuse for why they couldn’t go. I hadn’t minded, not when it meant I got to be free of her bitchiness during Christmas for once.

Jenna’s arms were tight around my waist as she hugged me back. “I missed you more.” She pulled back enough to meet my gaze, blue-gray eyes narrowing a little on my short hair. “How are you?”

Unlike Linc, Jenna knew everything that I’d been going through lately. I hadn’t been able to keep it from her. My little sister knew me so well that she’d known by the tone of my voice when I’d talked to her on the phone the evening after I’d bought that stupid pill. “I’m good,” I assured her, more for our mother’s sake than in any honesty. Good was always our code for ‘we’ll talk about it later’.

As soon as Jenna stepped back I knew I couldn’t avoid it any longer. Schooling my emotions, I turned to face my parents who were now standing. Clyde gave me a bright smile, his gaze not even going to my hair. “It’s good to see you, sweetheart. We’ve missed you so much.”

I wrapped my arms around him, for just a moment letting myself fall back into the role of daddy’s little girl. “I’ve missed you too, Daddy.”

He gave me a squeeze and moved back so that I could hug my mother. I didn’t give her nearly as tight a hug as I’d done my sister and father, nor did she hug me with the warmth that the other two had. Our hug was simply for show. She couldn’t very well let Shane and Harper think she didn’t care about her eldest daughter, after all.

The hug lasted less than a second and then she was cutting into me about my hair. “Why on earth would you cut your hair so short, Natalie? It doesn’t suit you at all.”

I refrained from snapping back at her with a bitchy retort, instead taking the empty spot beside my sister while Shane lounged on the arm of Harper’s chair and Ranger sat on his hind legs in front of her. Harper thankfully cut off my mother’s continued interrogation into my reasons for cutting my hair by asking me if I would like a cup of coffee. “I wouldn’t mind a mug of tea if you have it,” I told her, unable to stomach coffee ever since Linc had started making Jesse Thornton’s special recipe each morning.

When Harper started to stand, Shane gently pushed her back down. “I’ll do it, beautiful.” He leaned forward to kiss her lips lingeringly before asking me how I took my tea.

“Weak with a little sugar, but I can get it, Shane.”

His eyes darkened and shot to Stella for a split second, telling me that he wanted the excuse to get away from his stepmother. “Nah, its fine. I’ll be right back.”

Lucky.

For the next two hours I had to sit there and listen to my mother’s constant criticisms. I knew better than to defend myself, because it only set her off more. It didn’t stop Jenna, Shane or even Harper from stepping in to correct her. They loved me and hated the way my mother treated me, and Shane was always looking for a reason to tell her off. Which only got Stella’s hackles raised for being ‘disrespected’. By the time my father announced it was time for them to make the long trip back home, he was looking gray around the mouth and I knew they would be arguing for the majority of the drive. Clyde never scolded Stella in front of anyone, but when they were alone he always let her know if she was being a bitch.