Lighting a Match in the Rain

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"What do you mean?" Reed asked me, making me let out a breath of frustration. I was already tired of repeating myself.

"We can't afford all these medical bills," I dumbed it down, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "Insurance only covers so much of the cost, and we don't just have thousands of dollars lying around."

His mouth moved as he chewed on the inside of his bottom lip. "Why aren't you selling your mom's art?"

My shoulders slumped. "They aren't selling. For some reason, no one is interested anymore." I didn't mention the fact that most of my mom's friends and business partners ditched her after hearing about rumors that I had followed in Reed's footsteps. Finding business deals for advertisement had gotten a lot harder and all her time was spent at the hospital with my dad. "...Maybe we can sell one of our cars or something," I commented in defeat. "...maybe two."

My dad would be out of work for a while. He and mom could share a car. Or Mom and I could share once dad was released to work again. As much as we didn't want to, Macey and I could ride the bus to school.

Reed's head shook from side to side, silent as he stared at me from across the room. He was standing in front of the window that Porter had jumped out of and it took a lot of strength to not think about the man pointing a gun at me. "I could get you the money," he finally said.

Instantly I knew, shaking my head before he could even continue with the suggestion. "No more work trips. No more robbing," I huffed. "Absolutely not."

Letting out a puff of air, he threw up his hands. "Why not? You helped me when I needed money. Let me help you."

"Yes, I need the money, but I don't want to take it from other people."

He scoffed. "You didn't have a problem with it before."

"I wasn't thinking straight before!" I snapped.

One of his brows fell and his energy dropped in a second, sensing my energy rising. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I don't want to take part in stealing from other people anymore." I shook my head. "I wouldn't want that happening to me."

He shrugged. "Alright, then I'll borrow it."

My eyebrows furrowed as I narrowed my eyes. "Who in the world just has that much money on hand to give someone? Did you forget that I said 'thousands' of dollars?"

He took a breath as my heart beat against my ribs. "Porter."

My heart fell through my stomach, rolling onto the floor to be stuck with splinters. "Are you insane?" I practically screamed, my teeth scraping as I jumped onto my feet.

If anybody else was home, they'd already be running up the stairs to me.

His shoulders bobbed. "It was just an option...If it helps out now, then I can always repay him after."

My chest was being squeezed by a giant's fist. "Are you forgetting what happened the first time you got yourself mixed in with him? Debt to him is the exact reason my father is in the hospital in the first place!" I yelled at him, exasperated. "This was all because of you owing him money!"

His eyes hardened and his jaw tightened. "Your dad getting hurt is not my fault!"

I didn't realize that I'd begun crying until the drops tickled my chin. I wiped them away angrily. I turned around, the sight of him making me want to light the whole world on fire.