Nap Queen

Thirteen

Liam POV

"Shit!" The little monster bit me again! She laughs and falls back into my lap. Cheeky bitch. I let her lay there for a bit messing with my ring while I count the money from my last fight. $1,000.  Enough for rent at Sam and I's place and food for the month.

I force the bottle back into Audrey Rose's mouth and walk around the apartment trying to get her to go to sleep. Her stubbornness reminds me of Evie. 

Speaking of which. That girl has some nerve crossing me. Yelling at me after I beat up that punk for her. I don't actually know why I did it... it must be because I need her to trust me if I'm going to find out her secret. Maybe I can interrogate one of her friends. Brandon won't tell me shit, Mia and Evie are attached at the fucking hip so can't ask her either. I don't really want to approach Camille since she'd run straight to Evie about it... but that Lauren girl, she's probably the weakest link, I'll go after her.

Just as I was contemplating what to do, Audrey Rose bursts into screams as she hears the front door open. Asher runs in. 

"What's wrong?" He frets.

"Nothing, she was fine until you got here. I think she's an attention whore just like you." I grin. Ash just glares at me. This is when I notice that a girl came in behind him... Camille.

"What is she doing here?" I sneer, immediately switching into my bad boy,  walls up facade. 

"Drop the act Davis, I'm the new babysitter." She shoots back venomously. Audrey Rose continues to cry in my arms.

"What?" I'm seriously taken aback. Excuse me? Ash didn't even ask me or Sam. Audrey Rose may be his sister, but she's ours too.

"She's going to be one of Audrey Rose's... caretakers. For when the three of us can't be here." Ash confirms. I glare at him.

I see, he needed someone to watch the baby when the three of us go to fights. He looks at me pleadingly, at least he knows he's wrong here.

"She won't stop," I sigh, deciding that this is a battle for another day, as Audrey Rose continues to spit the bottle out and scream. Camille walks over to the sink and washes her hands.

"Give her." She commands. I raise an eyebrow but hand Audrey Rose over to her.

Ash inhales sharply as Camille shoves her fingers into Audrey Rose's mouth. She stops crying.

"What are you doing?" I exclaim in horror. 

"Just like I thought. She's teething. Surely you knew that though?" 

"Teething?" Ash wonders aloud. 

"You guys are worse than I thought. Audrey Rose is teething. Her teeth are coming in, and that's probably why she cries all the time. She's in pain."

"She's in pain?" Ash's voice cracks. Camille gives him a sympathetic look.

"You need to get her some teething rings. They're little baby chew toys that you put in the freezer, and you should start transitioning her to solid foods, cheerios, corn puffs, stuff like that." 

She dances around the kitchen with Audrey Rose on her hip checking the things in the cupboards and telling Ash things to write down. He tries to follow her scattered pace. 

He is so whipped.

"Show me the nursery and I'll need a copy of her schedule...."

"Yeah, yeah of course..." Ashe leads her down to the nursery. 

This seems like the right time to take my leave. 

***

Evie POV

Slut. 

Lazy.

Spoiled.

Bitch.

Fake.

Elusive.

Worthless.

Needy.

Brat.

Zombie.

Wannabe.

Social Climber.

Evie Walkwhore.

"No!" I shoot up in bed sweating and shaking. The clock reads 3 am. I run a hand through my hair and let out a sigh. 

I shouldn't have asked. 

He was right, I didn't want to know.

I sob silently. It's all too much. My head hurts from all the crying, my heart hurts from the weight of my secret, my body feels weak from lack of sleep. It's all catching up to me. Is it time to give up? Admit my mom was right? Spend the rest of Junior year homeschooling from the hospital?

I look across the room and see myself in the mirror. I'm thin and pale. My face looks gaunt and the dark circles under my eyes make me look like some kind of demon. My shoulders slump from the burden I'm carrying. Who am I kidding? Everyone's lives would be easier if I was never born. Brandon would be free to be SHS' goldenboy. My mom might even go out more, Dad certainly wouldn't have died.

I have two options. Go sit in a bathtub of freezing water until someone finds me. Or go sleep on Brandon's couch.

***

"Goodnight, Evie." 

"Goodnight, Brandon." I sniffle.