But Who's Counting?

Chapter Forty-Six: "She said what?"

35 days without Sophia Matthews.

"I've told you this story so many times. Why do I have to keep saying it?" I groan, screwing my eyes shut. I take a deep sigh before looking forward at him.

"Until it makes sense." Andrew snaps, taking a swing of the bottle in his hand. After he takes a drink, he tosses the nearly empty bottle.

"What do you mean until it makes sense? It makes perf-" my older brother cuts me off, his eyes rolling as he spoke.

"It makes no sense. Like at all. You mean to tell me you believe this bullshit?" He says, frowning at me before wiping his face. My eyes roll to the wall, looking at a picture frame that held a picture of Maya from when she was one years old.

"She said she doesn't want to see me." I say again, wondering how much more clearer I can get. I tell him this everytime he comes. I tell him the story, everytime he comes. He asks me to repeat it, everytime he comes. He's a asshole. I look back up, seeing Andrew staring at his phone. He looks back at me before shrugging along with a pointed look. His look was basically just telling me I am a idiot. His normal face.

He's heard it about a hundred times but OK.

"Do you have that in writing?" Andrew asked, chuckling at his own stupid joke. I do not find any of this funny.

I do not find losing my family over a fucking lie funny.

"No. Just take my word that she said it." I groan, drinking some of the Sprite Andrew bought over for me. They were a blessing to a hangover... that has last for nearly thirty days.

"She said what, exactly?" Andrew asks me, picking up another bottle and throwing it into the trash bag he was dragging around. I glanced at the orange envelope that the nurse gave me that day. I still hadn't opened it.

She gave me a pretty good understanding of what it would say. It stayed in the same spot: on the table. Unopened, barely touched, and crisp.

"She didn't say it, like I've told you a million time: the nurse told me. It's protocol that if somebody anonymously tips them off that they take action. Of course, I don't know who tipped them off. It could be her for all I know." I complain. I didn't want to believe it but I can't see any other possible reasons.

"It's not her. Have you been listening to what I've been telling you for like the past three weeks? She's heartbroken. She wouldn't put either of you through that type of pain, especially on the birth day of your kids." Andrew says, making me frown.

I've been doing that a lot lately.

"I don't know," I start, my eyes meeting his briefly, "woman can be great liars. She could be acting." I shrug. I was used to that though. Woman and lying. It practically went hand in hand with each other.

Automatically Andrew freezes, his stance going still. I see his face contort in anger as he grits his next words.

"She is not Leah."

Oh, he's mad now.

Did I poke a beehive?

"Fuck Leah! We are talking about Sophia Brooke fucking Matthews." I snap, standing up. This was the first time I even said her name in weeks. I couldn't bring myself to say it. I didn't want to.

"I don't know why I bothered coming here again. You act like a jackass everytime." Andrew snaps back, shoving more items into the

"That's what happens when you get your heart broken everytime you decide to give it so someone."